Renew Your Membership:
If you haven't received special notice, now is the time to renew your NREDA membership for 2004. Membership options include corporate memberships of $395 (two members from the same organization) and professional/individual memberships of $270. Renewal notices were issued in early December, so please check your mail for this opportunity. 2004 dues are due by January 16, 2004. Questions? Contact Terry McConnell at staff@nreda.org.

Going Global:
Ninety-five percent of the international marketplace exists outside the United States "If there's one reason your company should be thinking globally, this is it," says Steve Vassallo, CecD and economic development specialist for Johnson & Associates. Vassallo lays out seven strategies for international recruitment in this NREDA Conference report.
FULL STORY>>

Incentive Negotiations:
What do companies want when they look to relocate or expand their facilities and how can your community meet these needs? The answer is corporate incentives. In this report from the NREDA Annual Conference, Brian Corde, director of Location Strategies, spells out the basic do's and don'ts for incentives that will attract companies to your area.
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Non-traditional grants:
For rural developers seeking information on grants and funding, the Appalachian Regional Commission offers one of the most comprehensive online resources found on the Internet. Get the details in this report from the NREDA Annual Conference.
FULL STORY >> .

Catalog of Domestic Assistance:
Looking for a complete resource of federal assistance programs? Find it via the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. The CFDA offers a database of all federal programs available to state and local governments; federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; domestic-public, quasi-public and private profit and non-profit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals.

Finding the Right Foundation:
If foundation funding is what you're after but you don't know where to start, try the Foundation Finder. This no-charge lookup tool from the Foundation Center provides brief facts on private independent, corporate and community foundations and community foundations. For a comprehensive guide to foundation funding that includes tips and suggestions for approaching foundations, visit the Appalachian Regional Commission's online resource center at http://click.exacttarget.com/?fe851076746302747c-fe231576776d027b7d1171.

Guide to Housing Funds:
The Housing Assistance Council recently released "A Guide to Federal Housing and Community Development Programs for Small Towns and Rural Areas" that includes more than 80 federal funding programs ranging from the recent New Markets Tax Credit to many longstanding funding sources. Download the guide from the HAC Web site at http://click.exacttarget.com/?fe9610767463037d75-fe231576776d027b7d1171.

Barriers to Community Building:
How Do I Involve Young Talent?
By Rebecca Ryan, Next Generation Consulting

A key finding of our 2002-2003 focus groups is the more engaged young talent are in their community, the longer they plan to stay. In fact, there's a direct correlation between the talent who say they feel "involved" in their community and those who plan to stay five years, ten years or for life... FULL STORY>>

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

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