Resources for rural communities, July 18, 2014

The following is from Christine Sorensen, rural development coordinator for the U. S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development in Pierre, S.D. Read on for valuable resources for rural communities, including several grant opportunities.

NEWS 

Native Nation Rebuilders Program: The Bush Foundation Native Nation Rebuilders Program is seeking candidates for its sixth cohort of Rebuilders who will help ensure that elected tribal leaders and the tribes they serve have a cadre of skilled and courageous individuals dedicated to strengthening their nations. Application are due by August 28.

Hold The Date: Approximately $380 million in settlement funds remain undistributed from the Keepseagle v. Vilsack litigation. The Settlement Agreement approved by the Court requires that these funds only be given to non-profit organizations providing services to Native American farmers & ranchers. Aug. 12, Rapid City, SD/Aug. 14, Bismarck, ND. For more information, please visit http://www.indianfarmclass.com, email indianfarmclass@gmail.com, or call 1(479) 200-8210

Ag in the Classroom to provide the Ag and Food Institute July 29 and 30 at the SDSU Extension Sioux Falls Regional Center. This class is for upper elementary and middle school teachers and educators. The program will include soil, agriculture, garden meal prep, conservation, vermicomposting (worm), school garden entrepreneurship, and tours to see composting at the landfill, the Baltic School Community Garden and the Cottonwood Ridge dairy. More details can be found at, www.agclassroom.org/sd. Registration is $45 for the class and an additional $45 for the credit. The class can be taken without the credit option as well.

Hunkpati Investments has a position open for an IDA Program Administrator and Financial Literacy Coordinator. Please download Position Description for more information. Deadline to apply for the IDA Program Administrator and Financial Literacy Coordinator position is July 18, 2014. You may email your resume to info@hunkpati.org or mail to P.O. Box 175, Fort Thompson, South Dakota 57339. Please call 605-245-2148 if you have any questions.

Personally one of my favorite people in the world:  JoAnn Schaefers was honored by GROW South Dakota for her 40 years of combined service as a member of their Board of Directors.

August 19-21-Dakotafest, Mitchell, SD
August 28-September 1-South Dakota State Fair, Huron South Dakota
Oct. 2-3 South Dakota Women in Agriculture Conference, Terra Sancta Retreat Center, Rapid City, SD

PUBLICATIONS

Keys to Community Branding:  Find out why Opelousas, Louisiana is “perfectly seasoned” and Hollister, California is “a great place to bale” in a presentation on the importance of branding communities by expert Ben Muldrow of Arnett Muldrow & Associates. Watch the video.

Childhood Obesity Prevention Strategies for Rural Communities – Covers childhood obesity in rural communities including common themes and lessons learned, the role of early care, education, and out-of-school time in obesity prevention. Also provides examples of community initiatives and recommendations to policymakers for preventing obesity. Organization: Nemours Foundation. Date: 2014

Sketch of Community Health Centers: Chart Book 2014 – A pictorial overview of the federal Health Center Program and the rural and urban communities they serve. Displays figures documenting services provided, accomplishments in improving access and in the delivery of high quality, cost-effective care. Organization: National Association of Community Health Centers. Date: 2014

An article in The Washington Post titled “An Economic Defense of Old Buildings” made the case for old buildings as an essential part of community economic development using data from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Read the story here. Note: while these are highly urban places, I suspect it holds true for small rural towns too.

Global corn ending stocks forecast to be the highest in 15 years

Global corn stocks are forecast to rise to the highest level in 15 years by the end of 2014/15 (September/August), leading to downward pressure on U.S. and global corn prices. Stocks fell to relatively low levels during 2003/04-2006/07, prior to the 2008 spike in world commodity prices, but are now forecast to reach 188.1 million tons in 2014/15, just 3 percent below the recent high of 194.4 million tons in 1999/2000. Since 2008/09, world corn production has exceeded total consumption in 5 out of 7 years. In addition to the United States and China—the two largest global producers and consumers of corn—production and stocks have been generally rising in Brazil, Russia, and Ukraine—countries that are also playing an expanding role as corn exporters. With a second consecutive above trend U.S. corn harvest forecast for 2014/15, the United States is expected to account for most of the 8-percent increase in global corn stocks forecast in 2014/15. With growing inventories, the U.S. season average farm price of corn is expected to decline to $4.00 per bushel, down 10 percent from $4.45 per bushel in 2013/14, and 42 percent from $6.89 per bushel in the U.S. drought year of 2012/13. Find a chart in the Feed Grain Chart Gallery and additional analysis in Feed Outlook: July 2014.

