Annual Conferences
CDS hosts an annual conference on its own or in collaboration with partners like the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) and the International Association for Community Development (IACD). Presentations, workshops, and experiential learning opportunities are common offerings delivered by practitioners and scholars alike.
2026 CDS Conference
Our 2026 conference will be in Savannah, Georgia from July 19th to 22th, 2026 at Georgia Southern University, with additional events around the Statesboro area.
For Conference Registration and Other Important Information, Please Click HERE
Webinars
As convening online has become easier and more popular, CDS offers a variety of professional development webinars. Webinars are available to the public, but only logged-in members can access the archive of webinar recordings.
November 18, 2025 Webinar – Future Forward: Building an Adaptive Field
Future Forward: Building an Adaptive Field Tuesday, November 18, 2025 — 2:00 pm Eastern Time (US & Canada) To view the webinar recording click HERE To view the PDF version of the presentation slides click HERE Click here to view The Seven System Elements (discussed during presentation) Click here to view The Roadmap to Equity Full Report (buildingtheengine.com […]
October 20, 2025 Webinar – From Research to Publication: Community Development Trends in Practice, Technology, and Scholarship
From Research to Publication: Community Development Trends in Practice, Technology, and Scholarship Monday, October 20, 2025 — 2:00 pm Eastern Time (US & Canada) To view the webinar recording click HERE To view the PDF version of the presentation slides click HERE Join us for an engaging 60-minute webinar exploring emerging trends in community development (CD) and […]
April 21, 2025 Webinar – Community Well-being and Quality of Life: Focus on Indiana
Community Well-being and Quality of Life: Focus on Indiana Monday, April 21, 2025 — 1:00 pm Eastern Time (US & Canada) This Webinar is Presented by the Community Development Society (CDS) in partnership with Community and Well-Being Learning Collaborative at Purdue University John Martinson Honors College, Purdue University’s Center for Rural Research, Education and Outreach (PCRREO), […]
Scholarships
The Linda Sunde CDS Endowment Fund was established by CDS members to provide a sustainable source of support to Members for conference participation, community development education, practice, and community-engaged research projects. The number of scholarships and the amount awarded each year varies according to the funds available through investment growth in the previous year. The CDS Stewardship Committee makes these determinations under the guidance of the CDS Board Treasurer.
Scholarship and award recipients are recognized at a plenary session during the CDS annual conference and are encouraged to attend, even if not required to do so. All recipients are required to “give back” to CDS through volunteer service for a period of one year on a CDS committee or working group of their choosing.
The application process for 2026 scholarship applications opens on November 17, 2025. The deadline to apply for scholarships is February 15, 2025 by 5 pm Pacific Time.
Applications submitted after the deadline will be considered for the 2027 scholarship cycle. Before submitting an application please review the full criteria for the award you are applying for.
SECTION 1: STUDENT MEMBER SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
SECTION 2: STUDENT & REGULAR MEMBER SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
Awards
During its annual conference, the Community Development Society (CDS) has the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of its Members and colleagues through a variety of awards. We encourage anyone to recognize the work of their community development colleagues by submitting a nomination on their behalf.
The purpose, eligibility criteria, and the opportunity to nominate a colleague for each award can be found in the links below.
Nomination applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
The 2026 Nominations deadline will be announced soon.
Nominations submitted after the deadline will be reviewed and considered during the following year’s round of awards.
Research Projects
CDS seeks to advance its mission through research projects led by working groups and ad hoc committees.
Academic Accreditation – this working group is conducting participatory research to develop a proposal to launch accreditation of professional degree programs in community development, including core competencies, institutional standards, and self-study procedures. If you have questions or would like to participate in this working group, please contact admin@CDSociety.org
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