RIPPLE Shared Resources

The SOLV Spring Oregon Beach Cleanup

2012-02-02 13:06:13 -0800

Celebrate clean seas with Oregonians from all over the state by cleaning up our beaches on Saturday, March 31. To participate, meet at a registration site near your favorite beach, where volunteer Beach Captains will be stationed with free bags, gloves, and safety information. Online pre-registration will open mid-February.

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Projects Funding in Oregon

2012-02-02 12:56:31 -0800

USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced a new report that outlines a strategy and series of actions for management on 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. As part of the accelerated restoration strategy, $40 million for 20 forest and watershed restoration projects have been announced for the upcoming year. The funding includes ten new projects under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program, continued funding for the original ten projects selected under the CFLR program in 2010, and an additional $4.6 million to support other high priority restoration projects. The following new projects in Oregon are approved for funding in 2012: Southern Blues Restoration Coalition, Oregon - $2,500,000; Lakeview Stewardship Project, Oregon - $3,500,000. The Deschutes Skyline, Collaborative Forest Landscape project in Oregon was approved for funding in 2010 and will continue to receive funding in 2012.

Call for Participants: Rural West Conference

2012-01-31 11:33:12 -0800

Building on the work of the Rural West Initiative, the Bill Lane Center for the American West will hold a conference titled "The Rural West: Toward a Regional Approach to Common Issues." Scholars, journalists, policymakers, and others are invited to propose papers for the conference, which will be held October 12-14, 2012 at the David Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, Utah.

Participants will engage in seminar-style discussions of pre-circulated papers. Following the conference, selected peer-reviewed papers will be published in Rural Connections, a publication of the Western Rural Development Center at Utah State University.

Paper proposals must be submitted by March 15, 2012.

Biofuel Refinery for Boardman

2012-01-30 16:57:18 -0800

Financed in part with a $235 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a biofuel refinery is planned in Boardman capable of producing up to 25 million gallons of ethanol per year. The plant will make cellulosic ethanol which uses wood, switchgrass and agricultural waste instead of food for fuel. It's estimated that the plant will create 65 local jobs and 118 construction jobs.

Ecotech Institute - School for Environmental Training: Electrical, Solar, Wind Programs

2012-01-30 13:46:51 -0800

Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing graduates for careers in the rapidly-growing fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency – with practical, hands-on training designed to meet the demands of cleantech employers.

Accredited by ACICS, Ecotech Institute offers associate’s degrees in Solar Energy Technology, Wind Energy Technology, Energy Efficiency, Environmental Paralegal, Electrical Engineering Technology and more…the environmental jobs of the new green economy.

Our instructors typically work in the energy management and green design fields. Our career programs were designed with input from the employers who will hire graduates for renewable energy jobs.

Representative Whisnant Holds Town Halls

2012-01-25 14:47:58 -0800

Representative Gene Whisnant will hold “Meet & Greet” Town Halls to discuss Oregon’s first “even year” Annual Session with citizens in Redmond, Bend, and Three Rivers/Sunriver area. The town halls will give constituents an opportunity to ask questions and share their concerns ahead of the session.

The Town Hall schedule:
- Three Rivers/Sunriver area on Thursday, January 26, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at the Sunriver Library in the Sunriver Business Park at 56855 Venture Lane, Sunriver (come in side door)
- Bend on Thursday, January 26 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm at Awbrey Glen Golf Club, 2500 NW Awbrey Glen Drive

USDA Now Accepting Applications for the Rural Energy for America Program

2012-01-24 16:28:10 -0800

The USDA is now accepting applications for the Rural Energy for America Program, which provides assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to complete a variety of projects, including renewable energy systems, energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy development, energy audits, and feasibility studies.

For 2012, USDA has about $25.4 million in budget authority available to fund REAP activities, which will support $12.5 million in grants and about $48.5 million in guaranteed loan program awards.

Applications for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvement grants, as well as combination grant and guaranteed loan applications, are due by March 30. So are feasibility study applications for renewable energy systems.

Applications for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvement guaranteed loans will be accepted through June 29. Applications for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance are due by February 21.

Sanctuary One at Double Oak farm

2012-01-12 09:09:31 -0800

Care farming (also known as green care, farm care, or farming for health), is well established in Europe, but is a relatively new concept in the United States.

In The Netherlands alone there are more than 1,000 established care farms. Great Britain has hundreds, and there are dozens more in Ireland, Norway, Germany, and Italy.

In the United States, there’s just one – so far. The folks at Sanctuary One at Double Oak Farm, a 55-acre slice of heaven in southwestern Jackson County along the Applegate River, are working toward the day when care farms are as commonplace in the U.S. as they are overseas.

Every care farm is different, depending on local community needs. Some focus on healing people, some focus on organic farming, others focus on rescuing animals. The Sanctuary is unique because we combine all three. Our motto is — People, animals, and the earth: better together.

Sanctuary One helps people of all ages experience nature's power to heal by volunteering on a real working farm; we provide educational tours that open people's hearts and minds; we invite schools and youth-serving nonprofit groups to visit the farm for some fresh air, exercise, and hands-on service-learning; we help teenagers who are in legal trouble learn how to make better choices; we mentor interns who want to become the next generation of care farmers; we promote the ethics of sustainable living; and we provide a safe, loving home to rescued farm animals and house pets.

For more information or to schedule a farm tour to see for yourself how care farming can help revitalize Oregon's -- and the nation's -- rural economies, please visit our website.

A Look at Oregon's 2011 Tech Stories

2012-01-05 14:48:56 -0800

A recent article in the Oregonian takes a look at the year in Oregon technology. Oregon technology spent the year on an upswing, rebounding from four years of steep job losses. Intel added employees, Oregon's old-line tech companies boosted sales, and the state's entrepreneurs attracted more investment than in any year since the dot-com era. And yet Oregon tech employment remains 6 percent below where it was at the end of 2006. For all the upbeat headlines, the rebound is still in its early, fragile state. Read this article in its entirety: http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2011/12/silicon_forest_2011_year_in_re.html

The Value of Oregon's Farmland More Than Just Economic

2012-01-05 14:24:39 -0800

Farming's direct economic impact in Oregon adds up to 10 percent of the state's sales, 12 percent of jobs and 7 percent of its value-added activity, according to a new report by the state Department of Agriculture. But dollar signs don't tell the full value of the 16 million acres devoted to farming and ranching in Oregon. It is also believed that farmland provides ecological and even social benefits as well. Read the report in its entirety in the Oregonian.

The Future of Oregon's Financial Dependence on Federal Forest Policy

2011-12-22 15:44:06 -0800

An article in the Oregonian takes a look at the impact of the loss of federal funding intended to replace decades of timber harvest revenue in Curry County, Oregon. Without timber payments, the county's expenses will exceed general fund revenue by more than $350,000 in 2012-13. The deficit is projected to grow to more than $3 million the next year, and the county may cease to function. Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Sign up for the Powered by Rural Newsletter

2011-12-16 13:34:50 -0800

Sign up for the newsletter for Powered by Rural, the largest campaign for rural awareness and civic engagement in the Pacific Northwest! Powered by Rural is shining the light on rural by highlighting rural issues, identifying rural solutions and sharing resources to help communities thrive. Click here to sign up for the newsletter, or text POWEREDBYRURAL to 22828 to get started (note: message and data rates may apply).

Small Town Creates Its Own Department Store

2011-12-02 14:08:56 -0800

Several years ago, residents of Saranac Lake, New York, a picturesque town in the Adirondacks, lost their local department store. The closest store for buying basics like bed linens was 50 miles away. When a major retailer planned to build a supercenter to replace the store that closed, the town came together and decided to raise money and build their own department store instead.

It took five years, but the Saranac Lake Community Store opened its doors in October. This is the first community-owned store in New York and was modeled after the Powell Mercantile in Powell, Wyoming. The store is off to a strong start, but even if it doesn't succeed, its existence could set an example for other disenfranchised communities and perhaps prompt shoppers and residents to think about where their dollars go.

Read the New York Times article, A Town Creates Its Own Department Store: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/business/a-town-in-new-york-creates-its-own-department-store.html

Lake County Community Website - Survey

2011-12-01 09:30:20 -0800

The Lake County Community Website is still just a dream, but with enough support we could soon make it a reality.

The Lake County Chamber of Commerce and Ford Family Vitality volunteers need your help. Please share your interest in a Lake County Community Website through an online survey using the link provided.

A Community Website is an exciting concept. It can connect residents and tourists alike with our unique community while helping us capitalize on our strengths.

What would a Community Website do?

Host a constantly updated community calendar Keep residents and tourists alike informed on our County's happenings Empower residents, businesses, non-profits and government agencies to connect with customers, residents and tourists

www.surveymonkey/s/LCcommunitywebsite

Activate Oregon! 2012 State Retreat

2011-11-28 15:26:06 -0800

Activate Oregon! 2012 State Retreat will be held March 28-March 30, 2012, and is a how-to training conference, set within the forests of the beautiful Oregon 4-H Center ten miles from Salem, Oregon.

Activate Oregon's 2012 conference is about filling your "tool-box" of skills and knowledge, practicing what you learn, and making a commitment to a better Oregon. Interactive class sessions, engaging instructors, and entertaining activities will inspire your passion for making a better Oregon for today and tomorrow. Meet engaged, active, and involved young people and adults from all over Oregon, from varying organizations, all with a passion for making a difference.

Registration deadline is Friday, March 16, 5pm. Pre-registration is required. Visit http://oregon.4h.oregonstate.edu/activate-oregon for more details and to register.

8th Annual Nonprofit Organization Board Training

2011-11-23 16:03:39 -0800

Financial Stewardship Resources' 8th Annual Nonprofit Organization Board Training will be held Saturday, January 21, 2012 at the OSU LaSells Stewart Center in Corvallis, Oregon. This annual event features a host of popular instructors presenting more than 25 timely workshops. The keynote presentation, "The Never Ending Nonprofit Story," will be given by Cynthia Cumfer. Visit Financial Stewardship Resources' web site for more details and to register: http://financialsteward.org/

First the Banks, Then the Food Companies

2011-11-21 12:54:24 -0800

Jennifer Wilkins, the community coordinator and instructor for the Cornell University Dietetic Internship Program, takes a look at America's food system in a recent column in the Albany Times Union.

