Urban

Cooperative
2015 CityLab Project Prospectus
The Johns Hopkins University
Carey Business School

Jonestown Community Cooperative

DIERDRE CROWL, JESSIE PETRINI, MARIA WALTEMEYER
DECEMBER 9, 2015

CITYLAB PROJECT PROSPECTUS: Urban Cooperative

NEIGHBORHOOD: The neighborhood in which we are investing is Jonestown, Baltimore City, as

shown in the map below.

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CITYLAB PROJECT PROSPECTUS: Urban Cooperative

CLIENT:
The client is the Helping Up Mission (HUM), who will support the cooperative on a number of
levels. First and foremost, its graduates with maintenance training and experience within the HUM
campus will provide the workforce for the cooperative. As these men have already been trained in
these services, moving them out into the community to continue their work will provide a natural
progression. Secondly, HUM will support, as a capital expense, group housing as well as the site out of
which the cooperative will operate. HUM has already tested leasing housing to see if the men could
support themselves on a more independent basis. As this has proven successful, the organization feels
a move to owning these homes and charging the men rent is, again, a natural progression. The men
who successfully complete the program at HUM have a strong connection to the neighborhood and
feel strongly about remaining in Jonestown with the opportunity to positively impact the community
around them in any way possible. Allowing HUM to purchase more property allows for some more
vacant space in the neighborhood to be utilized in a productive and economically sensible manner,
helping provide one solution to that issue.
This project supports the Jonestown mission on several fronts: service, engagement, positivity,
community, culture. Engaging community men and enabling them to build equity, give back to the
community, and create neighborhood homes will strengthen not only the owners in the cooperative,
but Jonestown itself.
Project liaison is Dierdre Crowl, who can be reached by cell (text or voice) 410.596.1640 or email,
dierdre.crowl@kci.com.

CHALLENGE:
How can graduates of the Helping Up Mission remain in the Jonestown community, continuing
a path of independence and positivity, while providing positive role models to others to break cycles of
poverty, substance abuse, and unemployment?
The Jonestown Community Cooperative will provide employment and business equity to new
graduates from the Helping Up Mission, allowing them to reside locally while contracting services to
anchor institutions and residents in Jonestown and surrounding neighborhoods.

LIVABLE CITY STRATEGIES:

This project also connects with CityLab strategic themes on a number of levels. First, human
wellbeing, enabling graduates of HUM to continue growing as members of the community and as
engaged citizens. In addition, this project will support graduates as they care for their physical and
mental elements of their lives, continuing the support that brought them sobriety and stability. Shared
prosperity and habitat integrity will be a natural outcome as the members of the cooperative build
equity and ownership, allowing them to purchase homes in the neighborhood. It ties members of the
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CITYLAB PROJECT PROSPECTUS: Urban Cooperative

community together by encouraging anchor institutions, other local businesses, and Jonestown
residents to support these local services for their needs.

VALUE PROPOSITION:
This project leverages the Carey business school creed of business with humanity in mind by
bringing economic development, community building and job creation to graduates of Jonestowns
Helping up Mission, thereby spreading economic gain, social consciousness and neighborhood
solidarity and prosperity for the broader Jonestown community.

GOAL:
What is the key outcome, solution, or question to be answered?
The key outcome is to facilitate the creation of job opportunities and neighborhood residences
for HUM graduates who have an existing stake in the Jonestown community.
Short range (inception - three years)
1) Helping Up Mission will include capital in its budget for independent living homes and a
suitable business location within Jonestown.
2) Project team and/or Historic Jonestown, Inc. will assist HUM with acquiring grant funding to
help support these capital investments in the community.
3) We will leverage existing relationships to anticipate maintenance needs and procurement
schedule of anchor institutions and HOAs.
4) HUM graduates will progress naturally to living in support homes off campus and from
providing services internally to HUM to offering them externally to the community and
surrounding area.
5) The maintenance services will be offered at market rates to provide living wages and health
care benefits to help promote community commitment as well as social justice.
6) Train employee-owners in all positions including management positions, thereby reducing
their dependence upon HUM for day-to-day management, as well as increasing their ability
to gain productive employment outside the cooperative if desired.
Long range (three - five years)
1) The men will work and be coached in financial responsibility so they can save their earnings
and rent or buy independent residences within the neighborhood, creating space in the
transitional housing.
2) Creating a well-networked Jonestown: continue to have strong business relationships with
the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the Associated Jewish Charities, the Reginald Lewis
Museum, St. Vincent de Paul Church, the Shot Tower Montessori and the Ronald McDonald
House. Relationships with groups such as the Associated will lead to opportunities outside
Jonestown; subsequently, project opportunities outside Jonestown may grow due to word
of mouth.
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CITYLAB PROJECT PROSPECTUS: Urban Cooperative

3) The cooperative will operate with less hands-on management from HUM once leadership

has emerged from the early adopters.

