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Monday Mailing

Year 24 • Issue 18 05 February 2018 1.

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Moving Mitigation Forward Toolkit for Working with Rural Volunteers Building Garibaldi’s Local Seafood Economy West Obsessed: Rural Discontent Feeds The Desire For a 51st State 4 Qualities of a Successful Public-Private Partnership Why Do People Leave, and What Helps Bring Them Back?

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What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know About Facebook's New Algorithm

8. Three-Part Webinar Series: Parking - Best Practices for Great Communities 9. Conversations With Funders Events Across The State February March 10. It's Not the Food Deserts: It's the Inequality 11. USDA is Seeking Applications to Support Rural Businesses and Create Jobs 1. Moving Mitigation Forward The devastation of 2017 might make it seem otherwise, but the United States is not helpless against disaster. We have, for years, been aware of many effective policies and practices that can diminish the impacts of extreme events. We even know something about why we don't implement them.

Although the latest spate of hurricanes, landslides, floods, and wildfires will help create temporary momentum for mitigating against disaster, two other efforts will likely have more long term effects—the Natural Hazards Mitigation Saves 2017 Interim Report and a new National Mitigation Investment Strategy.

Quote of the Week: "See every problem as an opportunity to exercise creative energy." ~Stephen R. Covey

Oregon Fast Fact: Oregon’s state motto is “Alis volat propriis” (She flies with her own wings)

Separately, each of the two initiatives packs a wallop. The Mitigation Saves report, for instance, updates the much-cited estimate that every $1 in mitigation saves $4 to a new calculation of $6 saved for every dollar spent. The Strategy, on the other hand, manages to boil down the mitigation miasma to six desired outcomes. Taken together, the two documents provide a double whammy of the power of disaster mitigation and tools to help talk about it.

To access the full story, click here.

2. Toolkit for Working with Rural Volunteers This is a toolkit for little places, the ones that don’t have a Volunteer Coordinator or a Development Officer or even a full-time Director, the ones that depend almost exclusively on volunteers. These communities are the sum and substance of both the Appalachian Coal Country Team and the Western Hardrock Watershed Team and it was these rural communities that provided the research base for this project.

You will find three basic sections, each of which can provide significant insight and ideas for rural volunteers. The first is Rural Volunteer Statistics, an extensive survey of the volunteers themselves— learn just

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who our rural volunteers are, what they do, where they associate and how best they can be reached.

The second, Rural Volunteer Management Practices, summarizes 25 different volunteer practices that work. We know they work because we first identified practices that were working well in a rural community, transplanted those practices to 50 other places and then watched them for a year to see how they worked in a different context. Think of this section as a good idea catalogue, a collection of approaches to volunteer management that have been tested and documented, whether successful or unsuccessful.

To access the toolkit, click here.

3. Building Garibaldi’s Local Seafood Economy An initiative aimed at improving the livelihoods of small fishing businesses in Oregon’s North Coast region is continuing to move forward with two exciting new partnerships: one with Ecotrust and the other with MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

Through our WealthWorks Northwest initiative, we’ve worked with Columbia Pacific Economic Development District (Col-Pac) to hire a Small Fisheries Value Chain Coordinator to help increase the wealth and well-being of small commercial fishing boat owners, crews, and fish processors/retailers in Garibaldi and the wider region. Through a competitive application process, Ecotrust, a nonprofit organization committed to social equity, economic opportunity, and environmental well-being, was selected for this role, which includes engaging and convening stakeholders and supporting development of the seafood value chain to improve the local seafood economy.

To access the full story, click here.

4. West Obsessed: Rural Discontent Feeds The Desire For a 51st State A discussion on the State of Jefferson, a California movement renewed under Trump.

In the latest episode of West Obsessed, High Country News editors discuss a zealous political movement — a push for a 51st state — born from resentment of California’s liberal “resistance” to Trump.

To access this episode of West Obsessed, click here.

5. 4 Qualities of a Successful Public-Private Partnership The concept of a public-private partnership is certain to be a large part of any federal infrastructure bill passed this year. On the surface, the idea is solid: leverage private dollars with public dollars to accomplish infrastructure improvements that would not be possible with only one funding source.

When put into practice, however, the results are decidedly mixed.

Google suggests that a "partner" is: A person who takes part in an undertaking with another or others, especially in a business or company with shared risks and profits.

