April 2004 Volume II, Number 3

Compiled by Deb Miller Slipek, News Finder Extraordinary &
Jane Leonard, MRP President & Editor

IN THIS ISSUE:
2004 MINNESOTA RURAL SUMMIT THEME
POLICY HAPPENINGS
FUNDING OPTIONS
TRAINING/CONFERENCES
MISCELLANEOUS

2004 Minnesota Rural Summit: "GEARING UP FOR THE INNOVATION ECONOMY"

Save the Date - August 18-20, Hibbing Community College

Notes from Jane: Last week, we finally settled on a theme for the 2004 Rural Summit -- one that could build upon last year's Summit on entrepreneurship. This year's summit will help Rural Minnesota "Gear Up" for the Innovation Economy. The Innovation Economy builds upon the 50-year span of the information, knowledge and digital economies. It calls upon us to "gear up" and use all that know-how we have acquired to create new businesses, new products, and new services and retool business processes. Doing so can give us the competitive edge, because we can't rely on cheap land and cheap labor to give us that edge anymore. Up until now, we've applied our know-how through the lens of the agricultural and industrial age economies --- a 19th and 20th century framework for 21st century realities. What if we started over in our minds and seriously applied today's technologies and know-how for balanced life and work in the 21st Century? Given the work ethic, natural amenities and community life that rural Minnesota possesses, I think rural truly has the advantage in this innovation economy, if we choose to pursue it.

Rural Minnesota is inventive, resourceful, and resilient --- all the ingredients you need to be and stay innovative. Just look at the women who led the Gopher basketball team this year into the Final Four tournament. Talk about innovation! It's all there: innovation based on hard work, team work, practice and persistence; innovation that sees potential in new combinations of people and talent; winning through adversity. And most important, joy in just playing the game! Many of the Gopher hoopsters are from rural Minnesota --- Hutchinson, Winnebago, Fosston, Marshall. The rural women played alongside women from the suburbs and the inner city to create a winning combination that has captured the imagination and hearts of all of Minnesota.

That's what the 2004 Rural Summit represents for me --- winning combinations that create innovations that create success. For Rural Minnesota, it's the teaming of forces and sectors like entrepreneurship, finance, health care, design, education, housing, transportation, agriculture and natural resources, vital aging and youth, and broadband technologies. Individually, as a single gear wheel, these forces and sectors can spin aimlessly. Interlocked and engaged, they transform raw engine power into forward movement for rural community and economic development. Gear up with us and learn more about these innovations and innovators at the 2004 Rural Summit in Hibbing, August 18-20. Check the Minnesota Rural Partners website at www.minnesotaruralpartners.org for more information later this spring. Email me to add your ideas to these thoughts above or to make sure you are on the mailing list for Summit materials. We would love to hear what you think about all this.
- Jane Leonard, jleonard@minnesotaruralpartners.org

POLICY HAPPENINGS

--The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines will be sponsoring a landmark symposium -- "Capitalizing on Rural America" -- to explore the economic future of rural America April 15-16, 2004 in Des Moines, Iowa.
The symposium will include a Socratic Dialogue led by legendary Harvard Law Professor, Arthur Miller who is best known for moderating the Emmy award-winning PBS Media and Society series. Three in-depth sessions will address policies and strategies to remove barriers to regionalism, the role of technology as a resource for new rural economic strategies, and innovative ways to increase the flow of capital into rural America. A "The Capital Communities" reception will highlight the Minnesota communities of Wells and Detroit Lakes. For more information please contact Madge Cremer at 1-800-544-3452 x 1071 or by email at MCremer@fhlbdm.com
--The Center for the Study of Rural America at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City will hold its Fifth Annual Rural Policy Conference May 17-18, 2004 in Kansas City, MO.

The conference -- "New Governance for a New Rural Economy: Reinventing Public and Private Institutions" -- will explore how innovations in governance can help rural regions build new economic engines. Governance--how regions think and act regionally--is critical to future economic success. The conference will highlight regions that are innovating governance, and identify promising steps that leaders in government, education, and business can take to improve their region's prospects for success. The agenda and registration information can be found at www.kc.frb.org/RuralCenter/conference/04Prelimprogram_web.pdf
On a related note, the Center recently released a report entitled Will the Farm Rebound Lead a Rural Recovery? It noted that economic headlines in rural America were mostly positive in 2003, especially in the farm sector. The farm economy broke out of its drought-induced recession. Low global crop supplies, strong demand, and high prices underpinned strong gains in U.S. farm income. Meanwhile, the nation's economic recovery appeared to forge a beachhead in rural America as job losses and factory closures eased in 2003. It still remains unclear, though, whether the rural economy can build upon the optimism of 2003 in the coming year. Here's the link to the report: http://www.kc.frb.org/Publicat/econrev/er04q1.htm