4) Stable housing, occupied space, and employment opportunities will feed a healthy local
economy, as it may increase the consumer base for other local businesses.
5) Ensuring sustainability and commitment by creating a network of cooperatives contributing
a portion of their profits to ensure future cooperatives success.
How is this a business challenge or solution?
This business offers an exciting duality as it is an incredible challenge to initiate and
operate; at the same time, it is a rewarding solution to the question of how to sustain a
positive, local support community for the men graduating from HUM. The idea of connecting
the needs of Jonestown stakeholders to the need for local jobs has potential for powerful,
lasting impact on the Jonestown ecosystem.
Other questions?
How might we engage the community and surrounding areas in supporting the
cooperative?
How might we develop a culture that guides the direction of these new efforts?
What are some unequal opportunities that the HUM teams may face?
How can we best overcome these difficulties to ensure success?
Which organizations in the communities are most likely to be our allies in this process?
What support do we need from Baltimore City government?
How can we connect our project with other projects in Jonestown specifically, and
Baltimore City more broadly?
How might this model become profitable/self-sustaining financially?
If proven successful, how can this model be scaled to other areas of Baltimore, or to
other cities?

STAKEHOLDERS:
How are the key stakeholders affected by this challenge?
It will directly impact a variety of stakeholders including HUM and Jonestown
Historic Committee as we envision the future of work, community and learning at Jonestown.
Anchoring institutions will most likely emerge as employers of the HUM workforce graduates. The
cooperative team will be affected by the significant contributions they are offering to Jonestown, as
well as the fact they can continue to call it their home.

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CITYLAB PROJECT PROSPECTUS: Urban Cooperative

Who are the key stakeholders?
There are a variety of stakeholders in this project: anchor institutions, whose support is
required both for startup as well as in employing the services of the cooperative owners. These
institutions include the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the Reginald Lewis Museum, St. Vincent de Paul
Church among others, and soon Shot Tower Montessori and the Ronald McDonald House. These types
of institutions require ongoing maintenance, repair, and cleaning to operate effectively, and would
benefit from local energy with a vested interest in the beauty and efficiency of the neighborhood in
which they live and thrive.
HUM is the client but also a stakeholder, vital for providing the rehabilitated workforce that has
a vested interest by remaining in the neighborhood. Engaged by such community groups as the
Womens Civic League, the Albemarle Square Homeowners Association, and even Little Italy for events
throughout the year, these men have a deep connection to the neighborhood, so giving them a vehicle
by which to earn not only a living but a life in this community is critical to the neighborhoods
continued success.
The Historic Jonestown Committee is a major stakeholder as well; a connector in the
community, encouragement for contracting services from within Jonestown should come from this
entity.
The residents of Jonestown are also stakeholders. They are accustomed to having the men of
HUM in their midst, so welcoming them in as service providers, business owners, and neighbors should
be an organic transition, and provide strong role models of work ethics and ownership to men and
youth alike.
Finally, local businesses and job training organizations will be invited to become a part of the
community providing advanced training opportunities within the cooperative. For instance, Living
Classrooms and the artisans of Carroll Mansion may be interested in training some of the men to build
furniture as the artisans decide to scale their businesses. The Foundery, now out of the neighborhood
per se but still nearby, could potentially engage some of the men for maintenance of their site, or to
train to teach in their facility.
All of these stakeholders have a long term stake in the neighborhood, and a vested interest in
retaining the neighborhoods innate character, staving off the gentrification that could easily take place
if development is allowed to spread from Harbor East and the downtown area.
How are they organized?
Historic Jonestown stakeholders began working on the visioning and planning process
prompted by the Jewish Museum of Maryland and led by Mahan Rykiel Associates supported by
funding provided by the Associated and the Goldseeker Foundation. In 2015, anchoring institutions
and other stakeholders reconstituted the Historic Jonestown Corporation as entity representing
Jonestown to lead the implementation of the Master Plan from start to finish. The Historic Jonestown
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CITYLAB PROJECT PROSPECTUS: Urban Cooperative

