Community
Economic Development

The Community Economic Development (CED) Unit aims to empower Los Angeles communities and community-based organizations in their efforts to attack poverty at its roots. The Unit is committed to building clean, safe, and economically vibrant neighborhoods through legal assistance, policy advocacy and community education. To achieve this goal, attorneys and advocates assist in developing, training, and empowering community-based organizations, and poor and low-income individuals to become actively involved in the community revitalization process. Our work helps clients: 

• Create and improve access to self-sufficiency wage jobs
• Develop and preserve affordable housing
• Develop charter schools and community activity centers
• Improve transportation mobility
• Impact development in neighborhoods
• Access other support services

Activities Include:

• Organizational capacity development (Board recruitment and retention, Board rights and responsibilities, conducting effective meetings, dispute resolution, strategic planning, and other matters related to organizational development, Board elections)
• Incorporation
• State and Federal tax exemption
• Maintaining nonprofit status issues
• Affordable housing development (rental and homeownership opportunities)
• Nonprofit business and commercial development
• Facilitating community involvement in neighborhood and regional development projects
• Job creation strategies
• Development of charter schools and community activity centers
• Fundraising
• Other issues affecting community-based organizations

To be eligible for free CED Services, a group must:

• Be unable to afford a private attorney
• Serve poor and low-income residents
• Work within LAFLA’s priority legal areas
• Demonstrate a level of capacity for success

The CED Unit also provides low-cost representation to groups and individuals who are not eligible for free services on a sliding-scale fee, based on their income.

If you need to speak with someone, call (800) 399-4529  or contact us.

Special Capacity-Building Services

Nonprofit Boot Camp

Community-based organizations that wish to obtain tax-exempt status can apply to become a part of our “Nonprofit Bootcamp.” Once “admitted as a “client,” the start-up nonprofit will receive a number of critical services from the Unit:

• Legal assistance in completing federal and state tax exemption applications
• Board trainings in building a capable community organization

Nonprofit Fitness Club

Existing community-based organizations within our priority areas can apply to become a member of our “Nonprofit Fitness Club.” Members of the Fitness Club will receive:

• Legal assistance with meeting federal and state legal requirements
• Board trainings on maintaining a tax-exempt organization.

CED links

• Main
• Immediate Help
• Referrals & Other Resources
• Useful Materials
• Speakers & Presentations
• Success Stories

Services

Language Lines/Hotlines

• General Information Line English/Español (800) 399-4529