It’s renewal season for CEDAM! Wondering why you should join the 50+ members who have already renewed? Here are a few reasons.
1. Training
CEDAM has a fantastic lineup of training courses this year. Some of our upcoming topics include strategic planning (2/28), marketing (2/28), our famous Real Estate Development Boot Camp (March 19-22; register ASAP), a new six-part series on placemaking and a funder panel. Practitioner and Partner members get significant discounts on all trainings.
2. Programs and Policy
CEDAM now manages six innovative, statewide programs (see the Programs section of our website for details). CEDAM membership makes you automatically eligible for Microenterprise Network of Michigan membership at no extra cost, as well as connecting you with information and opportunities from every other program. In addition, your membership in CEDAM adds clout to our state and federal policy advocacy on behalf of community economic development. You can even join our Policy Committee to shape that advocacy more closely.
3. Connections and Networking
One of CEDAM’s greatest strengths is our strong network of industry leaders. This spring, members are invited to connect with one another while meeting new MSHDA director Scott Woosley at regional receptions. We also draw more than 100 members each year to our annual membership celebration; members get discounted admission to this year’s 15th Anniversary Celebration at the Building Michigan Communities Conference, and you won’t want to miss it.
4. Resources
Our goal is to help YOU help your community. We curate a valuable monthly funding alert for our Practitioner members, as well as monthly e-newsletters with resources and news, a statewide media list and press release guide, an executive director evaluation template, a public policy toolkit and more. Our 2013 industry report, coming in April, will be a powerful tool for both demonstrating the impacts of community economic development and gaining insight into how other members work. We also do our best to provide other funding or industry information upon request – just let us know!
That’s just the beginning. For a full list of member benefits, visit http://cedamichigan.org/membership/benefits.
How to renew:
Renewing this year is easier than ever! Just go to http://cedamichigan.org/membership/renew and follow the instructions.* For the first time since we were created 15 years ago, we’ve changed our membership dues structure for practitioner members and increased our membership rates. We hope that you’ll find this acceptable, based on the numerous additional services you’re now able to receive with your CEDAM membership now vs. 1998. Of course, if your organization has a financial hardship, please let us know so that we can work with you.
*CDAD CDO members should renew through CDAD instead.
And don’t forget:
If you pay/postmark your member dues by this Friday, March 1, you’ll be entered to win two free tickets to our membership celebration on April 30th (an $80 value)!