40 Maps That Explain Food in America

Here are 40 maps, charts, and graphs that show where our food comes from and how we eat it, with some drinking thrown in for good measure.

NACo Releases New Publication on Innovations in Workforce Development
The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently released a new issue brief that demonstrates the importance of a quality workforce as one of the most important factors for promoting county economic competitiveness. A Workforce that Works: County Innovations in Workforce Development showcases county-level strategies in workforce development by highlighting four counties that are aligning workforce development with economic development efforts to sustain a competitive and healthy economy. From investing in sector-based education and training programs that prepare workers to meet employer demands to prioritizing data-driven methods that improve knowledge of local demographic trends, county leaders and their partners are marrying economic development and workforce development efforts in innovative new ways. This report was developed with support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Economic Resilience through a partnership with the NADO Research Foundation. Click here to read the issue brief.

SDSU Extension Community Development Programs

Small Business Beginnings – Small Business is a vital part of South Dakota’s economy, representing nearly 97% of all employers and more that 60% of the state’s private sector workforce. SDSU Extension has developed a series of tools designed to provide technical assistance to early stage entrepreneurs, start-up businesses and existing small firms. These tools assist business owners in determining the feasibility of a proposed business venture and creating a solid business plan to support it.

Growing Leaders SD – is a one day leadership development workshop that focuses on building your individual leadership and learning how to apply those skills in group settings.

Youth and Adult Leadership Development – SDSU Extension offers individuals and communities a variety of opportunities to build and strength their leadership skills. We can work with any type of group, and will come right to your area. Topics we cover might include: organization, communication, understanding group dynamics, identifying assets, making meetings work, empowering others and problem solving.

Tips for an Effective Non-profit Board – Kari O’Neill -Building strong boards is hard work not to be taken lightly. Identifying good candidates and securing their commitment is only the beginning. Michelle Nusum-Smith on her Change the World Do Good blog provides great insight on how to keep a non-profit board working well.

The Next Generation of Entrepreneurs – Peggy Schlechter -It’s is never too early to pursue the American Dream of owning your own business. Four young South Dakota entrepreneurs shared the rewards, opportunities and challenges of being a business owner in rural South Dakota during a panel discussion at SD Marketplace in Aberdeen, SD this spring.

Vision and Mission Statements for Farmers Markets – Chris Zdorovtsov- New and developing markets need direction, goals and a chance to develop their identity and values. Answering the ‘who are we?’ question can be challenging. Creating a vision and mission statement will help answer that question. This process can be an important momentum-building exercise for a new organization.

South Dakota Young Trailblazers Facebook Page – Kenneth Sherin- The SDSU Extension Community Development team attended the Rural Futures Conference in November 2013 held in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the conference a group of inspiring, insightful and intelligent young leaders participated in a discussion panel about the future of rural America.

LEARNING

Planning, Performance and Play – Nontraditional Methods for Community Engagement:  Video of Speaker Carol Davis.  Institute for Sustainable Communities

 Collaboration and Resilience: Florida Style – The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact continues to make news in its regional approach to resilience. Check out the first of their implementation guide series as a sample of how to get good language into local governance.

The food revolution will be quantified. Learn how Lane County in Washington used a data-driven market based approach to revitalizing local food industries and the local economy (5 Pages – PDF). 

Native American Entrepreneurial Empowerment Webinar:  Breakeven Analysis:  You’re invited to our upcoming, free webinar, brought to you by the SBA Office of Native American Affairs and RedWind Consulting! We will be focusing on breakeven analysis and all entrepreneurs are welcome to attend.  Friday July 25, 2014 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM PDT.  Register Now!

Transfer of Wealth in Rural America:  Center for Rural Entrepreneurship have been sharing chapters from the book titled, Transfer of Wealth in Rural America. This month, Chapter 5, “The Right Moment for Community Development Philanthropy,” is available for download here.

Webpage: Grantseeker’s Guide to Foundation Affinity Groups, from Blue Avocado

Webpage: Charity Raters Part I: Charting the Bad and the Bad, Blue Avocado Investigates • By Jan Masaoka • May 25, 2013•

Wouldn’t it be great if there were an objective rating system so that donors could choose the best nonprofits to donate to just as investors use rating agencies to pick the best companies to invest in? Don’t answer; it’s a rhetorical question. Here’s what you need to know about some of the best-known charity rating organizations:

In this Part I of a two-part article, we take a fast look at six charity raters — Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, Better Business Bureau, …

