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Prospective Community Building Partners

Eligibility | Application Process | Review Process | Expectations

The CEC aims to share its spaces with dynamic organizations with missions, programs, and people that align with and support our values and vision. Spaces in the partnership suites are available to community-based organizations that are eligible to be housed in the CEC and submit a successful proposal through an application process. 

A space application for community organizations will be released early in the spring semester of 2020. Prospective applicants are welcome to schedule meetings with Heike Langdon, CEC Manager of Possibilities, prior to the release to discuss opportunities in the building. You can email her at halangdon@unomaha.edu. Please watch this web page and social media for announcements, or sign up to receive email notifications here.

 

Eligible Community Organizations

  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Multi-agency collaborations focused on a project for public benefit
  • Government projects or initiatives
  • Micro-enterprise organizations (must have a major social entrepreneurship or public good/benefit component)
  • Institutions of higher education (including other NU campuses), early childhood, K-12 and/or K-16 initiatives
  • Philanthropic initiatives, programs or organizations

Types of community organizations that are NOT well-suited for the CEC spaces:

  • Organizations that intend to provide direct or confidential services to students or clients, e.g., advising, counseling, treatment, one-to-one training, etc. in the CEC (due to the open nature of CEC office space).
  • Organizations that intend to offer regular and frequent training or classes in the CEC as part of the proposed CEC-based project/program. The CEC does not allow any organization to schedule regular events or multiple spaces on a daily or weekly basis.
  • Organizations looking at the CEC primarily as a location for office and meeting space, and not as a rich opportunity for expanded community collaboration.
  • Organizations seeking permanent space in the CEC. The CEC is designed to be flexible and responsive to the evolving and growing engagement needs of the university and general community. Outside of designated UNO anchor engagement organizations already in the CEC, we do not commit any space to the permanent needs of any UNO or community organization. All CEC building partners are required to go through a reapplication process on a regular (3 year) basis.

Before and During the Application Process

  • Before you begin your application, please review the CEC building partner eligibility and expectations sections of this page, as well as the CEC's values, and rental fees and amenities.
  • You must meet with Heike Langdon, the CEC's Manager of Possibilities, before submitting your application for space. You can email her at halangdon@unomaha.edu. 
  • Once you have met with Heike, you will receive an individualized link to begin the application online and a preview of the questions. Please note, your link will be specific to your application so it will be important to save this link. We highly recommend saving your answers to each question as you go in the event of any unforeseen issues arising (e.g., wireless internet, computer crash, etc.).
  • You will need your organization's federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the application. Organizations without an EIN are not eligible to apply.
  • Prepare the following organizational documents (as PDFs) to be attached at the end of your application: 1) Most recent financials (current year budget, balance sheet, current financial statement), 2) strategic plan, 3) a list of board members/directors, and 4) (if applicable) a list of your organization's advisory committee/other. See the application for guidance regarding how to label these files as attachments.
  • The initial maximum occupancy is 3 years (there will be an opportunity to reapply for space).

 

2 Phase Application Review Process

The application review process for community building partners is overseen by the CEC's Community Building Advisory Committee.

Phase 1: Applications submitted are reviewed by the Community Building Advisory Committee. Applicants will be contacted following the review of all applications to begin Phase 2. 

Phase 2: This phase includes an in-person interview with the Community Building Advisory Committee and any organizational representative(s). Next, the committee makes its recommendations for building partners to UNO’s Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Following the application review process, organizations that are accepted will be required to:

  • Sign a formal rental/space agreement
  • Provide a Certificate of Insurance with limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate naming the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska as an additional insured
  • Go through an official onboarding process and welcome tour

 

Community Building Partner Expectations

Community building partners located in the CEC are asked to be active participants in the CEC environment and contribute positively to its success. This is achieved by taking advantage of opportunities to work with students, faculty, staff, and community organizations in ways that derive mutual benefits. Here are some examples of how our building partners meet these expectations:

  • Offering student internships, service learning opportunities
  • Participate in special lectures and seminars open to selected students
  • Providing guest lectures
  • Participate in mentoring programs
  • Utilizing students and faculty for research and consultation
  • Participating in special events to expose students to the operations of the community partner and its impact on the community
  • Collaborating with other community/university CEC building partners in mutually beneficial ways
  • Sharing news and lessons learned from the CEC experience through UNO public relations materials, social media, and organizational communications
  • Working collaboratively and democratically within the CEC environment to ensure the overall goals of the CEC are met
  • Participating in annual surveys and evaluations

CEC building partners should be prepared to report their participation and contributions in these types of activities on a regular basis with CEC staff. All CEC building partner staff are expected to participate in a building orientation prior to being given access to CEC building resources.