FUNDING OPTIONS

--US Department of Commerce Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) Announces $12.9 million available for FY2004 grants. The Technology Opportunities Program, a matching grant program of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, promotes the use of advanced telecommunications and information technologies. It is accepting proposals involving the deployment of broadband infrastructure, services, and applications. The deadline for applications is April 27, 2004. For more information, go to
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/grants/documents/notice2004.html.

--$45 Million in FY 2004 Funding Now Available Through U.S. Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The CDFI Fund invests in and supports community-based organizations, known as community development financial institutions - or CDFIs, that provide financing and related services to communities and populations that lack access to credit, capital and financial services. The CDFI Fund has certified over 650 CDFIs that operate in all 50 states.

Important changes made this round include a sub-component aimed at small and emerging CDFIs, inclusion of criteria enabling rural areas to be eligible due to county population loss and net out-migration, and a much more user-friendly version of our electronic application. The application deadline is April 28, 2004. For more information visit http://www.cdfifund.gov/docs/FA/2004/FA_NOFA04.pdf

--USDA Rural Development announces $325 million available for Distance Learning and Telemedicine loans and grants to rural communities to strengthen rural America. Telemedicine technology makes it possible for doctors to examine and direct the treatment of patients without being physically present. The distance learning program finances equipment to expand educational resources to students and educational institutions in isolated rural areas.

Applications for $15 million in grants must be submitted by April 30, 2004 and will be scored and awarded on a competitive basis. Applications for the grant/loan combinations and loans can be submitted through out the fiscal year and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Applications for the loans and combination loan-grants can be submitted throughout the fiscal year and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If you need additional assistance, and your organization is located in Minnesota, contact Andrew Gag at (218) 847-9392 extension 4. An application guide is available on the Web at www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm

--Pohlad Foundation Offers After-School Academic Enrichment Funding. The Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation, Minneapolis, welcomes grant proposals for its After-School Academic Enrichment Initiative for the 2004-2005 school year. The foundation launched the initiative last year to strengthen its commitment to economically disadvantaged youth. This year, the initiative's geographic scope has been expanded to include effective programs operating in the entire 13-county region surrounding the Twin Cities.

A total of $250,000 is available through the initiative for the 2004-2005 school year. Grants will range from $10,000 to $20,000. Completed application forms must be received on or before 3:30 p.m. on May 4, 2004. For more information and an application form, visit the foundation's Web site at www.pohladfamilygiving.org. Or contact Dianne Lev, consultant for the Pohlad Family Foundation, at 612/661-3911, diannelev72@usfamily.net.

--Building Social and Economic Capital Implementation Grants are now available. These grants will support community economic development partnerships involving at least one institution of higher education and at least one community-based organization that engage students and other institutional resources to meet locally defined needs. Proposals may be submitted requesting $25,000 to 40,000. Approximately 5-7 grants will be made for activities taking place during a one-year period, from October 1, 2004, to September 30, 2005. Preliminary proposals are due May 28, 2004. For the full RFP go to http://mncampuscompact.org or contact Julie Plaut at julieplaut@mncampuscompact.org or 651-603-5084.

TRAINING/CONFERENCES
--YOU CAN STILL MAKE THE LAST WORKSHOP! University of Minnesota Extension Service has been sponsoring a series of workshops entitled "U and Your Economy". The final one is April 8, 2004, in Moorhead. State Economist Tom Stinson is a featured speaker. Rural economic development programs and research are also featured in this day-long workshop designed for economic development professionals, local government officials, and community leaders. Topics include the Minnesota economy, industry clusters in Minnesota, business retention and expansion, rural health works, strategies for small stores in a big box world, access e-information, and community tourism.
For more information, see http://www.extension.umn.edu/uandeconomy or contact Michael Darger at darger@umn.edu or 612-625-6246.

-- 4th Annual Senior Cooperative Housing Conference will be May 6-7 at the Holiday Inn Select in Bloomington. This is a key networking and educational opportunity for directors, members, managers and developers of senior housing cooperatives. For further information contact the Minnesota Association of Cooperatives at 651-228-0213.