 RECORDED WEBINAR: NADO Research Foundation Hosts Webinar Covering the “Nuts and Bolts of Designing a Regional Plan” – On June 16, the NADO Research Foundation hosted a webinar, “Putting It All Together:  The Nuts and Bolts of Designing a Regional Plan (That People Will Actually Read).”  Three executive directors of NADO member organizations presented their strategies and tips for designing and laying out an engaging and practical planning document, following the completion of their multi-year HUD-funded Sustainable Communities planning processes. Presenters were:  Kevin Byrd, Executive Director, New River Valley Planning District Commission (VA) – Livability in the New River Valley;  Cheryal Hills, Executive Director, Region Five Development Commission (MN) – Resilient Region Plan; and Pat Steed, Executive Director, Central Florida Regional Planning Council – Heartland 2060:  Building a Resilient Region.  Click here to view the webinar recording and download the presentation slides.  Contact Brett Schwartz at bschwartz@nado.org with any questions.

RECORDED WEBINAR: Rural Health Workforce Funding Programs (webinar recording)
Webinar presented by Rebecca Cruger, RAC Funding Specialist. Provides information on how workforce investment boards can collaborate with state offices of rural health and highlights funding programs designed to grow and sustain a new crop of rural health workers. 60 minutes in length.

TOOLS

A new resource is available that provides a centralized, one-stop resource for beginning farmers and ranchers to explore USDA initiatives designed to help them succeed. The USDA New Farmers website provides information on how to increase access to land and capital, build new market opportunities, participate in conservation efforts and select and use the right risk management tools.  View the Web resource.

New Resources on Finding Rural-Relevant Statistics and Data 

A set of three new resources is now available to help you locate and use statistics and data related to rural health:

• Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health (Topic Guide)
• Data Sources & Tools Relevant to Rural Health
• Selecting Rural Data in American Factfinder (Step-by-step presentation)

 Planning Tools – Perfect for the small business owner exploring exporting, the Export Business Planner is a free, customizable tool that helps you work through the critical processes of export readiness and planning.

 Medicare Chronic Conditions Dashboards 

Provides access to national, state, county and hospital referral region statistics for Medicare beneficiaries related to chronic disease prevalence, utilization, and Medicare spending. Organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Mobile Health Map – Provides a map of the estimated 2,000 mobile health clinics across the country, which visually demonstrates the extensive network of communities served by mobile clinics. Offers mobile healthcare providers an online tool for calculating an ROI (return on investment) ratio for their mobile health services. Organization: Mobile Health Clinics Association

Resources for finding and creating images for promotional materials

Images help bring your story to life and you can use them on almost all your promotional materials such as fliers, websites, videos, newsletters, and social media. If your program is just getting started, you can use stock photos to spruce up your marketing materials. If you have your own, you can edit them using free tools available online.

Free, User-Friendly Tool to Help Economies Recover after Disasters

Leadership in Times of Crisis provides strategies and tactics for community leaders to focus on for economic recovery and preserving jobs, incorporating useful information for convening private and public stakeholders to identify key economic recovery strategies, tips on how to navigate federal resources for response and recovery, and implementation of recovery initiatives.  Developed by IEDC with nationwide input and funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, the Toolkit is designed to benefit a wide range of public and private sector officials working with businesses and industries in the economic recovery process. Leadership in Times of Crisis: A Toolkit for Economic Recovery and Resiliency
Download for free at www.restoreyoureconomy.org

Greening Vacant Properties – August 6, time TBD. Details are being finalized now; the full announcement will be posted on http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/webinars/index.html

EPA Releases Flood Recovery and Resilience Tool

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new tool to help communities prepare for, deal with, and recover from floods. The Flood Resilience Checklist can help communities identify strategies to enhance flood resilience, such as conserving land in flood-prone areas; directing new development to safer areas; and using green infrastructure approaches, such as installing rain gardens, to manage storm water.

The checklist is part of a new report, Planning for Flood Recovery and Long-Term Resilience in Vermont: Smart Growth Approaches for Disaster-Resilient Communities. The report is a product of EPA’s year-long Smart Growth Implementation Assistance project in Vermont where EPA worked with the Mad River Valley Planning District, state agencies, and FEMA to help communities recover from Tropical Storm Irene. Although the project focused on Vermont, the policy options and checklist in the report can help any community seeking to become more flood resilient. Click here to learn more about this project. Download PDF versions of the checklistand report. EPA will host a webinar to share lessons learned from the Vermont project on August 13 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET. The webinar will feature speakers from FEMA, the state of Vermont, and the Mad River Valley Planning District.  No pre-registration is required; click here for more details and to join the webinar.

