In 1997 a group of committed citizens came together, moved by the plight of one neighborhood, and launched NeighborWorks® Columbus on its journey. This journey has moved our organization from the trenches of neighborhood revitalization to the dogged determination that everyone should have the opportunity to build family assets.

It is my pleasure to present the 2010-2012 NeighborWorks® Columbus Leadership Manual. This manual will provide you with the documents that govern our organization. It includes details about our history and the activities we engage in, found in the appendix. Our strategic plan, bylaws, organizational flow charts and the 2010 board & committee member phone list is also inside.

The strategic plan was put together with an unwavering eye at sustainability, utilizing a thoughtful process that engaged the board of directors and the staff as a team. It has evolved from strategic plans over the years that have engaged funders, the government, residents and other critical stakeholders. Strategic planning is part of our organizational culture, born of our vision, nurtured by our mission and charted by our values.

NeighborWorks® Columbus’ success lies with passionate volunteers who have taken to task the strategic planning of the organization and the resource development required to ensure success and a core belief in the criticality of its mission. Our staff of dedicated professionals works tirelessly to ensure that our goals are implemented in an effective and efficient manner.

As 2010 dawns on our community NeighborWorks® Columbus has never been more relevant. The economic crisis that deepens with each passing day has put a sense of urgency in the organizations ability to target its precious resources to ensure maximum impact. Measuring success on the macro level has always been part of the organizations culture; however, in these uncertain times we will have to engage in measuring our success on the micro level as well. Market changes will have to be tracked on a daily basis; strategies will have to be fully vetted throughout the organization before implementation; every move will have to be strategic.

NeighborWorks® Columbus is recognized as an “exemplary” organization in the NeighborWorks® Network of 235 organizations. This is a designation afforded to only 91 network members nationally, and we are the only one in Georgia. The strategic plan will be instrumental in our organization maintaining this level of excellence for the future.

Our founders dreamed of an organization that would breathe life back into our historic neighborhoods, help the neediest will out of the shacks they live in, empower our families with life-long lessons in financial fitness and assist families in becoming life-long homeowners. Now, more than ever, our success is necessary for the health of our community.