Luke applied to the CPI because he felt that the knowledge, skills and connections he would establish through the program would benefit him in his capacity as a board member of the Germantown United CDC (GUCDC). Luke also felt that being able to share and implement the knowledge and skills learned through the CPI with others in his community would present an excellent opportunity to build relationships and trust within his community.
Since graduating from the CPI, Luke has continued working with the GUCDC, which has recently received its 501(c)(3) status. Luke is currently a member of the fundraising committee at the GUCDC. Through his work, Luke helped with developing working groups and assembling a talented and powerful board in order for the GUCDC to obtain their 501(c)(3) status. Luke has also helped to execute a few successful events (e.g. Germantown pop-up movie night); to establish a schedule for strategic planning; and to develop an initial fundraising campaign.
Luke found the knowledge he gained from the CPI particularly helpful when applying for Registered Community Organization (RCO) status for his agency and for learning about the potential opportunity to make façade improvements to businesses in the area through the reStore program. CPI was also helpful for informed discussion about design, water management, etc. He found that information from the course became useful in numerous board discussions and elsewhere.