Multinational corporations control ever larger chunks of the food system, from agricultural inputs clear through to processing, distribution, and retailing. Four companies control nearly half of the world's seed market, three companies process more than 70 percent of all the beef Americans eat, four companies control 90 percent of global grain trade, and while the supermarket aisles present an illusion of vast choice of products, a small number of companies were involved in their manufacture. The food system may be too big to fail, but it is failing the public's health.

You can read the column, First the banks, then the food companies, in its entirety in the Times Union.

100% Pure New Zealand Global Study Tour

2011-11-18 14:21:42 -0800

The 100% Pure New Zealand Global Study Tour for sustainable travel professionals will be held February 5-11, 2012. Join Restoration Expeditions for a study tour of a lifetime for an active, hands-on study tour designed for travel professionals and policy makers, tourism-oriented businesses, and community economic developers, especially from rural areas, who are looking for new ways to improve their destinations and strengthen their businesses.

Maximum number of participants is ten. To reserve a space, contact Kristin Dahl, owner/operator, Restoration Expeditions at Kristin@RestorationExpeditions.com or 503-784-1072. See the attached file for more information.

Wind Blows Money Into Pockets of Sherman County Residents

2011-11-17 17:48:05 -0800

A recent news article, Wind Blows Money Into Pockets of Sherman County Residents, takes a look at the economic difference wind energy has made in Sherman County. This is the third consecutive year that checks will go out for Sherman County's residents' share of annual wind-energy revenues. Roughly 550 wind turbines have brought dramatic changes to the county. Twelve wind farms are now on line, producing 1,000 megawatts of alternative energy and providing the county government with $9 million annual revenues. The county also gives Wasco, Moro, Rufus and Grass Valley annual checks, and under the county's agreement with the wind companies, the payments will continue until 2025. There have been some bumps along the way, but wind power has made a difference. The county's per capita income was Oregon's second highest behind only Clackamas County in 2009, and they were last in per capita income among Oregon counties as late as 2004. You can read the article in its entirety on OregonLive.com

Daring to Lead 2011 Key Findings

2011-11-17 13:12:16 -0800

Daring to Lead 2011, A National Study of Nonprofit Executive Leadership, is a joint project of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and the Meyer Foundation. More than 3,000 executive directors participated in Daring to Lead 2011, the third Daring to Lead national study, with previous studies published in 2001 and 2006. See the attached file for an in-depth look at key findings and calls to action.

Key Finding 1:
Though slowed by the recession, projected rates of executive turnover remain high and many boards of directors are under-prepared to select and support new leaders.

Key Finding 2:
The Recession has amplified the chronic financial instability of many organizations, causing heightened anxiety and increased frustration with unsustainable financial models.

Key Finding 3:
Despite the profound challenges of the role, nonprofit executives remain energized and resolved.

Community Capacity and Land Stewardship Grant Program

2011-11-09 17:23:55 -0800

The National Forest Foundation is pleased to announce the first round of the 2012 Community Capacity and Land Stewardship Grant program for Oregon and Washington. The program provides grants of $5,000 to $24,000 to enable community-based organizations and collaborative groups to build their capacity to facilitate and/or implement watershed or landscape-level restoration. Ancillary goals of the program are to build capacity to help meet other objectives associated with the creation of family wage jobs that contribute to the economic sustainability of communities. Proposals are due on or before December 13, 2011 and must be received hard-copy.

Gorge Nonprofit Day 2011

2011-10-31 12:58:59 -0700

The Gorge Nonprofit Day 2011 will be held November 2 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Water's Edge in The Dalles, Oregon and is a day of training opportunities, speakers and networking. Training tracks include: Grants and Fundraising, Board Development and Engaging the Public.

Oregon Arts Leadership Exchange

2011-10-20 21:58:45 -0700

The Oregon Arts Leadership Exchange, a program of the Oregon Arts Commission, facilitated by Rural Development Initiatives, is an opportunity to build your organization's capacity and form close, lasting connections with similar art organizations - for free, in your own backyard.

The goal of the Leadership Exchange is to bring together staff and board members of art organizations at a regional level for peer-sharing and exchange to create lasting resource networks of fellow arts leaders. Each of the four day-long sessions will look at a particular topic in depth, including Non-profit Governance, Financial Management and Strategic Budgeting, Evaluating Programs and Operations, and Leadership Succession.

Four day-long sessions will be held between November and April. Cohorts are forming in The Central Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, Central Oregon, and Eastern Oregon.

NOTE: Extended application deadline is October 28, 2011.

For questions or registration help, contact Laurel MacMillan at Laurel@LaurelMacMillan.com or (503) 803-8260.

Links to online applications:
Willamette Valley: http://oale.wufoo.com/forms/oale-willamette-valley/
Southern Oregon: http://oale.wufoo.com/forms/oale-southern-oregon/
Central Oregon: http://oale.wufoo.com/forms/oale-central-oregon/
Eastern Oregon: http://oale.wufoo.com/forms/oale-eastern-oregon/

Food Safety for Local Growers

2011-10-17 13:53:24 -0700

Save the date for Food Safety for Local Growers: Understanding the Top Restaurant and Customer Requirements, which will be held on November 9, 2011 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Ecotrust Event Center, 721 NW Ninth Ave, Suite 200 in Portland, Oregon.

The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and Danaco Solutions, LLC developed a one-day program uniquely-tailored to help local growers explore the challenges of implementing a company food safety plan, meet the requirements of various customers, and above all, protect their business and bottom line. Food Alliance will be on hand to answer questions regarding sustainability certification.

Through hands-on demonstrations and discussions with experts, you will leave with the tools you need to build your own customized food safety program, based upon your specific business model.

Call to reserve a spot. (831) 206-7306 Seats are limited.

Community Infrastructure Work Sheet & Check List

2011-10-05 17:57:19 -0700

The Community Work Sheet and Check List was designed by Koch Consulting and Engenium Consulting to help community leaders identify the problem, all of the options and best possible solution for infrastructure issues. It is not designed to lead you to any one solution but assist the community to arrive at a solution that solves the problem and serves the community. This is a tool to assist the community and its leaders.

Oregon Days of Culture 2011

2011-09-30 15:00:13 -0700

Presented by the Oregon Cultural Trust, Oregon Days of Culture celebrates the vibrancy of the arts, heritage, and humanities in Oregon. This year, the eight-day festival, which takes place October 1-8, 2011, will feature more than 500 events across the state; an online photo contest whose winners will receive great cameras, cash prizes, and matching donations to the cultural nonprofit of their choice; and the launch of an animated video to raise awareness about Oregon’s unique and powerful cultural tax credit.

The eight-day week showcases everyday culture in every Oregon community. Whether it’s taking in a quilt display at the farmer’s market, reading the latest bestseller at the library, imagining pioneer life at a historic cemetery or listening to opera in a bar, the searchable, interactive website – www.oregondaysofculture.org – makes it easy to participate.

Coworking May Help Build Sustainable Rural Economies

2011-09-22 14:14:57 -0700

In a new model for "the office," diverse groups, local business people, and drop-in workers share space, wifi and expertise. Coworking refers to a shared work environment and a set of community and cultural values that guide the development and operation of office space: facilities where freelancers, entrepreneurs, telecommuters, and drop-ins work side-by-side. The benefits of a coworking space come from allowing independent and startup ventures to bypass rote logistical obstacles, like obtaining office or workshop space, and from valuing a free-form collaborative environment for sharing resources, expertise, and ideas.

To date, coworking has been predominantly an urban phenomenon, but many smaller communities are finding that the model suits rural settings equally well. Coworking supports and cultivates diverse, collaborative small enterprises, a class of economic activity that's essential to building sustainable rural economies.

Rural Children and Teens Can Have No-Cost or Low-Cost Health Coverage

2011-09-22 10:48:32 -0700

Healthy Kids offers no-cost and low-cost health coverage for uninsured Oregon children and teens from ages 0-18, providing them with all the care they need, including preventive care such as regular check-ups, vision and dental care, prescriptions and more. Depending on income, working famlies may pay a portion of the monthly premium, but no family earns too much to qualify.

Oregon families with uninsured children can apply for Healthy Kids today by calling 1-877-314-5678 or by visiting www.OregonHealthyKids.gov.

RDI Is Seeking a Finance Director

2011-09-21 13:42:51 -0700

Rural Development Initiatives is looking for a Finance Director to join their team. This position is responsible for maintaining and strategically improving the financial systems necessary to support the organization’s overall operations. This position ensures timely financial performance information, preparation of GAAP financials for audit, and compliance with all regulatory authorities. This position also maintains appropriate internal controls; analyzes and evaluates the organization’s fiscal position; and conducts short/long term financial planning to align resources with strategic plan goals.

The Finance Director will work out of RDI's main office in Eugene. The deadline to apply is September 27, 2011 at 5:00 pm.

Visit the RDI web site for more information: http://www.rdiinc.org/news

3rd Annual Great Willamette Clean Up

2011-09-21 13:07:35 -0700

Saturday, October 8, 2011, Chehalem Paddle Launch will join Willamette Riverkeeper to host the 3rd Annual Great Willamette Clean Up.

Take part in this 187-mile effort to clean up the Willamette: A river that is essential to life in Oregon. Bring your kids, family and friends. Earn enough river karma to last a year! Meet other river-loving enthusiasts, have fun, and get an awesome, FREE event T-shirt.

Clean Up takes place on-water (by kayak, canoe or SUP) and on-land (by bicycle and foot).

There are 16 different site locations throughout Oregon, including the new Chehalem Paddle Launch.

Each location has specific recreational modes used – so make sure you sign up for the right one you are looking for.

We have 22 free seats in canoes and kayaks! PFD’s will be provided.

Reservations may fill quickly though so sign up today!

BYOB = BRING YOUR OWN BOAT!

White House Proposes Limits on Write-Offs for Charitable Contributions

2011-09-21 10:54:30 -0700

The White House says its proposal to limit the write-offs that wealthy people could claim for their charitable deductions would ultimately help nonprofits, even as opponents say the proposal would essentially amount to a “tax on soup kitchens.”

President Obama made the proposal as part of his job-creation plan, saying he would pay for the legislation by reducing the value of all itemized deductions, including housing and charitable gifts.

