Category Archives: Resources

Connecting Communities – Best Practices in Program Evaluation and Learning Webinar

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The Federal Reserve’s Connecting Communities program is offering a webinar/conference call on best practices in Program Evaluation and Learning May 28 at 2:00 central. Many communities struggle with (or just want to be better at) evaluating what is and is not working in their programs. Best Practices in Program Evaluation and Learning Webinar Registration Previous Connecting Communities presentations are recorded at https://bsr.stlouisfed.org/connectingcommunities/.

The Value of Government Data

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The following information from the Department of Commerce highlights the importance of government data in decision making. May 7, 2015 Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) released a new report today entitled, “The Value of the American Community Survey: Smart Government, Competitive Businesses, and Informed Citizens.”  The report shows how the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) is used to accurately direct over $400 billion in federal funds to the communities that need them, and to help businesses and community leaders… Read More →

What Counts: Harnessing Data for America’s Communities

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You all know how much I love data. It is indispensable for making good decisions. What Counts: Harnessing Data for America’s Communities from the San Francisco Fed discusses why data is important and how to use it. You can download the book for free from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or order a print copy. Check it out!

Understanding Communities and their Dynamics

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eXtension is offering a seven-week (90 minutes per week) webcourse on Understanding Communities and Their Dynamics, level one of the Foundations of Practice in Community Development program. The course provides an introduction to the seven core competencies that focuses on the ability to understand community of place, the nature of public issues, the dynamics and interdependencies of the various segments of the community, and the basics of community development work. Open to all individuals working in a community context this course is offered as an entry level course… Read More →

Cultivating Community Wealth: Success Stories

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This post is part of an eight-week series on Cultivating Community Wealth. I was first introduced to the story of Tupelo, Mississippi, not long after I moved to Texas. The Texas Rural Innovators had invited Vaughn Grisham to tell the story, and I promise you Vaughn is a good story teller. (His brother is famous author John Grisham.) His book, co-written with Rob Gurwitt, is available for free download or hardcopy purchase from The Aspen Institute. Earlier this month, I was able to visit Tupelo while I was… Read More →

Rural Matters: A Free Online Data Event

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Community Commons is sponsoring a free online data event in November. The series features three 19-minute webinars and a dedicated Rural Matters Event Hub.  Topics include the use of data for community assessment, funding applications, and policy change in rural communities. Register for any or all events below: Assessing the Rural Community    Thursday, November 6  10:30-11:00am Central Enhancing Your Funding Proposals   Wednesday, November 12 1:00-1:30pm Central Making the Case for Policy Change   Monday, November 17 3:00-3:30pm Central All events will be recorded for later viewing.

Link to Texas Agriculture Law Water Post

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Water is essential to the life of communities. My colleague Tiffany Dowell had a great post on water earlier this week. Read it here and click the Water Law category on her blog (or any other link for that matter) to see more great info.

NEA Arts-Driven Community and Economic Development in Rural Areas

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An opportunity to explore an arts-driven approach to community and economic (and wealth) development. The conference call will discuss funding opportunities as well as exemplar projects. Press release below: RURAL GATEWAY PEER-TO-PEER CONFERENCE CALL National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts-Driven Community and Economic Development in Rural Areas: A Discussion of Best Practices Date: September 25, 2014 Time: 2:00 p.m. EDT The Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development (ORHED) invites you to take part in our next Peer-to-Peer conference call.  Scheduled for September 25, 2014 this call will offer… Read More →

County Migration Flows Mapping Tool

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Last week I mentioned a New York Times graphic describing state-level migration flows. The Census Bureau has released the Census Flows Mapper, a county-level mapping tool. This is a useful tool for county leaders and economic developers as they think about who they are attracting, where out-migrants are going, and how they can leverage regional assets to support regional and local development. Statistically, most moves occur relatively near a base county, which alludes to the regional nature of our economies and social capital. 2008-2012 Net Migration in Brazos… Read More →

Webinar: How Design Sparks Rural Development

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This webinar from Community Matters discusses using good design to improve rural places and kick-start rural development. I love that they are talking about resident-led design, introducing local decision makers to design principles, and describing how to incorporate “experts” and outsiders into projects. Ultimately, it is the resident community and it should be their project! I’m looking forward to the webinar Wednesday, August 20, at 3:00 Central. For more info or to register, visit http://www.communitymatters.org/event/design-rural-community-development. You can also check out this Community Matters blog post to learn more… Read More →