On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of September:

• Invest York Road finalized a purchase-and-sale agreement with the owner of the first property we are attempting to bring into community ownership. We also secured the balance of the acquisition capital we needed to make that happen. We are resolving some outstanding issues, and are hoping to close on the property in the next three to six months.
• IYR has started the process of redesigning some of its communications materials. We have finished a redesign of our class outreach flyers, and will soon start our website redesign process with an audit of the current site by a marketing professional who will provide recommendations for its improvement.
• Our community engagement team recently participated at the Roots & Roofs event and the Beyond Boundaries Civic Engagement & Democracy Conference, and had a lot of great conversations with community members.
• Invest York Road has a fantastic group of advisors, many of whom recently convened to get updated on our acquisition efforts and provide very helpful input on our next steps.

On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of August:

• The most exciting development this month was that Invest York Road secured the capital needed to purchase the property it has been pursuing. There are still details to be resolved, but IYR is getting closer to completing the acquisition and bringing that first property into community ownership.
  
• In news that was almost as exciting, IYR received notice from the IRS that it had received 501(c)(3) status, making it an official federally recognized non-profit organization.
• Other work has been ongoing, including our steering committee's implementation of recommendations that came out of our recent strategic planning session and from our communications task force.

On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of July:

• Invest York Road's recently hired community engagement coordinators started and are already working on deepening and broadening IYR's relationships in the community.
• We received grants from Project Restore to support our first redevelopment project and from the Baltimore Community Foundation to support operations associated with that project.
• IYR's work on its first property acquisition continued through the due diligence and initial capital raise stages of the process.

On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of June:

• We held our last round of free community financial education classes until the fall.
  
• As a part of our efforts to acquire an initial property, IYR has engaged a development consultant to help manage our purchase and renovation efforts.
• In order to advance our work and evolve our organization, the IYR Steering Committee had a strategic planning session to make sure our work continues to be in full support of, and alignment with, our mission, vision, and values. This session also helped set our plans for the next stage of the project.
• IYR was also very excited to engage two new community engagement specialists to enhance our work with the broader community.

On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of May:

• For the past several years, IYR has collaborated with groups of students from John Hopkins University's CityLab program. We wrapped up another project round with a new group that updated our vacant property inventory and did some research on community leader perspectives.
  
• IYR is a member of SHARE Baltimore, and attended SHARE's retreat to discuss strategies for accelerating community-owned real estate in the city.
  
• We continued to build out our financial reporting and budget tracking infrastructure with the support of an accountant and bookkeeper.
  

On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of April:

• Once again, Invest York Road had the pleasure of working with a team of students from Johns Hopkins University’s CityLab program. The students worked with Invest York Road in April and May to develop new outreach strategies for our financial education program, do research interviews with community leaders, and update a property inventory for the Invest York Road service area.
  
• After months of research, we have identified a property that meets IYR’s needs for its initial community ownership purchase. We are currently in the process of exploring this opportunity further and will share more details with the public if the process advances to the acquisition stage.

On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of March:

• We held another convening of Invest York Road’s Advisory Group and received excellent counsel and strategy input from our team of professional experts and supporters.
• In an effort to deepen and expand our community engagement work, we are hiring a Community Engagement Coordinator, so we kicked off the hiring process for that position.

Hiring Announcement: Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator

Invest York Road (IYR) is seeking to hire a part-time (10-20 hours/week) Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator. A local initiative formed by and for the communities adjacent to Baltimore’s York Road, IYR aims to spur redevelopment and help create a vibrant commercial corridor that serves residents’ interests and needs. To that end, IYR is committed to growing and sustaining local community-based investment and wealth-building by providing opportunities to purchase, redevelop, and hold properties along the corridor. As part of those efforts, the Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator will work with IYR’s Steering Committee to develop and implement creative strategies to increase and maximize community involvement. Specific related tasks include:

1. Identifying opportunities for sharing information about IYR in person and virtually (at community gatherings, to neighborhood associations, at school and church events, etc.) and scheduling IYR participation at such events;
2. Recruiting and coordinating community volunteers to assist in various outreach activities;
3. Overseeing and participating in outreach activities, including some evening and weekend events;
4. Working with the IYR’s Task Force for Marketing and Communications (including on social media projects);
5. Updating the Steering Committee at its weekly Zoom meetings regarding progress on engagement and outreach efforts;
6. Undertaking other tasks that arise from the above.

The successful candidate will have some experience working with community groups and be a self-starter who is organized and outgoing. Knowledge of and relationships with the communities along the York Road corridor between the county line and 39th Street are a plus.

Salary: $35/hour

Length of Position:  6 months with possibility of renewal
For best consideration, apply by May 10.

How to Apply: Please complete the application form here (https://forms.gle/LTiJg8KKV45x5W4TA).

Questions? Please contact Stephanie Geller: [email protected]

On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of February:

• We held one of our monthly community info sessions. For more information about upcoming sessions, and to register, go here.
• SHARE Baltimore (of which Invest York Road is a member) attended one of our steering committee meetings to discuss opportunities for collaboration.
• Peter Duvall from Community Development Services also joined a steering committee meeting to discuss the code enforcement process for non-compliant properties in the corridor.
• After many months of work, Invest York Road submitted its application to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status.
• We held a gathering of our wonderful team of advisors to discuss the latest status of IYR's work and get input for the next phase of our work.

On a monthly basis, we post a high-level summary of work that has happened with Invest York Road (IYR) over the course of the previous month so that community members can stay informed about the progress being made.

Here are updates for the month of January:

• Invest York Road engaged a local commercial real estate firm to support our search for an initial property to acquire.
• Members of our Steering Committee participated in finance and budgeting training and continued the build out of the organization's financial infrastructure.
• Our six-month work through the Brookings Institution's Buy Back the Block Lab concluded with a trip to Chicago, where we presented Invest York Road and learned about a variety of community-owned commercial real estate projects.