But the White House has faced strong criticism from nonprofits that say changes to the charitable deduction would punish charities that are providing crucial services to those in need.

Read the entire article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy: http://philanthropy.com/blogs/government-and-politics/white-house-and-gop-trade-charges-on-charity-write-offs/29171?sid=pt&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=en

Solar Now! University

2011-09-20 11:20:15 -0700

Solar Now! University is a small conference that will provide community solar champions the technical education and background needed to manage and coordinate solar educational and outreach programs in their communities.

This year's conference will take place in Roseburg on September 22nd-24th; bringing together representatives from western and southern Oregon to learn from experts in the field of solar energy. While this event is open to the public, attendees are encouraged to have strong ties to their local municipalities and existing outreach networks. Previous renewable or solar energy experience and/or ties to local public institutions is encouraged.

2011 Oregon Civic Engagement Conference

2011-09-15 16:39:49 -0700

Held in Salem, on November 3-5, at the Salem Conference Center, this event will bring together over 400 Oregonians devoted to civic engagement in Oregon. Members from many sectors - local communities, education, business, philanthropy, government, nonprofits, service organizations - will have an opportunity to attend multiple sessions supporting this year's theme, Authentic Community Engagement: Transforming and Inspiring Oregon Communities.

2011 Oregon Summit on Entrepreneurship

2011-09-15 11:43:19 -0700

Oregon Microenterprise Network (OMEN) will be hosting the 13th annual Oregon Summit on Entrepreneurship, October 12-13, 2011, at the Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon. The summit will provide training from industry leaders, and opportunities for networking and exploring strategies for future development and partnership for Oregon’s most innovative microenterprise and entrepreneurship organizations. This year's keynote speaker is Kim Pate, Vice President for External Relations at CFED.

Associate Director of the Ford Institute for Community Building

2011-09-07 10:56:03 -0700

The Ford Institute for Community Building ("Institute") is actively seeking a dynamic, seasoned leader to round out the Ford Institute team and assume the Associate Director position. The Associate Director of the Ford Institute for Community Building at The Ford Family Foundation reports to the Director of the Institute. The Associate Director is responsible for operational oversight of the Institute, design and evaluation of programs, contractor relationships, engagement with Institute communities and leaders, and supervision of Institute support staff.

The Associate Director is located at the Foundation's headquarters office in Roseburg.

Core Requirements include:
-Bachelor's degree required (graduate degree in relevant subject preferred)
-Experience with rural community leadership development, organizational development and operations management
-High level of competency in program evaluation and budgets
-Excellent interpersonal, leadership and presentation skills

The selected candidate will reside in (or be willing to relocate to) Douglas County.

Applications are due by 5:00pm on Sunday, September 18, 2011.

Link to full job description: http://www.tfff.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=0wnz14mNXTQ%3d&tabid=110

The SOLV Beach and Riverside Cleanup

2011-08-31 12:18:37 -0700

The SOLV Beach and Riverside Cleanup Presented by the Oregon Lottery will take place on September 17, 2011. Volunteer for the SOLV Beach and Riverside Cleanup to pick up trash and enhance watershed health at over 100 sites across Oregon before the fall rains wash litter downhill into storm drains, waterways, and out to sea. By preventing trash from reaching the ocean, you are sending a gift of clean water, healthy people, and abundant wildlife downstream.

On September 17, Oregonians will join thousands of volunteers in all 50 states and over 100 countries to clean up our waterways for trash free seas as part of the International Coastal Cleanup. Last fall, 615,507 volunteers kept over 8 million pounds of trash from reaching waterways as part of the International Coastal Cleanup which included 7,000 volunteers in Oregon.

Oregon Humanities 2012 Grant Opportunities

2011-08-31 11:02:08 -0700

Oregon Humanities is pleased to announce the guidelines for 2012 Public Program Grants and Responsive Program Grants. We are particularly interested in proposals for programs that bring together diverse groups of Oregonians and reflect collaboration between organizations within a community, as well as proposals from a broad range of nonprofit organizations in Oregon, including those that may not traditionally define their work as being based exclusively in the humanities.

Last year, Oregon Humanities Public Program Grants funded conversations between different faith communities about social justice, brought together three generations of women to talk about a century of voting, and invited Oregonians at large to reflect on Islam in America. Responsive Program Grants funded public programs about cultural diversity in Portland, political conflict in North Korea, shifting downtown development challenges, and the effect of a decade of war on American soldiers’ families and homes.

2012 Public Program Grants between $1,000 and $10,000 support humanities-based public programming beginning after April 1, 2012. Letter of Interest postmark deadline: October 31, 2011.

2012 Responsive Program Grants up to $1,000 support humanities-based public programming developed in response to pressing, current issues or events. Programs must begin after November 1, 2011. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis.

Please join Oregon Humanities grants staff for a webinar on writing strong letters of interest for Public Program Grants. Attending this webinar is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged. The webinar will take place on Thursday, September 22, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Register today by following this link:

https://oregonhumanities.webex.com/oregonhumanities/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=663498378

Grant guidelines are available at oregonhumanities.org.

If you have questions or would like to discuss a proposal idea, please contact Program Coordinator Annie Kaffen at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 116, or a.kaffen@oregonhumanities.org.

Oregon Humanities 2012 Grant Opportunities

2011-08-31 10:59:44 -0700

2012 Public Program Grants between $1,000 and $10,000 support humanities-based public programming beginning after April 1, 2012. Letter of Interest postmark deadline: October 31, 2011.

https://oregonhumanities.webex.com/oregonhumanities/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=663498378

Grant guidelines are available at oregonhumanities.org.

If you have questions or would like to discuss a proposal idea, please contact Program Coordinator Annie Kaffen at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 116, or a.kaffen@oregonhumanities.org.

Hispanic Heritage Month Breakfast 2011

2011-08-31 09:00:11 -0700

The Hispanic Heritage Month Breakfast is Oregon's official kick-off for Hispanic Heritage Month. The event will bring together some of the most influential Hispanic leaders, business owners and community members from throughout Oregon. Representatives from the private sector, public institutions, non-profits and public elected officials/candidates will be gathering in Salem. This year's keynote speaker is Consuelo Castillo-Kickbusch. The event will be held on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at the Salem Conference Center in Salem, Oregon.

2011 Annual OEDA Conference

2011-08-30 21:19:32 -0700

The 2011 Oregon Economic Development Association Conference will held September 26-27, 2011 at The Hallmark Resort in Newport, Oregon. Join Oregon's top business and economic development organizations and agencies for two days of education and entertainment. Registration is now open.

Conference activities include the 2011 Excellence in Economic Development Awards. The categories for awards are: Business Development Success Story, Economic Development and Marketing Promotions Award, Outstanding Collaborative Partnership Award, and Economic Developer of the Year. Nominations deadline is August 31, 2011.

Pasos al Éxito

2011-08-22 14:52:12 -0700

Pasos al Éxito (PAE) is Rural Development Initiatives' two-year, tiered, microenterprise development program that supports building the economic development capacity of rural Latino community participants in three ways: training in basic personal and business finance, instruction in starting a small microenterprise business, and access to mentorship, support, and resources as they take their first steps toward success.

This Spanish language microenterprise development program is designed to serve five rural communities simultaneously over a two-year period and will be delivered in partnership with local Latino-based community organizations and statewide and regional resource providers.

Host a free conversation in your community!

2011-08-19 14:01:00 -0700

Are you a nonprofit in Oregon?

Are you curious about new ideas and fostering an informed, engaged Oregon?

Are you looking for a low-cost way to offer educational and interactive public programming as part of your organization’s work?

If so, check out the NEW 2011–12 Conversation Project online catalog of programs from Oregon Humanities!

What is the Conversation Project?

The Conversation Project provides an easy and accessible way for your nonprofit organization to engage community members in humanities-based, educational programs about provocative issues and ideas. Conversation Project programs are not free-form discussions or town hall-style debates—they are structured opportunities to bring people together to learn from an expert, to share ideas, and to understand differing perspectives on a given subject. Conversations are free to host, last between sixty and ninety minutes, and are led by humanities experts who have undergone training in facilitating public dialogue.

In the first two years of the program, more than 100 nonprofits across the state hosted more than 160 Conversation Project programs as stand-alone events, parts of a series, and supplements to their regular programming.

What kinds of conversations can my organization host?

For the 2011–12 season of the Conversation Project (Nov. 1, 2011 through Oct. 31, 2012), our programs feature twenty-five of Oregon’s most respected humanities experts who are ready to travel statewide and lead conversations on topics ranging from censorship in literature, to the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, to Black history in Oregon, to science and democracy. We have programs that explore Native American art in Oregon, the act of reading in the digital age, and gender and pop music, as well as discussions that reflect on domestic and civic lives, hip hop and jazz cultures, and returning veterans’ experiences of life after war.

The 2011–12 Conversation Project online catalog features twenty-six individual discussion programs and ten themed program series, including four programs available in either English or Spanish. Conversation Project program series are a great way for your organization—either individually or in collaboration with other nonprofits—to more deeply explore a given subject area while also creating multiple opportunities for participants to engage with your organization. You might consider co-sponsoring a themed series in partnership with another organization in your community or county in order to generate a more diverse audience and introduce new community members to your respective organizations.

What is the fine print?

Any nonprofit in Oregon is eligible to host Conversation Project programs, which must be open and widely advertised to the general public. There is no fee to host a Conversation Project program: Oregon Humanities funds conversation leaders’ honoraria, mileage, and meals. Nonprofit hosts manage program logistics (i.e. space, A/V, advertising) and cover lodging expenses in cases when conversation leaders travel long distances.

Apply now!

To see the full catalog of available Conversation Project programs and detailed instructions about how to apply, as well as to download an application, please visit oregonhumanities.org.

For questions or more information, please contact Program Coordinator Annie Kaffen by phone at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 116 or via email at a.kaffen@oregonhumanities.org.

Powered by Rural

2011-08-11 17:12:43 -0700

The Powered by Rural campaign, led by Rural Development Initiatives, is designed to increase awareness of rural issues and opportunities, strengthen rural communities by giving a voice to rural people, and motivate rural people to take action and be the change they want to see in their communities.