FUNDING

White House Announces National Disaster Resilience Competition
On June 14, the White House announced the National Disaster Resilience Competition.  The nearly $1 billion competition will invite communities that have experienced disasters to compete for funds to help them rebuild and increase their resilience to future disasters. Of the competition funds available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, about $820 million will be available to all states and local governments that experienced a Presidentially-declared disaster in 2011, 2012, and 2013. States in the Hurricane Sandy-affected region will be eligible to compete for approximately $180 million. All successful applicants will need to show how their proposed action relates to the disaster from which they are recovering. HUD will ensure that geographic diversity is a consideration in the selection of participating communities. Additional details are forthcoming. Click here to view the White House Fact Sheet on the competition. Contact Megan McConville at mmcconville@nado.org with any questions.

Applications are being accepted for grants from the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). (This is a South Dakota State Parks and Recreation Announcement) Outdoor recreation projects sponsored by city, county, township and tribal governments are eligible to receive the grant money. Grants will be awarded for development or renovation of outdoor recreation facilities or the acquisition of park land. Examples of eligible projects include new playground equipment, ball diamonds and swimming pool renovation. The application deadline is September 5, 2014. LWCF funds are federal dollars that are apportioned to states by Congress to fund public outdoor recreation projects. Application packets are available online at www.gfp.sd.gov. For more information contact Grants Coordinator Randy Kittle at 605-773-5490 or email randy.kittle@state.sd.us.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Seeks Partnerships With Children’s Organizations – DEADLINE: August 29, 2014

The RMHC Global Grant program supports sustainable replicable projects that address issues related to children’s healthcare….

AMA Foundation Healthy Living Grant (Formerly Fund for Better Health) – Application deadline: Sep 12, 2014

Provides healthy lifestyles seed grants for grassroots public health programs. This year’s grants are supporting projects in the area of Prescription Drug Safety. Sponsor: AMA Foundation

NAEMT Scholarship Program – Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.

Scholarships to help the advancement of EMS personnel. Applicants must be NAEMT members. Sponsor: National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians

YoungArts Foundation Invites Applications for 2015 Young Artists Prize – DEADLINE: October 17, 2014

Up to seven hundred young artists will receive grants of up to $10,000 each and have the opportunity to attend master classes with internationally renowned artists….

P. Buckley Moss Foundation Accepting Applications for Arts-Integrated Education Programs – DEADLINE: September 30, 2014

Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to support new or evolving programs that integrate the arts into educational programming for children with and without learning difficulties….

NEA Foundation Invites Applications for Learning and Leadership Grants – DEADLINE: October 1, 2014

Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to support the professional development of public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education….

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Accepting Proposals for Pre-K-6 Classroom Research Grants – DEADLINE: November 7, 2014

Grants of up to $6,000 will be awarded for classroom-based research in precollege mathematics education in collaboration with college or university educators….

Community Economic Development (CED) Projects – Application deadline: Jul 21, 2014
Offers funds to Community Development Corporations (CDCs) for projects designed to address the economic needs of low-income individuals and families through the creation of employment and business opportunities, including expansion or construction of clinics and health centers. Bonus points will be given to projects that create jobs in rural communities. Sponsor: Administration for Children and Families

Culture of Health Prize – Letter of Intent (Required): Sep 17, 2014; Application deadline: Dec 10, 2014

Awards that honor community efforts and partnerships that are helping people live healthier lives. Sponsor: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Section 533 Rural Housing Preservation Grants – Application deadline: Jul 28, 2014. Grants to organizations that work to assist rural low-income homeowners and renters to repair and rehabilitate their homes.  Sponsor: USDA Housing and Community Facilities Programs

Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program for Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages – Application deadline: Jul 29, 2014

Grants for the development of Indian and Alaska Native communities, including new housing construction; housing rehabilitation; land acquisition to support new housing; green energy projects; mold remediation; home ownership assistance; public service facilities such as healthcare entities, child care facilities, and employment-related agencies; economic development; and micro-enterprise programs. Sponsor: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Wells Fargo Housing Foundation homeownership grants provide sustainable homeownership opportunities for low-to-moderate-income people by providing volunteer and financial resources to local and national nonprofit housing organizations. Average grant amount: $7,500. Deadline to apply: 7/31/2014. Click here to learn more about these grants and to apply.

PSEG Foundation Invites Grant Applications for Neighborhood Partner Program -DEADLINE: August 1, 2014

Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded in support of programs in the areas of sustainability, minorities, STEM education, and safety that are based in and focus on communities served by PSEG and its subsidiaries….

