Upper Shore Community Development Partners (USCDP) is proud to announce new collaborations and projects aimed at collaborating with Chestertown area nonprofit organizations, the Queen Anne’s County Office of Economic Development, and the Town of Chestertown.
Founded in 2021, USCDP’s mission is to use community collaborations and access to resources (funding, technical assistance, training, capacity building) to remove barriers to entry and address systemic and long-standing economic inequality with the goal of closing the wealth gap for economically disadvantaged residents of Kent and Queen Anne’s County. USCDP will collaborate with area nonprofit organizations and will work with community members to provide small business/entrepreneurship assistance, job readiness training, and homeownership readiness.
USCDP is currently contracted with Queen Anne’s County Office of Economic Development to provide training assistance to minority entrepreneurs in the County through our Minority Entrepreneurship Training Accelerator (META). The program, developed in partnership with Rivers and Roads Consulting, will begin its first cohort on Thursday, February 22, 2024. A Chestertown cohort, supported with ARPA funding, will begin later this year.
USCDP is also committed to providing technical assistance, capacity building, and easily accessible information to fundraising opportunities to Chestertown-area nonprofit organizations. We will be doing this work through a groundbreaking partnership with the Town of Chestertown. This project, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) represents a significant step towards addressing the critical issues of community resource coordination, increasing the availability of funding to our community, as well as minority entrepreneurship, homebuyer education, and job readiness.
To assist us with this work, USCDP is excited to announce our collaboration with Maggie Thomas, a resident of Chestertown and an accomplished consultant with a wealth of expertise in nonprofit fundraising, program development, and management.
The six-month project, set to launch on February 15, 2024, will focus on identifying and enhancing services that play a vital role in the Chestertown area's well-being. USCDP is committed to creating a more comprehensive and efficient support system for the residents in need. To achieve this goal, the project will undertake the following key initiatives:
Community Resource Dashboard: USCDP will work closely with local non-profit agencies and supportive programs to gather information and create a dynamic, user-friendly "Community Resource Dashboard." This dashboard will serve as a centralized resource, providing residents and service providers with up-to-date information on available agencies and their services.
Agency Funding Dashboard: In addition to the dashboard, USCDP is dedicated to increasing the financial support available to these essential agencies. By streamlining access to multiple types of funding, we aim to bolster the capacity of these organizations to provide crucial services to our community members.
By addressing these critical needs through collaboration with the Town of Chestertown, we hope to make a substantial and lasting impact on the quality of life for residents in the Chestertown area.
Rebecca Murphy, of RCM Strategic Consulting, who serves as a consultant to USCDP, stated, "Our organization is excited to embark on this transformative project, made possible through the generous funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and our partnership with the Town of Chestertown. We believe that by enhancing the support systems and financial resources available to non-profit agencies and supportive programs, we can significantly improve the lives of those in our community who need it most."
USCDP invites residents, non-profit organizations, and community stakeholders to stay informed about this project's progress and actively participate in its success. Together, we can work towards a brighter and more equitable future for Chestertown, Maryland.
For more information about Upper Shore Community Development Partners and the ARPA-funded project, please visit uscdp.org or email info@uscdp.org.
About Upper Shore Community Development Partners:
Upper Shore Community Development Partners (USCDP) is an equity-focused non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents in the Upper Shore region (Kent, Queen Annes, and Cecil counties) of Maryland. USCDP utilizes partnerships and collaborations to address pressing community needs, promote economic development, and support the well-being of individuals and families.