Corporation has decided on active engagement and search for developers and investors driven by the
vision and values reflected on Jonestowns Master Plan.
What channels of communication, coordination, and neighborhood management are in place?
Historic Jonestown Corporation Board Meetings are held bimonthly and they are for the most
part well attended. The upcoming Board Meeting will be on December 9, 2015 at the Jewish Museum.
In addition, there is also the Jonestown Planning Council, the Jonestown the neighborhood association.
Over the last 30 years, the Council has represented the neighborhood in projects ranging from the
construction of the Jones Falls Expressway and the creation of the Metro subway, to the establishment
of Shot Tower Park and the development of the Albemarle Square community. Their monthly
meetings are usually held on second Mondays at St. Vincents and listed in the bulletin for interested
persons. The Peace and Justice Committee, active in Jonestown since 1983, focuses on social justice
issues whose impact is felt locally, nationally and internationally. As the primary subcommittee of
social action, its role is to educate members and the parish at large.
How are they invested in creating solutions?
Residents, business owners and other members of the Jonestown appear deeply engaged and
invested in the future of Jonestown. At the last Planning Council Meeting much discussion and
thoughtful conversation filled the room at St. Vincents Church. The engagement at every level of
citizenry was palpable.
How do they envision a successful solution?
This question has been answered in part by the completion of the Master Plan and activity that
has taken place since the unveiling. This neighborhood is by no means disaffected its members have
vision and drive. Even community members that are not aware of the Master Plan, such as HUM
residents, envision solutions as provided for in the plan: more green areas, safe places for children to
play, positive reinforcement in the community, and economic opportunity for residents. There are
shared goals and means underway to accomplish them.

PROJECT BACKGROUND:
What is the status of work to date?
The Executive Director of HUM is on board with the project, and has offered to include the
facilities required in HUMs capital plan. Men are already engaged in appropriate training and have
experience providing services within HUMs campus. Two test group graduate residences are
underway to the point of claiming success on leasing the homes; therefore, HUM would potentially be
interested in purchasing such homes. Other potential homes have been identified through Zillow
postings. Initial requests to JMM and HOAs indicate that appropriate contracting vehicles could be
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CITYLAB PROJECT PROSPECTUS: Urban Cooperative

desirable and winnable if competitive; the service would also be appealing to developers considering
the neighborhood for investment.
What obstacles do you see in completing this project?
One of the main obstacles will be finding the resources to launch this project - both in terms of
hours worked and financial capital. Although HUM agrees to include this in their capital budget, that
funding is covered primarily through private donations. They will require assistance with applying for
grant funding - which should be easier to gain bearing their name. Another obstacle is that Jonestown
is a relatively small community and there are a limited number of jobs. The challenge will be in creating
the employment opportunities for a relatively large number of people in a short timeframe. Research
needs to be done to ensure competitiveness in pricing; although the anchor institutions interviewed to
date show interest in contracting locally, service pricing will still need to be competitive.
There is also some danger of the manpower available overwhelming the need locally, but that
can be addressed through relationships with area businesses and organizations such as the Associated
Jewish Charities.

PROJECT POSITIONING: This table can be found in Appendix I.

Executive Summary
Jonestown Community Cooperative: Proudly We Work. Live. Inspire.
The Jonestown Community Cooperative leverages the Carey Business School creed of business with humanity
in mind by bringing economic development, community building and job creation to graduates of Jonestowns
Helping Up Mission, thereby spreading economic gain, social consciousness and neighborhood solidarity and
prosperity for the broader Jonestown community.
In speaking with Jonestown residents and established neighborhood organizations several things became clear:
1) There is a need for better maintenance services in Jonestown, including improved property management
services; 2) The Helping Up Mission is a well-respected neighborhood organization that already trains their
graduates in maintenance services; 3) There is a synergistic relationship between the skill sets of Helping Up
Mission graduates and their desire to remain in Jonestown with the community values and needs of the
neighborhood.
The Jonestown Community Cooperative is the solution that marries these opportunities. It will provide
employment and business equity to new graduates from the Helping Up Mission, allowing them to reside locally
while contracting maintenance services to anchor institutions and residents in Jonestown and surrounding
neighborhoods. It will provide them with transitional group housing in Jonestown to allow them to become
accustomed to paying rent and other bills as they earn income. As they grow in responsibility, they will be
guided to opportunities for management within the cooperative and affordable housing within the community.
This, in turn, benefits to the larger Jonestown community by increasing the quality of life for residents, filling the
need for maintenance services and creating a more cohesive and appealing neighborhood environment for all.