Service Area Competition Funding for Health Center Program (Areas Served with a Project Period Start Date of December 1, 2014) – Application deadline: Jul 30, 2014. Funding to provide comprehensive primary health care services to an underserved area or population. Sponsor: Bureau of Primary Health Care

THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE is offering RSVP grants that support volunteers age 55 years and older in activities that serve community needs and respond to the National Performance Measures in the following focus areas: disaster; education; economic opportunity; environment; healthy futures; and veterans and military families. Deadline to apply: Letter of Intent 8/8/2014; application 9/9/2014. Click here to read the funding guidelines and to apply.

Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinators Program – Application deadline: Aug 18, 2014

Grants for the salary and fringe benefits to hire a Service Coordinator to assist in the delivery and coordination of supportive services and other activities designed to help improve the living conditions of public and Indian housing residents who are elderly and/or disabled.
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Early Head Start and EHS-Child Care Partnership Grants – Application deadline: Aug 20, 2014
Offers funding to operate Early Head Start programming within a community, leveraging existing local resources to provide a comprehensive array of health, mental health, nutrition, and social services to infants, toddlers, and their families. Sponsor: Administration for Children and Families

Medicare Incentive Payments in Health Professional Shortage Areas and Physician Scarcity Areas – Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. Medicare bonus payments to physicians in geographic HPSAs and PSAs. Sponsor: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

RedRover Seeks Applications From Emergency Shelter Organizations to Help Victims of Domestic Abuse and Their Pets – DEADLINE: October 15, 2014. Grants of up $3,000 will be awarded to help shelters provide facilities that allow victims of domestic violence and their animal companions stay together during times of crisis….

Kinder Morgan Foundation Accepting Applications for K-12 Academic, Arts, Environmental Programs – DEADLINE: Rolling. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to projects that promote the academic and artistic interests of young people in cities where the energy company conducts business….

The Diane Lupke Scholarship Fund – Due Friday, July 25, 2014 – If you work in a distressed community and are interested in pursuing professional development opportunities, we have an opportunity for you. Through the Diane Lupke Scholarship Fund, IEDC is proud to award four scholarships to economic development professionals (two IEDC members and two nonmembers) working in distressed communities to attend an IEDC education course of the recipient’s choice. Please download the application and submit all materials by to be eligible for consideration.  » Download the application form (PDF)

Submit application materials and direct questions to Rebecca Thomas at rthomas@iedconline.org.

KaBOOM! Invites Applications for Community Playground Grants – DEADLINE: Open. Build It With KaBOOM! playground grants provide community organizations with most of the funds, tools, and resources needed to build a custom-made playground in one day….

IEEE Foundation Invites Applications for Science Education and Humanitarian Projects – DEADLINE: August 1, 2014

Grants will be awarded in support of new projects in the areas of STEM education, history of technology, and applying technology for humanitarian causes….

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Accepting Nominations for Lifetime Achievement Awards – DEADLINE: November 7, 2014 (Letters of Nomination)

The annual awards are designed to honor current NCTM members who have exhibited a lifetime of achievement in mathematics education at the national level….

NCTM Accepting Applications for Projects Using Music to Teach Pre-K-2 Mathematics  – DEADLINE: November 7, 2014

Grants of up to $3,000 will be awarded to individual classroom teachers or small groups of teachers collaborating in one grade or across grade levels….

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces 2015 Culture of Health Prize – DEADLINE: September 17, 2014 (Phase I applications)

Up to ten grants of $25,000 each will be awarded to honor outstanding community efforts and partnerships that are helping people live healthier lives….

Through the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, EPA recognizes communities that use innovative policies and strategies to strengthen their economies, provide housing and transportation choices, develop in ways that bring benefits to a wide range of residents, and protect the environment. Public-sector, private-sector, and nonprofit organizations are invited to apply by Friday, September 5. Learn more at http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm

The Northwest Area Foundation and CFED are excited to announce a groundbreaking initiative to advance state and tribal policies that build the long-term prosperity of urban and rural low-income communities, Native American communities and communities of color. The Financial Inclusion Policy Action Initiative is a $3 million, three-year investment to support advocacy on policies that increase access to safe and affordable financial services and products, improve financial education, curb predatory lending, encourage saving, and improve credit and debt.  Please find the formal request for proposals here. The deadline for submissions is 5 pm PDT on Monday, August 11, 2014. For more information, email assetsandopportunity@cfed.org.

Public Comment Sought: USDOT Issues Proposed Planning Rule

On June 2, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) published the “Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning; Metropolitan Planning” Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). Click here to view a copy of the NPRM. The NPRM is jointly issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA). It addresses new provisions for statewide, nonmetropolitan, and metropolitan planning included in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (MAP-21) including the process for the creation of regional transportation planning organizations (RTPOs) and involvement of non-metropolitan local officials in the statewide planning process. The public comment period is open for 90 days, until September 2.