• Strengthening Capacity of Member Agencies. Through periodic needs assessments, CLA member agencies identify how they want to improve their skills, knowledge base and resources. CLA then organizes technical assistance venues on priority topics ranging from the use of information and communication technologies, fundraising techniques, policy analysis, manipulation of census data, lessons learned from service statistics, and participatory methodologies for research and learning.
  
• Brokering Resources for Member Agencies. Member agencies' means are often stretched by the demands of providing direct services, leaving little time for grantwriting and resource brokering. Believing that there is strength in numbers, CLA can spearhead collaborative proposals and bargain collectively for tax-exempt services on behalf of member agencies. CLA will continue identifying in-kind donations and organizing fundraising events such as the Habana Village Nights and the Adams-Morgan Festival to benefit a wide array of community organizations.
  
• Improving Service Provider Responsiveness within the Latino Community. As a bridging agency, CLA works with grass roots organizations to improve their capacities to deliver quality services to the Latino community. With its current focus on the health sector, this initiative will help agencies development continuum of care models for Latino mental health and substance abuse and will assist agencies in the effective formation and consultation with consumer health committees.
  
• Networking. A key to the successful of any membership organization its ability to create and maintain useful networking relationships among all members and between the membership and other important policy actors. CLA will continue expanding its membership and public profile, organizing leadership breakfasts and funders' forums, and promoting dialog between grassroots and policymakers. CLA's monthly newsletter Network, distributed by mail to over 400 local and national organizations and available on the www.consejo.org website, will continue to provide timely analysis of trend data, features on member agencies, and employment and funding opportunities for non-profits serving the D.C. Latino community.
• Membership Services • Proposed Program Initiatives • 2002-2003
  

Membership Services • Objectives & Strategies

Membership Services
Enhance the capacity of CLA membership agencies to provide services to target populations within the Latino community.

Objectives:

1. Secure greater resource allocation for CLA members and other services for the Latino community.

Strategies

• Develop information exchange mechanisms.
• Cultivate relations with funders and other resource brokers.
• Make available research and documentation to support membersí grant proposals

2. Increase visibility of CLA, its member agencies and Latino community.

Strategies

• Use proactively media outlets to control and shape public image and issues.
• Develop information exchange mechanisms.
• Promote interaction and coordination among member agencies and representatives of other sectors

3. Broker technical assistance in a cost effective manner to meet the service delivery and management needs of CLA member agencies.

Strategies

• Build a support network of expert consultants in priority areas of capacity building for CLA members.
• Develop in-house capacity building expertise
• Market technical assistance services coordinated and/or delivered by CLA

4. Support personnel recruitment and retention among member agencies.

Strategies

• Support agencies in creating employment incentives and job enhancement.
• Support agencies in project and human resource evaluation.

5. Build unity and construct a collective identity among member agencies.

Strategies

• Develop mechanisms for information exchange
• Promote positive interactions and coordination