The Powered by Rural challenge to you:
Do one thing to help improve your community!
Share what you did on Powered by Rural's fan page!
Challenge two more people to do the same!

Rural Communities Explorer

2011-08-11 16:54:04 -0700

The Rural Communities Explorer provides public, online access to social, demographic, economic, and environmental information about Oregon's and Siskiyou County, California's rural counties and places. It is a public, unbiased information system and teaching tool for rural leaders, engaged residents, program practitioners, and foundations.

Use the Communities Reporter to get a sense of the makeup of the communities in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California with statistics compiled by faculty from Oregon State University's Rural Studies Program.

The Communities Reporter links the 723 places and 36 counties in Oregon and the 35 places in Siskiyou County, California to data gathered at the place, census tract, and county levels by various agencies and institutions.

College of the Siskiyous

2011-08-05 14:23:27 -0700

College of the Siskiyous is part of the California Community College system. COS is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The University of California, the California State Universities, and other accredited colleges and universities give full credit for equivalent and transferable courses satisfactorily completed at College of the Siskiyous. COS is based on a semester basis, with one six-week summer session. Main Campus Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 am to 3 pm.

Community Health Plan of the Siskiyous

2011-08-04 17:00:29 -0700

CHPS is a locally-governed, not-for-profit organization with a mission to bring affordable health benefits to local business owners and their employees. CHPS, a taxable nonprofit corporation, operates a preferred provider network and provides plan administration and medical management services. KHSI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and CHPS' sole corporate member, provides administrative and other support to health-related initiatives that benefit the people of Siskiyou County.

2011 Nonprofit Leaders BootCamp

2011-07-28 23:17:32 -0700

Institute for Nonprofit Management 2011 Nonprofit Leaders BootCamp, Trail-blazing the New Normal, will take place September 14-17 at Portland State University.

This year’s BootCamp focuses on deploying the skills and energy we have available, both in ourselves and in others to meet evolving challenges. We will emphasize strategy development, partnerships and leveraging resources. Plus, you’ll develop a short-term plan of action, have an opportunity to work with your board, and have access to ongoing peer support and expert coaching.
Topics include:
Leading your mission
Leveraging and building sustainable budgets
How to get the most from your board
Evaluating success
Peer problem solving and sharing resources
Re-inventing revenue streams
Building community
Entrepreneurial models
And much, much more

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Grant Opportunities

2011-07-28 22:57:20 -0700

The Heritage Programs Divisions of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is making grants available in four programs:
Historic Cemetery Grants
Oregon Heritage Grants
Museum Grants
Preserving Oregon Grants

For complete information and applications visit www.oregonheritage.org and click on “Grants.” For additional information, contact Kuri Gill at (503) 986-0685 orkuri.gill@state.or.us

Save the Date for Rebuilding the Path of Opportunity: An Oregon Asset Builders’ Conference

2011-07-28 16:05:01 -0700

CASA of Oregon, Neighborhood Partnerships and NeighborWorks Umpqua are hosting an Asset Building Conference on November 9 and 10 at the Oregon Garden in Silverton. The conference is geared towards all types of asset building professionals, including housing counselors, financial education coaches, IDA specialists, Family Self Sufficiency Coordinators, micro-lenders, banking and credit union partners, legislators, and other professionals dedicated to helping low income Oregonians increase their financial stability through wealth creation. Early Bird registration – for just $90 a person – opens on Monday. We hope you will be able to join us at the Garden! Stay tuned for more information.

We’re also looking for breakout session presenters. Are you working to help people build their assets in new ways? Are you adopting new strategies to help IDA savers be successful in your program? Have you found innovative ways to reach diverse communities? Do you have other exciting, innovative ideas to share about asset building? If so, you are encouraged to contact Joy Hunt to talk over presentation ideas. We are offering discounted registration for breakout session presenters, and would love to hear from you!

Travel Oregon Matching Grants Program

2011-07-28 15:36:31 -0700

For those interested in participating in the 2011-12 Travel Oregon Matching Grants Program, the deadline to submit an Idea Worksheet is Wednesday, August 10. The Idea Worksheet must be submitted in order to apply for grant funds. The grant program is part of Travel Oregon's tourism development mission to assist Oregon communities and organizations in the creation, enhancement and implementation of quality tourism plans and products.

Cities, counties, port districts, federally recognized Tribes and non-profit entities located in Oregon and involved with tourism promotion and development are eligible for grants from the Matching Grants Program. Applicants must equally match the amount of the awarded grant; up to 50% of the match may be in-kind. Each applicant may request a minimum of $1,000 and up to $10,000 in grant funds with a limit of one grant project request per cycle. The deadline for submitting the application online is August 22, 2011.

To find out more about the 2011-12 Oregon Tourism Commission's Matching Grants Program, visit the Travel Oregon website.

Champions of Change

2011-07-20 21:25:47 -0700

President Obama has challenged us all to help win the future by out-educating, out-innovating, and out-building our competitors in the 21st century.

Know someone who is doing extraordinary things to make a difference in your community? Nominate them to be a Champion of Change. We’ll consider your nominations as we feature people who are bringing about change in their communities on the White House website to share their ideas on how to win the future.

Butte Valley Children & Families Community Team

2011-07-20 10:35:00 -0700

The Butte Valley Children & Families Community Team's mission: Strengthening Siskiyou County's commitment to children and families. Improving the quality, availability and integration of resources for children and families to realize their fullest potential. Ensuring every child in Siskiyou County enters school, healthy and ready to learn. Promoting Siskiyou County as a safe, friendly, nurturing environment for children and families. Alternate mailing addresses: Dave Jones Mt. Valley Health Ctr, P.O. Box 277, Bieber 96009 djones@mtnvalleyhc.org; Nikki Kinion bbspoiler@cot.net; Joan Laustalet Tulelake Community Partnership, P.O. Box 842, Tulelake 96134 tnat@cot.net

Ben B. Cheney Foundation

2011-07-20 10:09:46 -0700

The Foundation makes grants in communities where the Cheney Lumber Company was active. The Foundation's goal is to improve the quality of life in those communities by making grants to a wide range of activities. The Ben B. Cheney Foundation was established in the State of Washington in 1955, and was funded by gifts from the estates of Ben B. Cheney and Marian Cheney Olrogg.

Main Street Revitalization Grant

2011-07-14 08:52:20 -0700

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for HUD’s Fiscal Year 2011 HOPE VI Main Street Grants

HUD announces the availability on its Web site http://www.Grants.gov of the applicant information, submission deadlines, funding criteria, and other requirements for HUD’s FY2011 HOPE VI Main Street Grants NOFA. Specifically, this NOFA announces the availability of approximately $500,000 made available under the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, Public Law 112–10, approved April 15, 2011.

The purpose of the Main Street Grants program is to provide grants to small communities to assist in the rejuvenation of an historic or traditional central business district or ‘‘Main Street’’ area by replacing unused commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units.

Deadline: August 22, 2011

Choices for Children - Broadway New to You

2011-07-11 16:09:02 -0700

Broadway New to You thrift store is a community organization run by the community for the community run by volunteers. All proceeds supports Choices for Children and Yreka Family Resource Center.

All types of donations are accepted and especially useable furniture and housewares.

10 to 5, Monday through Friday.

Volunteers are appreciated.

Siskiyou County Department of Agriculture - Annual Crop & Livestock Report

2011-07-11 15:19:56 -0700

The annual crop report is required by the Food and Agricultural Code Section 2279 for the purpose of publishing an accurate and meaningful report on the state of the agricultural conditions in Siskiyou County. Every year, between 350 and 400 copies of the county's crop report are requested by a variety of businesses. Lending and financial institutions are very interested in the crop report.

Butte Valley - Tulelake Rural Health Projects, Inc.

2011-07-11 14:48:40 -0700

Insurance is welcome or sliding scale. No one is turned down because of an inability to pay. We are a Non-Profit Charitable Organization. We are here for your benefit. We hope you'll be pleased with our new, more convenient hours. We are open during lunch hours; walk-ins and new patients are welcome! We have the only dentist in 1,000 square miles. We provide dental core services including cleaning, fillings, x-rays, and extractions (please call for an appointment).

Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 5:30 pm; Friday 8 am to 5 pm.

2011 Community Capitals Institute

2011-07-11 14:17:15 -0700

2011 Community Capitals Institute: Community Capitals and Measurement; Evaluating System Change and Sustainability. Held in Conjunction with the World Food Prize.

Are you currently using the Community Capitals Framework in your work? If so, the Heartland Center for Leadership Development would like to learn about your approach and methods. This year's Community Capitals Framework (CCF) Institute will feature several sessions on data collection, coding and analysis using the CCF in addition to small group sessions created by participants' work.

The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is particularly interested in how the Community Capitals Framework is being using to understand the impact of community change work, leadership development, climate change, sustainability and community readiness and resiliency. They are also interested in strategies to engage communities and organizations using the Community Capitals Framework. Finally, they want to bring great minds together to discuss strategies for collecting and analyzing data that can help them better understand successful community and system-level change using the CCF.

If you are interested in participating in the program, please send an abstract of your work (of up to 500 words) along with keywords to Mary Emery by August 15, 2011.

Barn Dance Fundraiser

2011-07-08 13:17:25 -0700

On Saturday, July 16th Oregon Rural Action is hosting an inaugural summer Barn Dance, with folk-punk tunes by the Dirtface Daredevils, old-time mountain music by Homemade Jam, and "Americana Deluxe" music by James Dean Kindle and the Eastern Oregon Playboys.

The event will feature a chili feed, live dessert auction, and three area bands. Beer from Mt Emily Ale House as well as a variety of wines will also be available to purchase. Tickets are $15 per person and include food and non-alcoholic beverages. They can be purchased at several local businesses in La Grande as well as by calling Oregon Rural Action at 541-975-2411 or emailing info@oregonrural.org. The dance starts at 7pm and will continue to 10pm just outside La Grande near the base of Mt Emily. Directions to the barn dance are available by contacting Oregon Rural Action. Proceeds from the event go to support Oregon Rural Action's work to build strong rural communities, support local agriculture, and promote small-scale renewable energy. More information can be found online at http://oregonrural.org.

