Our STORY

The Community Development Training Institute (CDTI) was founded in 1982 at the behest of the National Community Development Association (NCDA). At that time, there was a lack of quality training organizations in the community development field. In response, we  stepped in to provide community and economic development training to nonprofit organizations and municipal agencies. Between 1982 and 2015, we operated a successful nonprofit training and technical assistance firm based in Newport, Rhode Island and Worcester, Massachusetts. In 2016, we expanded our footprint and began operating as a virtual technical assistance provider, connecting highly-skilled and experienced consultants and advisors with entrepreneurial community-based organizations and municipal agencies.  

At our core, we are social enterprise created to connect emerging and seasoned professionals to clients with limited time and/or resources. We do this by tapping into a network of skilled practitioners ready, willing, and able to provide technical expertise rooted in best practice and academic  research. We embrace this approach not only to strengthen the communities in which we work, but also the skill and capacity of the next generation of community development practitioners.

Our value proposition is a unique one – by leveraging the vibrancy and resources of the academic community, we are able to offer our clients a combination of energetic service provision and knowledge of emerging practice at an economical price point that is difficult for traditional firms to replicate.