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Building Communities
Practical Tools and Information
Kathy Tweeten, director, NDSU Center for Community
Vitality
NDSU Extension Service, community
economic development specialist
This newsletter is meant to share practical tools and
information to assist you in your important role in community and
economic
development work. We welcome comments on current letters plus encourage your
advice for future articles.
Kathy
Content
►
Editorial- Horizon Communities Plan for the Future
►
Community Involvement Workshops
►
BND Loan and Legislative Changes
►
EDND Fall Conference
► Partners in Marketing Program
► Business Retention and Expansion
Editorial – Horizons Communities Plan for the Future
North Dakota has 21 communities participating in the Northwest Area Foundation and NDSU Center for Community Vitality Horizons program. Horizons is an intense 18-month community development program aimed at building leadership to reduce poverty. The program was made available for communities with a population of 5,000 or less and that had a poverty rate of 10 percent or more. We have found that people, especially those in rural North Dakota communities, have a hard time talking about poverty. Many residents simply are unaware that it exists because it is, for the most part, carefully hidden. This program has built awareness and a confidence that communities can and are doing something about poverty-related issues. And it is not just economic poverty that is concerning. Many rural communities also lack social and cultural capital. The Horizons program develops local leadership and networks of people who together build vital communities by applying the skills that they have learned. Each community now will complete a strategic plan, outlining in detail its plans for the future. Upon completion of the plan, the communities will have approximately nine months to work on the first stages of implementation.
Sincerely,
Kathy Tweeten
NDSU Center for Community Vitality Director and
Community Economic Development Extension Specialist
Community Involvement Workshop - Registration due Nov. 1, 2007
Can you communicate effectively with public officials, the media and others? Would you like to learn more? If so, the NDSU Extension Center for Community Vitality, Champion REAP Alliance and the Center for Rural Affairs invite you to attend one of the following Community Involvement workshops:
· Nov. 7 - NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center at 1133 State Ave., Dickinson
· Nov. 8 - Lake Region State College, Chautauqua Room at 1801 North College Drive, Devils Lake
The cost to attend the workshop is $15, which covers all breaks, lunch and materials. To register, send your name, address, e-mail and phone number, along with a check for $15, by Nov. 1 to Champion REAP Alliance, P.O. Box 324, Maddock, ND 58348.
Agenda
9 - 9:30 a.m. Introductions and Getting to Know Each Other
9:30 – 11 a.m. Communicating Effectively
- Working with policymakers
- Working with congressional staff
11 - 11:15 a.m. Break
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Analyzing Policy
- Asking the right questions
- How to get involved
12:15 - 1 p.m. Lunch
1:15 - 2:30 p.m. Working with the Media
- Telling your story - building relationships with media
- Working with radio - communicating your message
- Writing effective letters to the editor and guest opinion pieces
2:30 - 2:50 p.m. Break
2:50 – 4 p.m. Community Involvement
- How to frame a message
- The art of negotiation
- How to engage and motivate community members
- Grooming future leaders
4 - 4:30 p.m. Wrap-up and Commitments
BND Loan and Legislative Changes
Source: Eric Hardmeyer, president, and Bob Humann, senior vice president of lending, Bank of North Dakota
During the last year, the
Bank of North Dakota has been working on a number of loan program and
legislative changes to better meet the needs of North Dakota residents and
lending partners. Changes were made in ag and commercial loan programs. In the
ag loan programs, changes were made to the Ag PACE, Envest, Livestock Loan
Guarantee and Irrigation Loan programs. Under commercial loan programs, changes
were made to the Beginning Entrepreneur Loan Guarantee, PACE and Biofuels PACE.
They also extended the Business and Farm Disaster Relief Loan programs through
Sept. 30, 2007, to allow for time to assess damage caused by excess rainfall.
For additional information, visit BND’s Web site at
www.banknd.nd.gov.
EDND Fall Conference
Source: Economic Development Association of North Dakota
Oct. 22-24, 2007
Best Western Doublewood Inn
Fargo, N.D.
The Economic Development Association of North Dakota’s
fall conference will begin at 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, and conclude at noon on
Wednesday, Oct. 24. A block of rooms has been reserved at a rate of
$55 for state employees and $65 for other conference attendees. Contact the
hotel directly at (800) 433-3235 to make reservations. The room block will be
released on Oct. 1.
Watch the association’s Web site,
www.ednd.org/, for registration information and a conference brochure.
Partners in Marketing Program
Source: North Dakota Department of Commerce
Since 2001, the North Dakota Department of Commerce has awarded more than $615,000 through the Partners in Marketing program for a wide variety of projects impacting counties and cities across North Dakota. In partnership with local professional economic developers, these projects have supported Web site development, promotional and marketing materials, business visits, regional specialty events and more. For detailed information, and application guidelines and form, contact Tracy Finneman at North Dakota Department of Commerce,
P.O. Box 2057, Bismarck, ND 58502-2057, by phone: (701) 328-5352, by fax: (701) 328-5320 or by e-mail: tfinneman@nd.gov.
Business Retention and Expansion
Up to 80 percent of all new net job creation in rural communities comes from existing businesses. Many communities spend scarce resources only on recruitment, which is a viable strategy for economic development, but it is also the strategy that usually costs the most and has the least amount of success. Existing business, with a little help and encouragement, often can expand through the development of new product lines or increased customer base. Available NDSU Extension Center for Community Vitality programs that can help existing businesses be more competitive include customer service programs, the Institute for Business and Industry Development (for small- and medium-sized manufacturers), and the business retention and expansion strategies program. Go to www.ag.ndsu.edu/ccv for additional information on all of our programs.