Butte Valley Chamber of Commerce

2011-07-07 11:34:53 -0700

Butte Valley Chamber of Commerce provides business and community information to the public via the Chamber website. The Butte Valley Chamber of Commerce is the only organization consistently and exclusively engaged in promoting the civic and economic development of the community. Information is available to anyone from the Chamber. Membership is open to businesses in the Butte Valley area.

Siskiyou County Economic Development Council

2011-07-07 11:23:20 -0700

Individual and group counseling for business and industry in marketing, finance, accounting, and general management is available. SCEDC organizes at least one seminar per month to help Siskiyou County's businesses and citizens explore economic options. Grant Writers meet for a Brown Bag lunch to network and learn of grant opportunities. Other groups are forming to meet their specific needs...call for more information or to discuss your specific economic requirements. Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

USDA Rural Development's Rural Business Opportunity Grants

2011-07-05 09:45:27 -0700

On July 1, 2011, USDA Rural Development issued a national notice soliciting Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) applications. You can view the RBOG notice here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-07-01/pdf/2011-16555.pdf

The RBOG program supports strategic economic development planning and capacity building activities with grants of up to $50,000 for projects working within a single state and up to $150,000 for projects that involve more than one state. Nonprofits, public bodies, tribes, and coops are eligible for the RBOG grant.

With only a very small nationwide RBOG pool to be awarded (about $1.5 million to general applicants and $990,000 to Native American applicants), this is a HIGHLY COMPETITVE grant program. Last year only 6% of all applications submitted were successful.

The deadline for applications is August 1, 2011.

Applications with the following features will be most competitive:

- Projects with a regional approach – i.e., the project area is multi-jurisdictional. Projects involving a single community are unlikely to be successful with this program.

- Strong match. Preferably, the RBOG grant will provide less than 50% of the project’s budget needs and ideally less than 20%.

- Projects driven by one of RD’s five key rural development strategies – local/regional food systems; renewable energy; broadband; access to capital; or innovative utilization of natural resources.

- Projects that will not need ongoing subsidies to continue beyond the RBOG grant period.

- Projects that are very likely to result in notable improvements in economic activity (jobs, wages, businesses, etc.).

Community Services Council

2011-07-01 11:15:33 -0700

The Community Services Council will recommend policy to the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors for the comprehensive delivery of services, maximizing the social, economic and health resources in our communities through communication, coordination, and collaboration to ensure that the needs of our constituents are met. Acting as the Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council, the CSC will pay particular attention to the community's efforts to prevent and respond to child abuse. Membership on the CSC is by appointment from the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors. Others are welcome to attend CSC meetings.

How to Fund Economic Development and Revitalization

2011-06-30 06:13:22 -0700

How to Fund Economic Development and Revitalization
A Workshop for Oregon's Small Communities

Learn how to obtain funding to redevelop your downtown and transform previously-used sites—such as brownfields sites—into main streets, parks, trails and job-creating facilities.

This free workshop is designed for local governments, economic development departments, Councils of Government, general improvement districts, non-profits, community development corporations, tribes, and other organizations or partnerships interested in sustainable development.

Information on the following State and Federal funding sources and technical assistance will be available: Business Oregon, Main Street Program, Industrial Lands, Environmental Quality, Agriculture-Rural Development, and Economic Development, as well as the 2011 Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regional planning and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brownfields grant guidelines which will soon be released. Come hear all about these programs and more directly from experts in the field of economic and sustainable development.

Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program

2011-06-28 15:56:53 -0700

The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program was published on June 28, 2011 in the Federal Register. The VAPG program provides 50%-matching grants to farmers, ranchers, foresters, and fishers for either planning or working capital purposes to implement value-added ventures, i.e. marketing or processing that add value to the commodities they produce, as well as for some types of on-farm renewable energy generation projects. The goal of the program is to help agricultural producers generate new products, expand market opportunities, and increase their income from the commodities they produce.

The deadline for 2011 VAPG applications is August 29, 2011.

Visit USDA Rural Development's web site for more information.

Siskiyou County Human Services

2011-06-27 15:14:51 -0700

Strengthening families, building communities is both Siskiyou County Human Services' mission and passion. They believe that only through building strong families will the community continue to prosper and be the place generations have come to appreciate in Siskiyou County. The quality of life enjoyed in Siskiyou County is not just because of its natural beauty but also because of the character of people that make up the community. Siskiyou County Human Services' commitment is to work with this end in mind, to provide services that address some of the core social issues that affect the whole well being of the Siskiyou County population.

Adult Protective Services: Investigation of allegations of abuse and neglect of adults over age 64 or dependent adults ages 18 through 64. Twenty-four hour response to emergency situations of abuse and neglect. A dependent adult is someone age 18 through 64 who is unable to manage the activities of daily living without assistance on an ongoing basis. Shelter for adults incapable of providing for their own food, shelter, clothing, and medical care on a case by case basis.

Office: Monday through Friday, 8-5
On call: 24 hours/day, 7 days/week

County of Siskiyou Behavioral Health Services - Alcohol, Drug Abuse Services

2011-06-27 14:53:26 -0700

County of Siskiyou Behavioral Health Services is a public agency that recognizes the impact of emotional illness, maladaptive behavior and addiction upon both the individuals and the social fabric of the community. They are dedicated to providing an integrated array of services which encourage informed choices, support individual values and strengths, and provide opportunities for quality living.

AFSCME, Local 3899

2011-06-27 14:25:49 -0700

District Council 57 was chartered by the International Union in 1962 to provide administrative and field services to AFSCME Local Unions in San Mateo County. Since then the Council has grown to represent more than 22,000 public and private sector workers in 45 Local Unions in California; members in Council 57's affiliated Local Unions work for county governments, school districts, cities, special governmental districts, hospitals, private sector health and transportation agencies and the State of California. AFSCME/SCEA affiliated with the national AFSCME serves the bargaining needs of Siskiyou County and City employees.

The Online Fundraiser's Checklist 2.0

2011-06-16 12:34:55 -0700

This ebook provides tips on how to ensure success across online fundraising, email outreach, and events management.

Inside this ebook, you'll find 10 checklists that cover: Website home page; Donation form; Writing style; Email lists and campaigns; Thank-you programs; and Creating and marketing your next event.

SWOT Organizational Analysis Worksheet

2011-05-22 09:10:08 -0700

Used by RDI's community developers, this Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) tool helps with strategic planning and the evaluation of organizational objectives.

Dry Forest Investment Zone Program

2011-05-18 12:23:55 -0700

Sustainable Northwest is collaborating with regional partners to address landscape scale restoration across multiple rural communities in eastern Oregon and northern California.

This five-year initiative aims to increase the health of forested landscapes and the vitality of the communities, businesses, and wood products entrepreneurs within the Dry Forest Investment Zone.

The Dry Forest Investment Zone consists of 15 counties across eastern Oregon and northern California that share similar socio-economic challenges such as poor market conditions for wood products, and high levels of poverty and unemployment.

The landscape of the zone is primarily dry forests of pine and mixed conifer that are at risk of fire and drought. 68% of the land is federally managed with many communities in close proximity to national forest land depending on the health and productivity of these forest landscapes (link to Healthy Forests). To learn more about about the program and our partners, visit the Dry Forest Investment Zone Program page on our website.

Oregon Rural Action

2011-05-17 13:20:20 -0700

Oregon Rural Action is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership-based community organization working to promote social justice, agricultural and economic sustainability, and stewardship of the region's land, air and water. We're bringing people together to build strong communities by providing information and tools for local people to use in addressing the issues affecting our communities.

Oregon Rural Action is one of seven grassroots community organizations that are members of the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC). WORC is a regional network that has over 10,000 members and 46 local chapters. WORC helps its member groups succeed by providing training and coordination. By working at the grassroots level and joining others throughout the West to address issues that affect us all, we have the power to create the changes we need.

Board Development: Strategies for Success

2011-05-06 11:20:42 -0700

In this highly participatory workshop we'll explore the rewards of board service and the fundamentals of board development.

Learn to:

Understand your organization’s strategic environment
Assess your nonprofit’s board recruitment needs
Effectively recruit and orient new board members
Foster a board culture that values learning, relationships, and results
Engage board members with meaningful challenges and opportunities that contribute to mission achievement

We will incorporate the experiences of workshop participants to understand common pitfalls, promising practices, and proven methods for developing effective nonprofit boards that draw on the values, skills, and connections of their members.

About the Presenter: Paula Manley is a consultant, facilitator, and educator who helps organizations develop board and staff leaders, embrace diversity, engage in participatory planning, and navigate leadership transitions. She is the principal of Paula Manley Consulting and co-founder of The Learning Commons, a nonprofit that has presented intensive leadership institutes for nonprofit leaders throughout the U.S. since 1997. As an experienced nonprofit executive director, program director and board leader, Paula brings extensive practical knowledge to her work.

DETAILS

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location: John Serbu Youth Campus, 2727 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Eugene, Oregon

Cost: $125 participants / $112.50 NAO members

Meyer Memorial Trust

2011-05-04 12:31:14 -0700

The Meyer Memorial Trust strives to inspire, innovate, partner, and lead in ways that improve the quality of life in Oregon and southwest Washington.

The Ford Family Foundation

2011-05-04 12:12:47 -0700

The Ford Family Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation located in Roseburg, Oregon. Started in 1957, the Foundation manages large, internal initiatives and makes grants to public charities predominantly benefiting communities in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. The Ford Family Foundation's heritage comes from such communities and the men and women who created them.

The Ford Family Foundation grant programs make grants to public charities that predominantly benefit small communities in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. The Ford Institute for Community Building helps rural citizens in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, create vital communities through training, small grants, and resources. The Ford Family Foundation Scholarship Programs offer assistance to residents of rural and urban Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, to pursue higher education.

The Ford Family Foundation's Mission: Successful Citizens and Vital Rural Communities.

SOLV

2011-05-04 12:00:37 -0700

SOLV is a nonprofit organization that brings together individual volunteers, service and conservation groups, businesses and government agencies in activities to restore natural spaces and provide educational opportunities to encourage environmental stewardship. SOLV was established in 1969 by Governor Tom McCall and other community leaders who saw the need for community action to address problems in the ever-growing state. SOLV annually provides resources to more than 250 Oregon communities, focusing on cleanup, native planting, invasive plant removal, and environmental maintenance projects. Today SOLV is building on their vision to improve the environment of Oregon and build a legacy of stewardship.

