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.

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 December:

• We continued working with our commercial real estate partners on our property search process, attempting to identify our first acquisition target.
• Longstanding supporters, The Goldseker Foundation and The Abell Foundation, awarded new grants to Invest York Road.
• The IYR Steering Committee took a break over the holidays to recharge and gear up for a big year in 2024!

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 November:

• IYR continued its work with local commercial real estate agents to identify potential properties for our initial acquisition.
• We submitted a funding application to the Black Solidarity Economy Fund.
• The organization signed onto a statement of support by With Us For Us to create a new Community Wealth Building Fund in Baltimore.
• IYR's work with the Brookings Institute's Buy Back the Block program continued, and an article was published about the work we have done so far.
• After many months of discussion, IYR received final approval from the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) for the creation of a low-interest loan fund that will help facilitate our property acquisitions. We are very excited to work with our partners at BCF on this new collaboration.

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 October:

• IYR enlisted the support of a commercial real estate broker to aid in our search for properties in the corridor.
• The Brookings Institute's Buy Back the Block program continued to provide our team with excellent technical assistance in commercial real estate.
• Our community engagement team tabled at city council member Mark Conway's town hall event.

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:

• IYR's participation in the Brookings Institute's Buy Back the Block program continued, and we received a grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation to support this work.
• We began actively researching and evaluating properties in the York Road corridor to find our first acquisition to pursue.
• The IYR Steering Committee hosted staff members from the City of Baltimore's Department of Planning to discuss zoning in our service area.
• The CityLab program at Johns Hopkins hosted an Invest York Road presentation and discussion.
• Our community engagement team tabled at the Govans Elementary Back to School Night event.
• We created a new "Intro to Community Investing and Invest York Road" module for our free community financial and investment literacy program.