Publications, Tools, Learning, Funding
PUBLICATIONS:
Why Don't Foundations Build Capacity in Fundraising?
Foundations often encourage nonprofits -- especially grassroots organizations -- to develop non-foundation income streams as part of sustainability. So then why do so few of our grant makers invest in building the capacity of those groups to raise independent money? Aaron Dorfman of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy takes on this mystery:
http://www.blueavocado.org/node/960#sthash.gjTS9GCH.dpuf
Investing in Strong Rural Communities
Suzanne Anarde, Vice-President of the Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation, writes in the ABA Banking Journal about the right mix of resources, critical partnerships and creative thinking that can spur economic revival in financially battered rural areas.
http://rurallisc.createsend1.com/t/r-l-ftkhtkl-l-jr/
ABA Hosts Meeting to Address Rural Appraiser Shortage
To help address the pending shortage of rural property appraisers — and the implications for agricultural and commercial credit in rural communities — ABA’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking and ABA’s Commercial Real Estate Committee convened a meeting yesterday of key stakeholders from the banking industry, federal government, appraisal industry and others.
http://bankingjournal.aba.com/2015/09/aba-hosts-meeting-to-address-rural-appraiser-shortage/
TOOLS:
CDFI Fund Releases “Expanding CDFI Coverage in Underserved Areas” Webinar Schedule
The “Expanding CDFI Coverage in Underserved Areas” webinars are free and open to the general public, but advanced registration is required to access the presentation. Registration may be completed up until the start time listed for each individual session. Click here to register. To learn more about “Expanding CDFI Coverage in Underserved Areas” series and the other training series available under the Capacity Building Initiative, please visitwww.cdfifund.gov/cbi.
How Healthy is your Community, from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. See a health snap shot of your county, trends and factors that affect health in your county. http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/
The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation has launched a new online resource of tools to help rural regions and small towns, drawing on their four-year capacity-building role with the Sustainable Communities Learning Network. Access the resources here.
LEARNING:
Strengthening the SWOT: Identifying & Understanding Regional Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (Recorded Webinar + Slides)
These free hour-long webinars showcase Economic Development Districts throughout the country that have taken innovative planning approaches to integrating economic resilience into their CEDS through aligning existing regional planning processes, robustly analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and developing relevant and realistic metrics for measuring their progress. The second installment focused on strengthening the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats (SWOT) analysis. Training was provided on how to craft a more effective SWOT analysis and incorporate the findings into goal setting and performance metrics. Video and slides available Here
Be sure to check out the previous installment of this series “Planning more Efficiently & Effectively: Aligning the CEDS with Other Regional Plans”
Rural Assistance Center (RAC) has developed a guide titled “Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food”. A nutritious diet is important for maintaining good health, but accessing fresh and affordable food can be a challenge for some rural residents. This RAC topic guide provides information on how to address food security issues in every rural community, including funding and assistance programs, model programs, strategies, and more. Access the guide here.