Oregon Solutions

2011-05-04 08:32:02 -0700

The mission of Oregon Solutions is to develop sustainable solutions to community-based problems that support economic, environmental, and community objectives and are built through the collaborative efforts of businesses, government, and non-profit organizations.

Oregon Solutions grew out of the State of Oregon's Sustainability Act of 2001. First inside the executive branch of state government, then since January of 2002 as a program of the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University, Oregon Solutions has promoted a new style of community governance, one based on the principles of collaboration, integration, and sustainability.

Rural Development Initiatives, Inc.

2011-05-02 14:47:15 -0700

Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Oregon dedicated to helping rural communities and people achieve the visions and goals they set for themselves. RDI builds leadership networks and rural communities by working in the areas of Community Building, Leadership Development, Economic Vitality, Networking, and Organizational Development including programming for Latino, Tribal, and Youth audiences.

Rural Development Initiatives, Inc. (RDI) has been a major player in rural community development since 1992. The organization started from interests in the OECDD and was initially focused primarily on building the capacity of communities to engage in economic development. In 1996 it had evolved into a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with no state support. Through the late 1990s, RDI presented leadership classes under the title of Rural Futures Forum and organized the regional Regards to Rural resource conference.

In 2003 RDI took on the contract of delivering the many classes offered in rural communities by the Ford Institute for Community Building. Through this contract, RDI has become a state leader in community leadership training, including in Latino and Native American communities. The Ford training replaced the Rural Futures Forum, however Regards to Rural continues. RDI has a primary office in Eugene and staff located around the state.

In addition to working with the Ford Institute, RDI is engaged in a variety of other contract and grant activities. Rural communities may wish to look to RDI for economic development, nonprofit development, leadership training, collaboration facilitation, and vision development.

Sustainable Northwest

2011-05-02 14:28:53 -0700

Sustainable Northwest brings people, ideas, and innovation together so that nature, local economies, and rural communities can thrive. Through collaboration, Sustainable Northwest bridges rural and urban interests, encourages entrepreneurship, and builds trust in sustainable natural resource management and utilization in the western United States.

Sustainable Northwest was established in 1994 by concerned political leaders from Oregon and Idaho who saw the need for a non-partisan entity that could help find solutions to the environmental, economic, and social challenges faced by citizens, leaders, and communities in the Northwest.

The Nonprofit Association of Oregon

2011-05-02 14:17:05 -0700

The Nonprofit Association of Oregon, formerly known as TACS, is a statewide network of nonprofits, foundations, business partners, and individuals dedicated to supporting Oregon’s nonprofit sector. The Nonprofit Association of Oregon serves as a resource for nonprofit organizations and a central source of information about the nonprofit sector. They connect nonprofits of all sizes, missions, and geographic locations and offer programs and services that enhance the capacity of nonprofits to fulfill their essential missions. While their role as a statewide membership association is a relatively new one, the Nonprofit Association of Oregon has over 30 years’ experience providing consulting and training to nonprofit leaders, staff, and volunteers.

Mid-Columbia Economic Development District

2011-05-02 13:30:18 -0700

The mission of the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) is to promote the creation of family-wage jobs, the diversification of the economic base, and the growth, development and retention of business and industry in Hood River, Wasco and Sherman Counties in Oregon and Klickitat and Skamania Counties in Washington, all bordering the Columbia River.

MCEDD was established in 1969 by its five member counties who realized that by sharing a common workforce, a common geography and a number of other important factors, their economic fates were tied together. They realized that by joining together they would benefit from better access to economic development loans and grants, pooled technical assistance, marketing, and administrative resources, and most importantly, they would be able to bring a regional approach to their economic development efforts. Over the years MCEDD’s membership has grown to include cities, ports and chambers of commerce within the five county region.

Columbia-Pacific Economic Development District

2011-05-02 13:18:06 -0700

The Columbia-Pacific Economic Development District (Col-Pac) is a private non-profit organization established to assist in diversifying and strengthening the economy and livability of Northwest Oregon. The District covers all of Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties and the western part of Washington County.

Col-Pac offers a range of economic and community development services, technical assistance, and referrals in carrying out its mission to promote and sustain healthy communities in the district through retention, diversification, and expansion of the economic base. The goal is healthy and thriving communities. A strong and diversified economic base that provides family-wage jobs is a significant component and contributor to healthy communities.

Col-Pac's economic development activities focus on blending the natural resource-based industries in the region with new economic development opportunities that historically have not been part of the area's economy. As an economic development district, Col-Pac provides capacity building, coordination, and establishment of basic economic development foundation building tools for Northwest Oregon.

Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC)

2011-05-01 21:22:34 -0700

Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) provides education, retraining and economic development services to positively affect regional employment, individual lives, the business community, and local government. COIC serves Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties and the cities of Bend, Culver, La Pine, Madras, Metolius, Prineville, Redmond, and Sisters. COIC has offices in Bend, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, Klamath Falls, and Lakeview. From offering employment and training services then to alternative high school education, business loans, and community and economic development, COIC continues to evolve to meet the needs of Central Oregon.

Buy Local Lincoln County

2011-05-01 21:06:58 -0700

Formed in 2009, the Buy Local Lincoln County Association, an Oregon nonprofit corporation, was created with the intent of spreading the message of why buying local is so important. Their mission is to help Lincoln County residents understand the power of their spending dollar and its impact on the local economy and to help drive more sales to Lincoln County businesses by encouraging them to become more local-consumer-friendly.

The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA)

2011-05-01 20:59:04 -0700

The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) is a national 501c3 non-profit organization helping communities launch and successfully operate an Independent Business Alliance® (IBA), "buy independent, buy local" campaigns, pro-local policies, and other initiatives to support local entrepreneurs and vibrant local economies. Since 2001, IBAs have formed in a diverse range of communities and are playing a crucial role in keeping opportunities alive for entrepreneurs, building more self-reliant and durable communities, and engaging citizens in guiding their community's future. AMIBA exists to help local IBAs succeed through networking them to share ideas, developing and sharing resources, and advising on operation and strategy.

WorkSource Oregon

2011-05-01 20:46:27 -0700

WorkSource Oregon is a statewide network that will stimulate job growth by connecting businesses and workers with the resources they need to succeed. WorkSource Oregon is a network of public and private partners working together for businesses and workers to ensure businesses have a ready supply of trained workers whose skills and talents are aligned with the expectations and needs of business and industry, connect businesses with the resources they need to grow their workforce and their business, and provide the resources to help Oregon's unemployed and underemployed get connected with the employers that are right for them, find the jobs they're looking for, and get trained for jobs they want.

Oregon Small Business Development Center Network

2011-05-01 20:37:56 -0700

Oregon Small Business Development Center Network offers affordable business workshops and toolkits to help small businesses throughout Oregon. BizCenter services are available to anyone who owns or operates, or is considering starting, a small business in Oregon. BizCenter is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department. Their mandate is to help grow Oregon businesses and the Oregon economy.

Small Business Administration of Oregon

2011-05-01 20:26:11 -0700

Oregon Small Business Association offers information on small business loans, grants, bonds, and other financial assistance and dedicates its energy and resources to providing support to small businesses and small-business owners through capital, contracts, and counseling.

Oregon Microenterprise Network (OMEN)

2011-05-01 20:15:45 -0700

The Oregon Microenterprise Network (OMEN) is a statewide association of microenterprise development programs and their supporters. OMEN’s mission is to increase opportunities for economically and geographically disadvantaged entrepreneurs by building the capacity and quality of Oregon microenterprise and entrepreneur development services. These programs provide training, lending, and other enterprise opportunities to entrepreneurs with limited access to economic resources.

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

2011-05-01 20:09:12 -0700

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) is the largest entrepreneur assistance organization in the state of Oregon. OEN fosters the flow of entrepreneurial ideas, services, and capital to entrepreneurs and helps connect emerging Northwest businesses to growth-stimulating expertise and valuable resources.

OEN's members contribute to the growth and development of a healthy, diversified Oregon economy with a new generation of entrepreneurial leaders. OEN's mission is to provide support activities and mentoring to the entrepreneurial community to foster business growth and employment opportunities in Oregon.

ONABEN

2011-05-01 20:03:27 -0700

ONABEN (the Oregon Native American Business and Enterprise Network) is a non-profit, public-benefit corporation created by Northwest Indian Tribes to increase the success of private businesses owned by Native Americans. ONABEN enables Native Americans to realize dreams for a better quality of life through owning and operating a successful business. ONABEN accomplishes this mission by providing accessible business programs, services, assisted access to financing, and positive business-to-business relationships.

Oregon Business Association

2011-05-01 19:54:41 -0700

Oregon Business Association is the state’s most effective advocate for the long-term enhancement of Oregon’s business climate. Formed by a group of Oregon business leaders, OBA provides bipartisan, statewide business leadership that strives to ensure Oregon’s continued economic competitiveness. Today, more than 300 businesses, from Portland to Boardman, from homegrown to Fortune 500, have joined to support OBA’s commitment to a healthy economy for all Oregonians.

Business Oregon

2011-04-29 15:11:16 -0700

Business Oregon works to create, retain, expand, and attract businesses that provide sustainable, living-wage jobs for Oregonians through public-private partnerships, leveraged funding, and support of economic opportunities for Oregon companies and entrepreneurs. The Oregon Business Development Commission oversees the agency's activities to ensure a coherent, integrated approach to economic development and a continuous policy direction that can transcend changes in executive and legislative leadership.

Building Opportunities for Oregon Small Business Today (BOOST) Fund

2011-04-29 14:40:20 -0700

The Building Opportunities for Oregon Small Business Today (BOOST) fund offers two independent resources, direct loans and grants, to small business owners in Oregon. The BOOST loan program is a revolving loan fund that provides term fixed-rate financing for small businesses in need of operating capital. The BOOST grant program will award and make grants as an incentive to Oregon businesses that create new, full-time jobs in Oregon.

Community and Economic Development Readiness Assessment Guidebook and Questionnaire

2011-04-24 23:59:40 -0700

This guidebook and readiness assessment tool were developed by the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD) to help communities assess their business and community development capacity and to identify next steps in achieving their development goals. It provides a method to objectively assess your community’s development capacity from your own unique, individual perspective. The objectives of this guide are to present your understanding of your community and give you a sense of some of the complexities of community development that you may wish to become more familiar with.

