LANCissues.org - UNCOLA - Citywide Issues Group

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UNCOLA – United Neighborhood Councils of Los Angeles - a 501(c)3 formed to support the efforts of NC's and LANCC and a request for donations to cover incorporation costs.

RATIONALE FOR UNCOLA
(United Neighborhood Councils of Los Angeles )

The rationale for the creation of a non-profit organization to support the efforts of the Neighborhood Councils and the Los Angeles Congress of Neighborhood Councils – LANCC - is based on the common concerns and, often unattended, needs of the Councils and its members. UNCOLA will provide the needed guidance and financial support for Councils to become more independent and capable of exercising their role as community representatives in a professional and more efficient manner.

Currently is it more than a challenge for individual Councils to approach major donors due to the many bureaucratic requirements most applications require. UNCOLA can provide a unified focus on funding requests for grants and contacts, providing the Councils and Congress a resource for targeted studies of questions facing their neighborhoods as well as possible funding of local projects where City funds are not readily available. This approach not only relieves the individual Councils of having to provide the resources for preparing funding applications but also prevents major donors from receiving competing requests from several Councils, greatly increasing the chance for receiving grants.

UNCOLA should be able to provide the resources to assist the Councils and Congress in additional ways by providing the means to conduct neighborhood surveys, outreach materials for effective communication to local stakeholders and administrative back-up to the Councils' volunteers. Assistance for planning of local projects for submission to the City Council and City Departments is also a potential service UNCOLA might provide.

The key to success in gaining funding through grants and possible contracts with government and private organizations is to create a single entity that gives both Neighborhood Councils and funding resources a responsible institution that can articulate the pressing needs that can enhance the Councils' success.

The initial Board of UNCOLA will seek to obtain funds to provide professionals that will be able to not only prepare coherent proposals, but also the administrative staff to insure fair and just support to each Council's requests for assistance. As an independent entity, UNCOLA is free from the political pressures that might otherwise be encountered. As such, it will provide a much needed consistent source of support for the Neighborhood Council System independent of changes in the city's political leadership.

Proposed Activities of UNCOLA

1. In order to be an effective support mechanism for the Neighborhood Councils and the Congress of Neighborhood Councils, UNCOLA will establish not only a central office but also satellite locations to provide localized support and services to the Councils, subject to successful fund-raising.

2. UNCOLA will develop computerized data base(s) for supplying Councils adequate maintenance of records, including email services to each Council's stakeholders who provide email addresses. Discussion boards, Listserv facilities and other communication services for routine announcements, notifications, etc. would also be provided.

3. Proposal preparation for support and projects/services requested by individual Councils of groups of Councils with common concerns is another key function.

4. Low-cost printing and mailing to stakeholders (“snail mail”) in order to reach those with no email can be coordinated and provided, using low-cost nonprofit mailing rates from the USPS. (The master database can draw on various public records with names and addresses of Los Angeles citizens.)

5. An UNCOLA website, designed to provide each Council with an easy to use internet space for their news, activities and other information would be established. This would also give everyone a source of information as to what the Councils are doing throughout the city. This could also include Blogs and other interactive FAQ and Q&A areas.

6. Public Relations would not only provide individual Councils a means to get information out to the City, but could also serve to expand awareness of the Councils and their plans, successes, projects and activities. This would likely have greater impact in getting media attention than the local Councils might have.

7. Depending on fund-raising success, UNCOLA might also be able to provide paid staff assistance to the Councils, enabling them to be more professional in their efforts to serve their local communities. This might be done via the satellite offices of UNCOLA, where services to maintain minutes of Council meetings, records, and other documents in conjunction with the Computer Service Center at the UNCOLA central office. (Possible grant from Microsoft or another similar foundation.)

8. Independent accounting and audit services to insure adequate and proper stewardship of funds by UNCOLA will also be employed for all funded activities relieving the Councils and Congress of such costs.

9. Monitoring of projects funded by UNCOLA or other sources to provide Councils, the Congress and local Stakeholders of progress and/or delays in activities in their area. UNCOLA paid professionals would be provided to the Councils for insuring accurate and timely reports.