Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Where you grow up impacts your life opportunities: a child’s zip code is a powerful predictor of his/her life outcome. For children living in low-income neighborhoods, this means an increased risk of ending up poor and facing an array of correlated challenges. This reality, however, presents a strategic opportunity: by strengthening a vulnerable neighborhood, our community can make a significant impact in ending generational poverty. Our mission is to alleviate poverty at a root level by uniting and strengthening vulnerable neighborhoods. Because we believe the greatest strength of any neighborhood are the residents who call these places home, inCOMMON is committed to transforming neighborhoods through neighbors themselves. By building on neighbors’ strengths and empowering neighbors to work together to lead neighborhood change, inCOMMON is building strong and safe neighborhoods for future generations who might otherwise grow up under the detrimental conditions of poverty.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Workforce Development
We partner with neighbors in increasing their economic success through adult education, job readiness, career readiness, and quality, affordable housing.
Relationship Development
We partner with neighbors in deepening and extending their relational networks by foster relationships among residents in the neighborhood and also fostering relationships throughout the community.
Leadership Development
We empower neighbors to lead change in their neighborhood through leadership training, youth programming, and facilitated community organizing.
Neighborhood Development
We empower neighbors to guide development in their neighborhood by facilitating neighborhood planning and investing in commercial and public benefit properties.
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups, Social and economic status, Work status and occupations, Age groups
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
unique participants; not including housing and community-wide events
Number of low-income families housed in affordable, well-maintained units as a result of the nonprofit's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Neighborhood Development
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Since 2008, inCOMMON’s primary target area has been Park Avenue, a centrally located, historic community, home to approximately 9,000 of Omaha’s most diverse makeup of residents. As the most densely populated neighborhood in Omaha, interventions within Park Avenue can result in extremely high impact. This reality is compounded by the fact that Park Avenue faces significant challenges in regard to levels of poverty.
• 33.8% of adults and 45.8% of minors live below the Federal poverty line – these rates are over two and half times the rates found in Douglas County.
• Unemployment is 14.2% and 30% of inCOMMON’s program participants are currently unemployed.
• The median household income is $23,109, just 45% of the Douglas County median income.
As a result of these conditions, many Park avenue residents face an overwhelming gamut of challenges commonly associated with poverty: housing instability, food insecurity, illicit economics, and crime. Feelings of isolation, inadequate safety, and a lack of hope for the future are often tied to these challenges, and can continue for generations. Utilizing a holistic, multi-generational approach, inCOMMON’s aim is to stop poverty at a neighborhood level by developing the capacity of local residents so that they can effectively work together toward neighborhood change.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
inCOMMON’s efforts are focused in four development areas: workforce development, relationship development, leadership development, and neighborhood development.
• Workforce Development: inCOMMON partners with neighbors to increase employment success and economic self-sufficiency through adult education, language classes, job readiness classes, and financial workshops. In 2018, 259 low-income individuals participated in a workforce development activity.
• Relationship Development: To increase workforce success outcomes beyond the classroom, residents receive relational support as they work toward life and employment goals. inCOMMON also fosters relationships between neighbors through block parties, community meals, and cultural celebrations. Each year, over 2,000 residents attend these community events; outcomes include improved connectivity and trust among neighbors and residents taking on leadership roles as volunteers and event organizers.
• Leadership Development: To ensure community development continues on beyond inCOMMON’s interventions, leadership development and civic engagement are foundational to all of our programs. inCOMMON works with residents of all ages to identify and foster leadership skills through assessments, surveys, coaching, and opportunities to lead in programs and in the broader community.
• Neighborhood Development: Ultimately, inCOMMON’s aim is to empower neighbors to guide development in their own neighborhood. As residents progress through inCOMMON’s programs, they are empowered to use the skills and support they develop to lead neighborhood change. Facilitated community organizing and neighborhood planning connects individual resident leaders to each other and the broader issues facing our community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
In order to support program outcomes toward the goal of reaching our mission, inCOMMON invests in operations, personnel, and resource development. inCOMMON’s operating budget has grown 66 percent over the past five years, and in 2016, inCOMMON hired its first full-time Development Director. Over the past three years, all of inCOMMON’s staff received annual professional development and attended training in their work areas. Investment in staff, operations, fundraising, and community collaborations have all contributed to the current success, as well as laid the foundation for future impact.
During its sixteen-year history, inCOMMON has developed a strong reputation in the community as an organization providing excellent services directly involving individuals served in development efforts, and working collaboratively to confront issues facing vulnerable neighborhoods. inCOMMON’s Executive Director has served at the helm of the organization since 2006, and in 2018 inCOMMON added the role of Associate Director to its executive leadership team. The Board of Directors is made up of a diverse range of community and business leaders, who effectively support the organization through governance, strategy, and development.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Over the past fifteen years, inCOMMON has worked alongside neighbors to transform vulnerable neighborhoods into thriving, connected, opportunity-rich communities. Since 2008, our focus has been on Park Avenue, where we have empowered individual neighbors to become economically self-sufficient, provided families with quality, affordable housing, and partnered with resident leaders to accomplish neighborhood development projects such as hosting neighborhood visioning sessions, installing a playground and soccer field, and organizing the community around projects that improve neighborhood aesthetics, health, safety, and human connectivity.
In June 2018, inCOMMON’s staff and Board of Directors completed a strategic planning process to chart the future efforts of inCOMMON. Building on current successes, the following strategic directions were established:
1. Invest in sustainable leadership: inCOMMON is committed to continuing to invest in developing sustainable neighborhood leadership, and is working toward a plan of employing neighbors at the organization. We also remain committed to the development of our current staff and board leadership to ensure effective and efficient operations for the organization now and in the future.
2. Lead and cultivate change in the physical development of Park Avenue: Park Avenue is rapidly redeveloping, which has brought many challenges to low-income and minority residents. Over the next three years, inCOMMON will invest in real estate and facilitate a citizen-led neighborhood plan for future development.
3. Leverage the inCOMMON brand for increased awareness and support: inCOMMON has a broad-base of community support, including over 400 individual donors annually. By partnering with our Board of Directors, inCOMMON will continue cultivating individual donors, as well as look to diversify our revenue stream in order to sustain our organization’s high level of impact.
4. Expand inCOMMON’s impact beyond Park Avenue: inCOMMON’s vision has always included the development of multiple vulnerable neighborhoods throughout the Omaha-metro area. Through our work in Park Avenue, inCOMMON has developed a sustainable model for leadership development, and we are ready to replicate that model in an additional neighborhood.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Mosaic Community Development
Board of directorsas of 01/13/2023
Ms. Melanie Phelan
Evergreeen Enterprises
Alisa Parmer
Heartland Family Service
Sheena Hendrix
Doctoral Candidate
David Milligan
Milligan PC LLO
Summer Nabity
Nebraska Methodist Hospital
George Achola
Burlington Capital Real Estate
Michael Beverly
College of Saint Mary
Josh Coates
Access Insurance
Oscar Duran
Municipal Housing Authority
Jessica Nockai
National Indemnity Company
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/15/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.