Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association

The first settlement organization in the U.S. designed to plan, budget and coordinate settlement services on a metropolitan-wide scale. It was organized in 1948, by the Welfare Federation of Cleveland (later the Federation for Community Planning), and called the Neighborhood Settlement Association. The NSA merged in 1963 with the United Neighborhood Centers to form the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association. The GCNCA absorbed the Cleveland Federation of Settlements in 1963.

The Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association of Cleveland, Ohio, was the first settlement organization in the United States designed to plan, budget, and coordinate settlement services on a metropolitan-wide level.

The Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association has its roots in the Neighborhood Settlement Association which was organized in June of 1948 by the Hiram House Study Committee of the Group Work Council of the Welfare Federation of Cleveland (Federation for Community Planning). the three original members, Hiram House, Friendly Inn, and University Settlement, retained individual autonomy while delegating certain specified functions, including budgeting, fundraising, staff training, and public relations to the central organization. As a financially participating member of the Welfare Federation, the Neighborhood Settlement Association received its funding from the Federation through the United Appeal. the Neighborhood Settlement Association grew to seven member agencies by 1958.

In 1963 the Neighborhood Settlement Association consisted of eight member agencies: Chagrin Falls park Community Center, Friendly Inn Settlement, Glenville Neighborhood Centers, Hiram House Camp, League Park Center, Mount Pleasant Community Centers, the Eleanor B. Rainey Memorial Institute, and University Settlement. At this time the organization was re-evaluated and merged with the United Neighborhood Centers. The United Neighborhood Centers was established in April of 1960 by the East End Neighborhood House and Goodrich social Settlement at the encouragement of the Welfare Federation. Its purpose was to assist member agencies in their operations and to vitalize community life. The merger of the Neighborhood Settlement Association and the United Neighborhood Centers produced the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association. Robert L. Bond, executive director of the United Neighborhood Centers, became executive director of the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association.

At the same time of the merger between the Neighborhood Settlement Association and the United Neighborhood Centers, the Cleveland Federation of Settlements, another umbrella organization for settlement houses, was being re-evaluated by its board of trustees, also headed by Robert L. Bond. The Cleveland Federation of Settlements was a professional organization for settlements, serving as a medium for the exchange of ideas, providing joint programs for members, and promoting the purposes of the National Federation of Settlements. The organization was dissolved in September of 1963 and all assets and files were turned over to the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association.

One goal of the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association was to attract as many agencies as possible to form a city-wide federation of settlement houses. By 1964, 19,000 members belonged to fifteen member and associate agencies. Over 750 board and committee members worked to facilitate and coordinate the activities of member agencies. An annual budget of over one million dollars was partially funded by the United Appeal through the Welfare Federation.

In 1986 the Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association was a financially participating member of the Federation for Community Planning with offices at 1001 Huron Road in Cleveland, Ohio. It continued to function as an umbrella organization for various Cleveland settlements, providing professional services such as staff hiring and training, and preparing budgets for members. the organization also developed and administered day care programs, youth and family services, and programs for the elderly which were carried out by seventeen member, three associate, and five affiliated agencies.

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