Shared risks and profits. Most public-private partnerships are merely public handouts by a different name. Here are a few examples:  A government selling public assets — such as a highway, parking garage or even a state capitol

building — to a private business, the latter of which will then make a profit charging those who Page 2 of 6

use the asset. This is more like cashing out an annuity and is usually done to fill a current year budget gap.  Giving money to a business without directly sharing in any of the potential gains of that

business. This is simply a subsidy, not a partnership.  Contracting with a business to construct an asset or perform a service that the government could

otherwise do, but lacks the wherewithal, clout or desire to do it. This should be seen as a missed opportunity, particularly since the transaction is almost certainly profitable.  Prioritizing a project that otherwise would not get done just because the private sector will kick

in some money. Buying something that you don't really want just because you can get it on sale is generally not a great financial strategy.

To access the full story, click here.

6. Why Do People Leave, and What Helps Bring Them Back?

“I’m really into formulas,” says Choteau Area Port Authority board member Blair Patton. “People who are successful know the formula. You do not have a successful small community accidentally.

There is a focused, purposeful action that leads into that.”

Patton returned to his family’s ranch outside of Choteau after living many years in Lewistown. He operated a sports clothing and graphics business here, served on the Choteau City Council and now runs a lawn care service. He and his wife raised their family in Choteau, where the youngest of their three children is a junior at Choteau High School.

Patton is concerned about what he sees. In 2001, CHS had 175 students and was comfortably Class B. Class C schools are the smallest in the state while Class AA schools are the largest. By the fall of 2015, the enrollment had dropped to 112 students, a 36 percent loss, falling into Class C levels. This fall, enrollment has bumped back up to about 123 students, but the prospect of CHS becoming a Class C school took Patton and much of the Choteau community aback.

To access the full story, click here.

7. What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know About Facebook's New Algorithm If one of your favorite pastimes is mindlessly scrolling through viral videos on Facebook, your days of doing so are numbered. On January 11, the global social media giant announced some sweeping changes to its most central product — the News Feed.

In the coming months, Facebook will be granting less priority to Pages from businesses and publications and begin favoring posts its ranking algorithm finds to be more engaging — namely those that spark debate and discussion among a user's friends and family.

Although this is a noble cause, it potentially leaves nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations in a tight spot, because they are considered businesses in the eyes of Facebook.

To access the full story, click here.

8. Three-Part Webinar Series: Parking - Best Practices for Great Communities Like it or not, parking policies have a dramatic impact on the ways our communities and economies develop and grow. Over this three-part series, we will explore: the basics of what makes for good parking policy; parking management strategies that support your community’s walkability, housing, Page 3 of 6

and development goals; and, emerging technological trends that are shaping the parking landscape in the West. Featuring nationally recognized transportation planner Jim Charlier of Charlier Associates, this series will include guest speakers and case studies on good parking practices from communities across the Western states.

For more details about each session, click here.

9. Conversations With Funders Events Across The State February - March More than $5 million in funding will be on the table when Oregon Cultural Trust Manager Aili Schreiner joins with colleagues from the Cultural Trust's Statewide Partners and other funders Feb. 6 through March 8 for "Conversations with Funders and Partners," a 14-stop state tour. Attendees will learn about grant programs available from multiple grantmakers and will have the opportunity to discuss their projects and programming. Other statewide programming resources also will be presented.

Representatives from the Statewide Partners -- the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage, Oregon Humanities and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office -- will be joined by counterparts from The Oregon Community Foundation and Portland's Regional Arts and Culture Council for some of the events.

Organizations encouraged to attend "Conversations with Funders and Partners" include libraries, arts organizations, museums, cultural centers, historical societies, arts alliances, literary groups and heritage organizations. All cultural nonprofit organizations are welcome.

Among the grant opportunities discussed will be the Cultural Trust's 2018 Cultural Development Grants; grant guidelines will be posted on the Trust website Monday, Feb. 5, with an April 13 application deadline (see details below).

"Conversations with Funders and Partners" begin Tuesday, Feb. 6, in Northeast Portland and are scheduled in regional flights. Registration is not required.

The schedule is: Portland Metro -- all events 4 -- 6:30 p.m. * Portland: Tuesday, Feb. 6, Cerimon House (5131 NE 23rd Ave.) * Beaverton: Thursday, Feb. 8, Meeting Room A, Beaverton City Library (12375 SW 5th St.) Oregon City & Eugene -- all events 4-6:30 pm * Oregon City: Tuesday, Feb. 13, Community Room, Oregon City Library (606 John Adams St.) * Eugene: Thursday, Feb. 15, Phoenix Room, Phoenix Inn Suites (850 Franklin Blvd.)

