History

In 2007, a group of business and nonprofit leaders came together to form an organization, Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Network, that would provide administrative services for nonprofits who wanted to work together to serve youth ages 5-17 through multiple programs. 

In 2008, YES Network delivered administrative services (coordination, collaboration, capacity-building and mobilization) to five nonprofit organizations who delivered program services to over 500 youth and families.

In 2009, YES Network retained its efforts of delivering administrative services, but turned its focus toward delivering these services to entire neighborhoods. Its first neighborhood effort was with Miracle Manor Neighborhood. Administrative service delivery included mobilizing direct service providers (nonprofit organizations) to the neighborhood to provide mentoring, job readiness training and creative expression training services.

In 2010, this same group of business and nonprofit leaders formed Connecting Communities Foundation (CCF's), a local community foundation focused on raising money to provide service grants to neighborhoods. In 2010 CCF provided a $50,000 service grant to Myers Neighborhood. This grant included mobilizing administrative and direct service programs to the neighborhood in the form of Coordination, Collaboration, and Mobilization services (YES Network) and Creative Expression Training Programs (Single Parents Are Not Alone, Inc., Compass Behavioral Health Care, Inc., and Live Theater).

In 2011, Connecting Communities Foundation (CCF) provided service grants to Myers Neighborhood, Amphi Neighborhood, and Jefferson Park Neighborhood.

In 2011, CCNR CENTER was created to bring together people, assets, organizations, and systems (through information) in order to facilitate collaborative interaction directly within Tucson neighborhoods by residents, schools, churches, nonprofits, funders, businesses and investors to support the empowerment process that started in 2007.