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NREDA Annual
Conference:
September 6-9, Fort Meyers,
Florida | |
Last Call for Conference
Registrations:
You've
been hearing about it for months, the NREDA
Annual Conference being held September 6-9.
Information-packed and inspirational, this conference
promises to open your ears and eyes to innovative rural
development strategies as well as emerging rural issues
and concerns. Procrastinators take heart: Late
registrants are always welcome.
Outing Updates:
Golfers
teeing off for the NREDA Golf Outing should meet at the
Crown Colony Golf and Country Club on Saturday,
September 6 at 7:30 a.m. Transportation is on your own,
so share a ride with a fellow member or arrange for taxi
transportation through the Sanibel Harbour front desk.
Anglers who signed up for the Back Bay Fishing Outing
should gather on the dock of the Sanibel Harbour Marina
on Saturday, September 6 at 1:30 p.m.
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Brag, Brag:
Cooperatives
in South Dakota aren't shy about showing off their
contributions to the state economy. The 27 SD
distribution cooperatives recently released the findings
of a study that proves co-ops make a significant impact
on the state economy through economic investment,
community support, taxes, employment, and consumer
benefits. Among the impressive findings: Electric co-op
employees volunteered more than 52,000 hours to
community projects, more than triple the national
standard for employee volunteer program excellence for
Fortune 500 companies. South Dakota ECs earned plenty of
positive press for their efforts and gained the respect
of many state legislators. For more details, don't miss
the South Dakota break out session, "Quantifying Your
Co-ops Contributions to the State Economy," at the
upcoming NREDA
Annual Conference.
Arts & ED:
Nationwide
arts-based economic development is getting the attention
it deserves for generating roughly $134 billion in
economic activity each year. Case studies of rural
regions in North Carolina and Appalachian Ohio find
local arts programs help stimulate and support community
development. Find out more about arts-based community
development at the NREDA
Annual Conference. In the meantime, purchase the
study Building
Creative Economies: The Arts, Entrepreneurship and
Sustainable Development that summarizes the findings
of a conference sponsored by the National Endowment for
the Arts, the Appalachian Regional Commission and North
Carolina's Kenan Institute.
Paving the Way:
When
rural roads in the Grundy Electric Cooperative service
territory grew rough and rutted, the Missouri-based
co-op took action. Grundy EC appealed to its Rural
Community Foundation to establish a fund to assist
townships with covering dirt roads with gravel. Since
1998, the co-op has contributed more than $25,000 in
matching grants for roadway improvements. Co-op
volunteers also kicked in to help manage the grant
program and work with leaders to plan road improvements.
The result? Improved road travel conditions, increased
productivity, lowered outage response time and less
vehicle maintenance. For its innovation, Grundy EC
received the NOVA award under NRECA's National Community
Service Award program. READ
MORE
The Right Tools:
Help
community leaders, legislators and business leaders in
your community understand the critical role cooperatives
play in community development. The Cooperative Promise
Toolkit offers a handy educational video and guidebook
that documents extraordinary cooperative efforts in
communities just like yours. Both tools are at no charge
and offer excellent "how to" strategies and case
studies. To request a copy, contact Jane Marden, NRECA
director of community and economic development at
703-907-5813 or e-mail jane.marden@nreca.coop. | |
Get a Number:
If
your co-op or community partner wants to renew or apply
for a grant or cooperative agreement this year, all
applications must include a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number beginning October 1, 2003. The
Federal Office of Management and Budget recently
announced the new requirement. GET
INFO
Transport
Loans:
Community
Development Transportation Lending Service (CDTLS)
offers loans up to $150,000 to public, nonprofit or
private transportation businesses that provide
transportation or related services. Funds can be used
for local matches, vehicles, transit facilities,
communications equipment, seed or bridge operating loans
and for other transportation projects. GET
INFO
Tech Grants:
The
Progressive Technology Project offers Organizing
Technology Grants that help grassroots organizations
make the best use of technology. Grants may be used for
needs assessment, planning, purchasing software and
hardware, designing applications, setting up systems,
training and more. GET
INFO
Hot Stuff:
Tell
your local firefighters about the Tums Grant-in-Aid
Program. Fire departments can apply for grants up to
$200,000 for protective clothing, breathing apparatus
and other equipment. GET
INFO | |
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September
6-9 - Ft. Myers, FL
NREDA
Annual Conference: Leadership Thrive or
Survive
September 13-16 - Minneapolis,
MN
2003
NADO Training Conference
September
21-24 - Boston, MS
NTCA
Fall Conference
October 5-7 - Los
Angeles, CA
Sustainable
Energy Expo & Conference
October
8-10 • Seattle, WA
2003
IOC Wireless Symposium
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October
23-24 - Columbus, OH
Economic
Development Marketing &
Attraction
October 27-29 • Baltimore,
MD
Diversity,
Difference & Community
Philanthropy
November 5-7 - Baltimore,
MD
The
Enterprise Foundation 2003 Network
Conference
November 12-21 - San
Antonio, TX
NRECA
Competitive Issues & Strategies
Summit
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The Rural
Developer E-Bulletin is published monthly
for members
of the
National Rural Economic Developers
Association
431 East Locust Street, Suite 300 • Des
Moines, IA 50309
Tele: 515-284-1421 • FAX
515-243-2049
E-mail: director@nreda.org or
staff@nreda.org
www.nreda.org
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