Oregon Coast & Roseburg -- event times vary * Seaside: Tuesday, Feb. 20, Clatsop Community College, South County Campus (1455 N Roosevelt) 10 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. * Lincoln City: Tuesday, Feb. 20, Lincoln City Cultural Center (540 NE Hwy 101) 4 p.m. -- 6:30 p.m. * Florence: Wednesday, Feb. 21, Florence Event Center (715 Quince St.) 10 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. * Coos Bay: Wednesday, Feb. 21, Coos History Museum (1210 N Front St.) 2 p.m. -- 4 p.m. * Roseburg: Thursday, Feb. 22, Pacific Hall, Douglas County Fairgrounds (2110 SW Frear St.) 12 p.m. -- 2:30 p.m.

Central & Southern Oregon -- event times vary * Bend: Tuesday, Feb. 27, High Desert Museum (59800 US-97) 4:30 p.m. -- 7:00 p.m.

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* Klamath Falls: Wednesday, Feb. 28, Ross Ragland Theater (218 N 7th St.) 12 p.m. -- 2:30 p.m. * Medford: Wednesday, Feb. 28, Adams Room, Medford Public Library (205 S Central Ave.) 4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Eastern Oregon & Willamette Valley- all events 4 -- 6:30 pm * La Grande: Tuesday, March 6, Community Room, Cook Memorial Library (2006 Fourth St.) * Albany: Thursday, March 8, Albany Regional Museum (136 Lyon St. S) Oregon Cultural Trust Cultural Development Grants The Cultural Trust's Cultural Development Grants recognize and support significant cultural programs and projects through four grant categories: access; preservation; creativity; and capacity.

Since 2017 is projected to be a successful fundraising year for the Cultural Trust, a record amount will be available for grants which last year totaled more than $2.94 million. Cultural Development Grants represent one third of the annual funding the Cultural Trust provides to Oregon's cultural nonprofits. Other funding includes grants to the Trust's five statewide partners -- to support their projects and respective grant programs -- and to 45 county and tribal cultural coalitions that fund local initiatives and grants.

FY2019 Cultural Development Grants are for projects and activities that will occur between Aug. 1, 2018, and July 30, 2019.

Grant guidelines will be posted by Monday, Feb. 5, for an application deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday, April 13.

For more information contact Schreiner at aili.schreiner@oregon.gov or 503-986-0089.

10. It's Not the Food Deserts: It's the Inequality Too many Americans are overweight and eat unhealthy food, a problem that falls disproportionately on poor and low-income people. For many urbanists, the main culprit has long been “food deserts”—disadvantaged neighborhoods that are underserved by quality grocery stores, and where people’s nutritional options are limited to cheaper, high-calorie, and less nutritious food.

But a new study by economists at New York University, Stanford University, and the University of Chicago adds more evidence to the argument that food deserts alone are not to blame for the eating habits of people in low-income neighborhoods. The biggest difference in what we eat comes not from where we live per se, but from deeper, more fundamental differences in income and, especially, in education and nutritional knowledge, which shape our eating habits and in turn impact our health.

To gauge the quality of food and nutrition by income groups and across different geographies, the study uses data from the Nielsen Homescan panel on purchases of groceries and packaged food and drink items between 2004 and 2015, which it then evaluates in terms of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Eating Index. It studies the gap between high- and low-income households: namely, those with annual incomes of $70,000 or more, and low-income households with incomes of less than $25,000 per year.

To access the full story, click here.

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11. USDA is Seeking Applications to Support Rural Businesses and Create Jobs In Oregon, applications will be accepted between March 1 and April 30, 2018. View details in the request for applications to support business and create jobs in rural Oregon.

Are Applications Currently Being Accepted? Application deadlines vary by state. Please select the state drop down menu at right and contact business programs staff for the application deadlines in the state where your project is located.

What does this program do?

This program is a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas which will employ 50 or fewer new employees and has less than $1 million in gross revenue. Programmatic activities are separated into enterprise or opportunity type grant activities.

Who may apply for this program?

Rural public entities including, but not limited to:        

Towns Communities State agencies Authorities Nonprofit corporations Institutions of higher education Federally-recognized Tribes Rural cooperatives (If organized as a private nonprofit corporation)

What is an eligible area?

RBDG funds must be used for projects benefitting rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more. Check eligible areas.

How much funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. Generally, grants range from $10,000 to $500,000. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total RBDG annual funding.

For more information, click here.

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