--Vital Aging ~ Vital Communities: The 2004 Summit sponsored by the Vital Aging Network will be held on May 13th on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. This Summit is for individuals in midlife and beyond, civic leaders and policy makers, community program coordinators and service providers, and educators and advocates. Vital Aging is one of those over-arching issues that affects all in a multitude of ways. The conference will have an array of intriguing speakers, including: Connie Goldman former NPR host of "All Things Considered," John (Jody) Kretzmann from the Asset-based Community Development ( ABCD) Institute at Northwestern University, and Jim Scheibel, former director of the federal Volunteers in the Service to America and former mayor of St. Paul. Scholarships are available for community teams of 2 or more persons from rural communities more than 100 miles from the Twin Cities-that means registration is FREE for rural folks if you team up!

-- The Center for Small Towns and the Minnesota Association of Small Cities will sponsor the Second Annual Symposium on Small Towns "Rural Communities Adapting to the New Century" on June 8 - 9, 2004 in Morris. With a unique focus on small towns and rural areas, this event features opportunities to learn and discuss our political framework and issues, showcase the best practices of small town projects, actively engage participants in project development, and celebrate towns and rural living. This symposium is a part of the UM President Bob Bruinink's 21st Century Interdisciplinary Conferences Series of the University of Minnesota. For more information, visit http://www.centerforsmalltowns.org and click on "Symposium" or call the Center for Small Towns at (320) 589-6451 or contact the Minnesota Association of Small Cities website at http://maosc.homestead.com/home.html

-- Community Wind Energy is a national conference that will identify and discuss model public policies, address barriers and provide practical tools for wind energy development. It will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on June 23-24 and is sponsored by Windustry. For further information go to http://www.windustry.org

--2004 Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Conference: "Assets in Action - Making a Difference" will be held November 4-6, 2004 in St. Paul, MN. The Search Institute's conference will showcase ways communities are making change, measuring change and creating tools and processes to keep the asset-building momentum going. For more information, see http://www.search-institute.org

TOOLS

--Regional Visitor Studies Completed: The University of Minnesota Tourism Center recently completed two year-long regional visitor studies designed to assist local communities in making better marketing decisions, to develop baseline information on who and why people are
visiting the area and to assist in generating tourism awareness. The two studies focused on communities on the Red Lake River (Crookston, East Grand Forks and Thief River Falls) and those located in the Lake of the Woods Area including Baudette, the Northwest Angle, Roseau and Warroad. Partners in the first-time initiative include the listed communities, the Minnesota Office of Tourism, the University of Minnesota Northwest Regional Partnership, the Northwest Regional Development Commission and the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. Results of the studies can be found at http://www.tourism.umn.edu/research/NWvisitor.html

--Updated Guide helps Nonprofits Raise Operating Funds. "Guide to Fundraising for Rural Housing Nonprofits: Strategies for Raising Operating Funds" is free at www.ruralhome.org/pubs/nonprofit/FundraisingGuide2004Update.pdf
Or $3.50 from Luz Rosas, luz@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

--Atlas of Minnesota - A Survey of Social and Economic Characteristics of Minnesota's 87 Counties is available from the University of Minnesota Extension Service. The Atlas is a compilation of demographic, economic and social data from credible sources. It contains 150 maps within 11 theme categories, as well as a CD-ROM which allows users to customize this data tool. For further information Joyce Hoelting at 612-625-8233 or check it out at http://www.extension.umn.edu/topics.html?topic=1

--Searching for Federal Grants? Log on to Grants.gov at: http://www.grants.gov. This site allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies.

MISCELLANEOUS TIDBITS

--USDA and HUD Propose Rules for Equal Participation by Faith-Based Organizations. USDA's comment deadline is May 4. See Federal Register, 3/5/04, pp. 10354-57. Contact Courtenay McCormick, 202-720-3631, courtenay.mccormick@usda.gov. HUD's deadline is May 3. See Federal Register, 3/3/04, pp. 10125-29. Contact Ryan Streeter, HUD, 202-708-2404. Also, the Rural Housing Service at USDA has issued guidance for determining faith-based and community organizations' eligibility for community facilities financing in AN No. 3943, February 23, 2004, available at http://rdinit.usda.gov/regs/an_list.html or from USDA Rural Development offices.

--BizPathways has updated its website. Register and always be checking for new information on business resources at http://www.bizpathways.org. Also check out http://www.financeavenue.org for specific information on financial services and products useful for your business development needs.

NOTE TO READERS: IF YOU HAVE NEWS AND INFO YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED IN THIS NEWSLETTER, PLEASE SEND ITEMS TO jleonard@minnesotaruralpartners.org.

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