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Appendix I:
PROJECT POSITIONING: Using the social enterprise development model below, how would you describe the position startup/scale-up position of this project?

Global

Ensuring shared prosperity and

habitat integrity
Solution Strategy:
Key stakeholders collaborative
approach that creates jobs
(welcoming
streetscapes/walkable/clean
public spaces), generate
innovative business model
keeping wealth and assets
within community long-term

Fostering
human
wellbeing by
reimagining
communities to
become safe,
healthy and
great places to
live.
Solution
Strategy:
Accessibility to
safe, attractive,
affordable
homes and
spaces for
diverse
homeowners,
renters, and
lifestyles.

Fostering
Inclusive
Wealth Creation
Capitalizing in
undervalued
community
assets while
adding social
investment
partnerships
and by using
innovative
business
models.

Using a Cooperative model

to organize and capitalize
entrepreneurial pursuits
creating jobs and wealth for
disadvantaged communities

Multi-Site
Regional

When proven successful, this

strategic model could eventually
scaled up to other areas of
Baltimore City, other cities in
Maryland and across the
country

Model has the

potential of
being replicated
in other sites,
and other
states

Job
opportunities
and
neighborhood
residences for
members of the
community who
have stake in
that specific
community.

Network of cooperatives
that contribute a portion of
their profits to seed the
creation of future
cooperatives, promoting
long-term viability and
commitment to fuel urban
vitality

Single
Site/Local

Creating enough employment

opportunities for a relatively
large number of HUM graduates
by calling anchor organizations
within Jonestown & Baltimore
City to support this effort

Jonestown
Cooperative
needs to meet
the demands of
the anchoring
and other local
institutions to
be able to
sustain a good
number of
livable wage
jobs, and be
profitable
enough to
generate equity
for each of the
employees
allowing a move
for the
workforce to
own homes or
rent in
Jonestown.

Matching the
needs of anchor
and other
institutions and
keeping a
competitive
edge by offering
sustainable
services
graduates of
HUMs
Jonestown offer
ground
maintenance,
street cleaning,
and landscaping
work bringing to
light green
spaces in
Jonestown

Economic development,
community building and jobs
for HUM graduates are
realized through a
cooperative business model.
Jonestown Cooperative
Model frames its goals:
Wealth accumulation,
neighborhood stabilization
and beautification as well as
economic inclusion.
Hiring locally, providing fair
wages, and training workers
into management positions
so that companies are under
community
ownership/management.

Coops
mechanism
would help attain
neighborhoodstabilization and
enterprises likely
to stay in
Jonestown for
the long run and
promote asset
accumulation for
Jonestown.

Look at results
from the
Cleveland
Cooperative
Model as well
as Mondragon
Cooperatives in
the Basque
Region of Spain

Leveraging the
purchasing
power of
Jonestowns
anchor
institutions.
Accomplishing
the Cooperative
goals require
that Jonestown
Cooperative
becomes a
profitable
business able to
operate longterm

HUM agrees to
include financial
capital in their
capital budget.
Men are
receiving
training and are
providing
services within
HUM
Two Test group
graduate
residences are
underway
And the
Jonestown
Neighborhood
Association as
well as the
Historic
Jonestown
Corporation are
engaged and
invested in this
effort

Define Social
Value Prop &
Impact
Metrics

Define
Business
Value Prop

Define Business Model

& Org Design

Define
Financial
Metrics &
Project ROI

Pilot Test
Model

Reboot
Redesign
Model to
Correct
Problems

Develop
Launch
Strategy &
Launch the
Project

Define Problem/Solution
Strategy & Theory of
Change