The Rural Economy Project

2011-04-11 17:00:02 -0700

A partnership between community organizations—Rural Development Initiatives, Sustainable Northwest, the Oregon Consortium/Workforce Alliance, WorkSource Oregon—and Oregon Public Broadcasting, the Rural Economy Project showcases the stories of successful entrepreneurs, people trying to make ends meet, and communities working to build stable, vital economies in Oregon’s rural towns.

Rural Economy Project bloggers contribute their perspectives on economic and employment issues facing rural residents, while OPB produces shows on rural economies across Oregon. These stories and commentaries are designed to inspire sustainable community building and raise awareness of resources available to rural small business owners and the unemployed.

Additional news stories and commentary can be found on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Rural Economy Project web page. Rural employment and small business resources contributed by project partners are collected here on RIPPLE.

For more information about helping rural communities thrive, visit the project partners’ websites. Project funding generously provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Think Local Umpqua - Local Pages

2011-04-11 14:42:56 -0700

The Local Pages is the first and most comprehensive source for local and independently owned food, shopping, and services in Douglas County. Inside the publication you will find resources for locally grown food, naturally raised meat, unique stores, house contractors, and more. When you think local with one of the businesses listed in the local pages, you take an active role in building a strong economy and community in the county.

http://www.thinklocalumpqua.com/localpages.html

Rural Tourism Marketing E-Book

2011-04-11 14:24:04 -0700

Creating a Small Town Marketing Plans is a free rural marketing strategy tool. It includes an easy way to conduct a simple financial assessment that should be the basis for your marketing efforts. It is also practical, taking into consideration both your time and your budget. And it blends offline local marketing actions with an online plan that you create based on what your customers are doing online. While many small town tourism businesses that are dragging their feet about Internet marketing because they don’t have the time and resources right now to update or build a web presence, every rural tourism business needs to be online. This marketing plan will help you achieve that regardless of your web site situation.

Non-Profit Board Training, May 14, 2011

2011-04-11 14:13:24 -0700

The Financial Stewardship Resources Central & Eastern Oregon Nonprofit Organization Board Training will be held Saturday, May 14, 2011 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at the Eagle Crest Conference Center, 1522 Cline Falls Road in Redmond, Oregon. Fifteen timely workshops will be presented that address nonprofit governing board responsibilities, understanding and using financial information, nonprofit legal documents and strengthening board leadership.If you are a member of the board of directors of a charitable, educational, or scientific organization, a service club, fraternal organization, business association, or religious organization, then this event is for you. Visit Financial Stewardship Resources' web site for details and to register.

Economic Vitality Forum, May 6, 2011

2011-04-11 14:04:02 -0700

The economy is on everyone's minds these days! If you are interested in learning more about emerging and best practice rural economic vitality strategies, join Rural Development Initiatives and the Ford Institute for the North Bend 2011 Economic Vitality Forum on May 4, 2011. Sessions will be presented by American Independent Business Alliance's Jeff Milchen, Washington State Department of Commerce's Maury Forman, and RDI's Cylvia Hayes. Register now - space is limited to 80 participants per site.

Economic Vitality Forum, May 4, 2011

2011-04-11 14:00:17 -0700

SOLV Citizenship Awards 2011

2011-04-11 13:54:55 -0700

The SOLV Citizenship Awards recognize outstanding businesses, community groups, educators and individuals, including youth, whose volunteer and community work reflects SOLV’s mission of bringing Oregonians together to improve the environment and build a legacy of stewardship. Award winners will be honored at the Annual SOLV Citizenship Awards Banquet in the fall. Nomination deadline is May 6, 2011.

FoodHub

2011-04-11 13:48:34 -0700

FoodHub is an online directory and marketplace that makes it easy and efficient for regional food buyers and sellers to connect and conduct business. Three types of Membership are available:

Buyers: Chefs, grocers, restaurateurs, and professional food buyers of all kinds
Sellers: Farmers, ranchers, fishermen, distributors, dairies and packer/processor/manufacturers
Associates: Trade associations, farmers’ markets, industry suppliers and other supporters of the regional food economy

FoodHub’s interactive directory and marketplace facilitates connections of all kinds – large or small, organic or conventional, direct or distributed – in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and California. For Buyers, FoodHub means fast foraging – find regionally-produced products quickly and easily, get background on producers and make contact with the click of a button. For Sellers, FoodHub means marketing made easy – promote products to professional food buyers interested in sourcing from the region. Associates get a front-row seat in the action and can help facilitate connections for their constituents!

  To get started, visit food-hub.org and click Join Now, it’s FREE!

The Conversation Project is Seeking Leaders!

2011-04-11 13:43:30 -0700

Oregon Humanities is seeking people who are smart, passionate about ideas, and curious--who are teachers at heart, regardless of their day job--to be Conversation Project leaders.

Are you knowledgeable in one or more disciplines of the humanities? Are you curious about how different Oregon communities think about the subjects that inspire you?

Are you passionate about sharing your expertise, experiences, and ideas with others? Are you looking for a unique and compelling professional development opportunity? Are you willing to travel statewide and talk with Oregonians about what you love--and get paid?

If so, consider proposing your own Conversation Project program! Read the full Request for Proposals and apply online on the Oregon Humanities website:

http://www.oregonhumanities.org/programs/section/conversation-project/seeking-conversation-project-leaders/

OAME 23rd Annual Luncheon and Trade

2011-04-11 13:38:28 -0700

The Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME) is presenting its 23rd Annual Luncheon and Trade Show on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at the Oregon Convention Center.

The tradeshow will host over 120 small and large businesses; state, county, and federal government agencies; and business development resources that assist minority, women, and emerging small businesses.

This year’s theme will focus on “A Sustainable Future with Equity.” A panel of OAME members and supporters will discuss and give advice on how to achieve a sustainable green environment with equity for Minority Women and Emerging Small Businesses. Admission is free.

OAME was founded in 1987 to promote Minority, Women, Emerging Small Business owners (MWESB) entrepreneurship and economic development. For registration, exhibit, and luncheon information or reservations, contact (OAME) at 503-249-7744 or visit their web site.

Accelerating Community Capital: A new BALLE series.

2011-04-11 13:29:48 -0700

This new BALLE webinar series, "Accelerating Community Capital," focuses on innovative strategies to Connect local businesses with local lenders, investors and donors; earn a "living rate of return" while supporting the local economy; create jobs by strengthening family farms, local manufacturing, and independent business.

Monthly Webinars: Every first Tuesday of the month. Email BALLE to register for the call.

Webinar Topic: Introduction to Community Capital Strategies and Solutions with Michael Shuman, BALLE Research & Economic Development Director and Don Shaffer, President & CEO of RSF Social Finance. Visit BALLE's web site for more information.

Oregon Healthy Kids

2011-04-11 13:24:32 -0700

Healthy Kids believes every kid in Oregon should be a healthy kid and their goal is to make sure they have health coverage. Depending on family income, children may be eligible for free or low-cost health coverage for doctor visits, dental care, vision, medicines, and more through the Healthy Kids program. Even kids with current health conditions can enroll. Coverage lasts for at least one full year and can be longer so long as the child is still eligible. Visit the Healthy Kids web site for information regarding eligibility, services covered, and how to apply.

Regards to Rural Conference 2011

2011-04-11 13:05:20 -0700

Save the date for Powered by Rural, Rural Development Initiatives' semi-annual Regards to Rural conference. This is a unique event that offers educational and skill-building workshops, as well as networking opportunities to community leaders, funders, elected officials and volunteers of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels from throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. The theme of Powered by Rural will renew energy, share practices that work and spark new ideas for strengthening the economic and social vibrancy of rural communities.

Join RDI as they celebrate "Powered by Rural" on Friday and Saturday, June 24-25 at Oregon State University in Corvallis, a vibrant academic community in the heart of Western Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley. Back by popular demand, pre-sessions will be held on Thursday, June 23.

Visit the Regards to Rural web site for more information.

Cultural Tourism Grant

2011-04-11 12:52:38 -0700

The Oregon Arts Commission announces that applications for its Arts & Cultural Tourism Grant program will be accepted from Oregon arts organizations and units of local governments through January 31, 2011.

The Oregon Arts Commission established the Cultural Tourism Grants to support projects and partnerships that advance arts-based cultural tourism activities. The program, part of the Commission's Creative Oregon Initiative, fosters stronger links between the arts, culture, the tourism industry, and local economic development.

The program supports activities undertaken by arts or tourism groups - and especially projects in which both collaborate - designed to increase tourism motivated entirely or in part by the arts-related offerings of a community or region. By attracting Oregonians and non-residents, Commission-funded projects increase the economic benefit of cultural tourism to communities, regions, and the entire state. Proposed projects may enhance an existing cultural tourism project or fund a new initiative.

Applicants for Cultural Tourism grants must have IRS 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status and corporate nonprofit status in the state of Oregon; or be a unit of local government. Up to $10,000 in matching grant funds may be requested.

The guidelines and applications for the Cultural Tourism grants are available online through the grants section of the Arts Commission's website. Additional information is available by calling the Arts Commission at (503) 986-0082.

Oregon Humanities Responsive Grant Program

2011-04-11 12:44:23 -0700

Oregon Humanities connects Oregonians to ideas that change lives and transform communities. Established in 1971, Oregon Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Oregon Humanities awards Responsive Program Grants up to $1,000 on a rolling basis to nonprofit organizations in Oregon. Responsive Program Grants fund programs that are not part of an organization’s regular programming. Instead, these grants support programs created in response to pressing, current issues or events that the applicant is uniquely qualified to help the public explore. 2011 Responsive Program Grant activities must begin after November 1, 2010.

We seek to fund programs that are timely, relevant, accessible, and interactive. In the past, Responsive Program Grants have funded formats as varied as public conferences, community conversations, and film discussion series. Oregon Humanities welcomes proposals for any program that uses the humanities in the public sphere to meet our core mission of connecting Oregonians to ideas that change lives and transform communities. We are particularly interested in programs that bring together diverse groups of Oregonians and reflect collaboration between organizations within a community.

2011 Responsive Program Grant guidelines and sample successful proposals from prior years are available for download at www.oregonhumanities.org.

If you have questions, please contact Director of Programs Jennifer Allen at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 118, or by email at j.allen@oregonhumanities.org.

Host a Conversation Project

2011-04-11 12:32:41 -0700

Beginning December 1, Oregon nonprofits may apply to host Conversation Project programs taking place between March and June 2011. The Conversation Project brings together community members and public humanities scholars in thoughtful, inspiring conversations about ideas critical to our daily lives and our state's future.

Are you curious about how Oregon’s ballot initiative process works and why we’re always being asked to sign petitions? Do you think Oregonians are getting the government we deserve? Have you ever thought about how our landscapes reflect our community’s values?

Consider these questions and others by checking out the 2010–11 Conversation Project catalog and applying to host a program. The catalog, instructions for host organizations, and downloadable application form are available on the Conversation Project program page here: http://www.oregonhumanities.org/programs/section/conversation-project/#id21.

For more information about the Conversation Project and how to apply, you can also contact Oregon Humanities Program Coordinator Annie Dubinsky at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 116, ora.dubinsky@oregonhumanities.org.

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

2011-04-11 12:15:55 -0700

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) is a non-profit organization that connects entrepreneurs, investors, and business people who have the knowledge, connections, and capital to help emerging companies grow.

Do Something Seed Grant

2011-04-11 12:07:53 -0700

Are you working to start a community action project or program? Do you need money to put your ideas into action? If you answered, "yes," you are eligible to apply for a Do Something Seed Grant. Do Something, an organization that powers offline action by using the power of online to get teens to do good stuff offline, gives out a $500 Do Something Seed Grant every week to help young people.

Do Something Seed Grants are targeted towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started. These grants can be used to jump-start your program or to realize your ideas for the first time.

If you are looking for funding to help take your project to the next level, check out the Do Something Growth Grants on dosomething.org.

Northeast Oregon Food and Farm Directory

2011-04-11 11:56:07 -0700

Eating locally grown foods is a great way to support the local economy and preserve the rural way of life in Northeast Oregon. It is also delicious. To help connect producers and consumers and build a more sustainable food system, Oregon Rural Action has released the 2010 Northeast Oregon Food and Farm Directory.

The Directory is designed to help community members and visitors in Baker, Union, and Wallowa counties access local food by providing information on how to purchase directly from local producers, shop at farmers markets, access emergency food, or get a community garden plot.

If you are a producer and would like to be added to the online directory, or included in next year’s printed version, please email Teresa Roark at teresa@oregonrural.org or call 541-975-2411.

Rural Energy Assessment Program

2011-04-11 11:16:37 -0700

The Energy Efficiency Center at Oregon State University is now making its services available to Oregon farmers and rural businesses.

The new program in rural energy assessments is open to any small rural Oregon business or farm – as defined by the Small Business Administration – that makes more than half of its gross income from agriculture. The business or farm must be located in a defined rural area, which includes most of the state except major cities.

The new initiative is being supported by a two-year grant from the Rural Energy for America Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and its services are available immediately.

Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC)

2011-04-11 10:54:37 -0700

Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC) is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to serving mid-Willamette Valley farmworkers and their families. FHDC was established in 1990 when Oregon Legal Services, Salud Medical Center, PCUN (Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United), Farmworker Ministries, and a number of individuals joined forces to establish a single agency for the development of affordable housing for low-income farmworkers.

In 1992 FHDC started the development of our first housing project, Nuevo Amanecer, Phase I, amid fierce opposition from some community leaders who preferred to see farmworkers segregated in remote labor camps. Governor Barbara Roberts was instrumental in overcoming this opposition and making this project happen and has continued to support FHDC's efforts. We opened the doors of Nuevo Amanecer to 50 families in 1994.

16 years later, with the addition of our newest development, Colonia Amistad in Independence, Oregon, we now provide housing to almost 200 families in three different cities (Woodburn, Salem, and Independence).

Wind Turbine Technician Training

2011-04-11 10:43:02 -0700

Are you looking for lasting job security in an expanding industry? Begin a career as a Wind Turbine Technician with renewable energy training at the Northwest Renewable Energy Institute, a leading renewable energy trade school. Students can expect an innovative approach to learning that will include classroom, computer-based and hands-on training. Green energy training programs will teach students the technical skills necessary to service, repair, and maintain the demanding requirements of wind turbines. Graduates of this program will also be qualified for entry-level positions as wind turbine technicians

Renewable Northwest Project

2011-04-11 10:35:38 -0700

Renewable Northwest Project (RNP) mission is to promote the implementation of environmentally responsible renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal and wave energy, in the Northwest.

Since 1994, RNP has been working to bring new generation to the next generation. The Northwest has a tradition of renewable energy development for inexpensive electric power. It's what drives our economy and sustains our quality of life. But over the past several decades we have relied more heavily on polluting coal and natural gas. Now is the time, for the sake of our economy and the environment, to invest in the next generation of renewable resources to secure a clean energy future for our children.

RNP also supports development of workforce and educational opportunities in the field of renewable energy by fostering internships and incumbent worker retraining programs, and by working with educators and apprenticeship training coordinators to improve the quality of renewable energy educational opportunities.

Visit RNP for renewable energy workforce and education resources.

Oregon Rural Energy Portal

2011-04-11 10:19:51 -0700

Increasingly, energy efficiency and renewable energy are common features in rural business projects. USDA Rural Development's Oregon include energy efficiency, renewable energy, technical assistance, and biofuel programs. Visit USDA Rural Development's Oregon Rural Energy Portal for more information.

USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Loan Program

2011-04-11 10:10:57 -0700

Community Facilities Loan Programs can make and guarantee loans to develop essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population, including hospitals, fire protection, safety, and other community-based initiatives. Loans and guarantees are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as to non-profit corporations and tribal governments.

USDA Rural Development B&I Guaranteed Loan Program

2011-04-11 09:54:13 -0700

The Business & Industry (B&I) guaranteed loan program supports rural business lending by providing loan guarantees to commercial lenders financing rural businesses. Well over $1.5 billion of B&I authority is still available, much of it through the Recovery Act which makes 90% guarantees and reduced fees available for business lenders.

Wy'East RCD Energy Efficiency Project Grant

2011-04-10 21:51:48 -0700

The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced that the Wy’East RC&D (Resource Conservation & Development Council) will receive $200,000 in federal funds for an energy efficiency project. The project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act awarded through the Oregon Department of Energy’s State Energy Program. These funds are designated for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The U.S. Department of Energy administers the funds, approves the projects and reviews the state’s progress.

Wy’East’s project focuses on Scientific Irrigation Scheduling (SIS) in the North Unit Irrigation District (NUID) in the Madras area. Grants will be provided to approximately 30 landowners (covering 3,000 acres) in the NUID. The grants will provide irrigators with technical and financial assistance toward the implementation of SIS.

“With energy costs rising this grant will allow us to help irrigators lower their energy bills while potentially improving their crop quality and yields," said Debbe Chadwick, Wy’East’s Executive Director.

Visit the Wy'east site for more details

Struggling to Make Ends Meet 2009 Poll

2011-04-10 21:37:45 -0700

The 2009 "Struggling to Make Ends Meet" national poll includes national findings, plus results for Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.

This poll of 4,000 asks how Americans see the struggle within their households and communities, what they're doing in response, and what they expect their elected officials to do to reduce the number of people struggling to make ends meet. The findings reveal families have been hard hit, have made sacrifices, taken action and expect officials to do more to help.

The Northwest Area Foundation conducted this poll to help communities in their work to reduce poverty and build sustainable prosperity. You can download the data, summaries, and a Toolkit for Action that will help you apply these findings to your work with community, policymakers, and the media.

USDA Rural Development

2011-04-10 21:09:49 -0700

USDA Rural Development builds cooperative financial partnerships with rural Oregonians. With seven offices and nearly 70 employees across Oregon, USDA delivers an array of federal programs — including loan guarantees, direct loans, & grants— for rural Oregonians to fund affordable homeownership & rental housing, community infrastructure, business & economic development, and green energy projects.

The USDA has programs in the areas of Business and Cooperative; Housing and Community Facilities; Utilities; and Community Development/Empowerment.

The Navigator: Guide for Rural Landowners

2011-04-10 20:49:05 -0700

The Navigator is Rural Oregon's guide to saving money by saving resources. Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) created this tool for understanding the tax credits and incentives in order to help Oregon residents, small businesses, and farms quickly reference the incentive programs available for energy and water savings.

The FCA decided to write The Navigator after meeting with hundreds of landowners throughout rural Oregon to talk about installing a fish screen on their water diversions .

Many of these farmers are searching for a way to reduce their resource use since growing our food, conveying irrigation water, or even driving to distant grocery stores uses significant amounts of energy and water and, ultimately, costs a lot of money.

Oregon Schools Heating Initiative

2011-04-10 20:29:58 -0700

Toward Energy Efficient Municipalities (TEEM) is proposing a woody biomass thermal heating initiative to install state-of-the-art wood pellet thermal heating systems at all Oregon schools currently heating with oil or propane furnaces. The benefits include utilizing a renewable energy source; Woody Biomass (WB) is sustainable and CO²-neutral and is less expensive, which would result in schools’ heating budgets to be cut in half.

This initiative would benefit Oregon by improving forest and community safety and creating local jobs. TEEM would serve as the project management firm and would aggregate a minimum of 12 schools into the initiative with staggered deployments.

Jefferson Economic Development Institute (JEDI)

2011-04-10 16:39:30 -0700

Jefferson Economic Development Institute (JEDI) is a non-profit that provides resources for people, businesses and communities to create self-determined livelihood, healthy organizations, and thriving economies. JEDI supports individuals to become self-employed and create economic stability, and a sense of financial well-being. JEDI raises awareness to the effectiveness of microenterprise in Siskiyou County.

JEDI provides personalized business counseling at no cost, and offers a variety of business and financial management classes and workshops for a nominal fee to those who wish to start a business or improve their current one. Areas of assistance include Entrepreneurial Training, Technical Assistance, Capital Access, Savings Programs, and Tax Preparation.

JEDI is located in Mount Shasta, California, serving all of Siskiyou County and the far Northern California Region.