May 2006 Volume IV, Number 5

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

IN THIS ISSUE:

- ACROSS THE FIELD
- SYMPOSIUM-SUMMIT UPDATES - REGISTRATION INFORMATION
- POLICY
- FUNDING
- MEETINGS & CONFERENCES
- OPPORTUNITIES
- RESOURCES, TOOLS & MISCELLANEOUS

ACROSS THE FIELD, by Jane Leonard
Learn from history: for Minnesota's Sesquicentennial, let's work better together for our future

Countdown to the Symposium on Small Towns and Rural Summit - less than a month away in Morris - June 6 & 7! Countdown to the Minnesota sesquicentennial - 724 days - May 11, 2008!

Yes, I am a history buff. You can learn a lot from history. Take perspective, for example. The split we see these days between Republicans and Democrats doesn't seem quite so bad compared to the split nearly 150 years ago when Minnesota got the go ahead to become a state and had to write a state constitution.

From the Minnesota Historical Society records on the constitutional convention held between July 13 and August 29, 1857:

"Intense rivalry between the convention's Democratic and Republican factions prevented the entire body of delegates from convening in one place and drafting a single constitution. Eventually, a conference committee of five members from each faction met to propose language that was designed to be acceptable to both bodies. On August 28, 1857, after bitter debate, both factions approved the conference committee's proposed language. However, the members of each faction refused to sign a single document that contained the signatures of the other faction's members. On August 29, 1857, fifty-three Republican members signed one document of 39 pages and fifty-one Democratic members signed one document of 37 pages.

"Although the two documents were intended to be identical and to have the same meaning, the copyists, who worked feverishly through the night of August 28, 1857, to prepare the two documents for signature, created numerous differences. A detailed comparison of the two versions shows over 300 punctuation, grammatical, and wording differences. No substantive differences in meaning or interpretation are present."

Wow, with that beginning, it's a wonder we made it this far, to 2006, intact as a state in the Union! Throughout the next two years, we will occasionally bring you tidbits of history like this to help celebrate the struggles in democracy that forged Minnesota. (And please send me your tidbits of history, too!) We hope in the next chapter of our state's history, yet to be written, that after 150 years of practice we can work better together for our common good, as many diverse people united by the distinction that we are all Minnesotans - whether from rural, urban, or suburban places. We have Minnesota Sesquicentennial events and activities in mind to both honor our heritage and plan well for our future. So stay tuned to this newsletter and our website at www.minnesotaruralpartners.org.

SYMPOSIUM & RURAL SUMMIT INFORMATION

---The Long Arm of the Small Town Storytelling Festival -- The Minnesota Rural Summit along with the Center for Small Towns this year is sponsoring its annual regional Storytelling Festival at the following locations:

--Forest History Center - Grand Rapids - Sunday, May 21, 1 to 3 p.m.
--Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site - Little Falls - Tuesday, May 23, 7 to 9 p.m.
--MN Agricultural Interpretive Center (FarmAmerica) - Waseca - Thursday, May 25, 7 to 9 p.m.

Each regional event will feature a Storytelling Workshop and "Story Swap" where storytellers of all ages and all levels are allowed 15 minutes to share stories that reflect this year's theme, "Working Better Together for the Common Good." Storytellers from these regional events will be invited to share their stories at the 2006 Symposium on Small Towns and Rural Summit, June 6 & 7, 2006 at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Come and join us to help celebrate the spirit and practice of collaboration between Minnesota's people and communities.

--2006 Symposium on Small Towns and Rural Summit, June 6 & 7, 2006 at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Don't miss it, don't even be late….For just a $60 registration fee you won't want to miss the 4th annual Symposium on Small Towns and 9th annual Rural Summit, combined this year into a powerhouse of workshops, keynotes, and yes, some political forums just in time for election year! Everything from agriculture and renewable energy to housing to health care to entrepreneurship and community design. And really good local foods-all included in your registration. It's an annual gathering and homecoming for people who care about the innovations that happen at the grassroots, in small towns and rural places. Register and see the full workshop schedule at http://www.minnesotaruralpartners.org/2006summit/index.htm

POLICY

--The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) has issued its Final Rule regarding the Community Reinvestment Act. OTS is revising the definition of "community development" in its CRA regulations. OTS said the change is designed to encourage savings associations to increase their community development lending, qualified investments, and community development services in distressed or underserved rural areas and designated disaster areas. Under the expanded definition, "community development" includes activities that revitalize or stabilize: Low and moderate-income geographies; designated disaster areas; or distressed or underserved, nonmetropolitan areas designated by OTS based on rates of poverty, unemployment, and population loss (distress) or population size, density, and dispersion (underserved). This change brings the OTS in line with the Federal Reserve Board, OCC and the FDIC which adopted the definition in their August, 2005 final rule. See Federal Register, Vol. 71, No. 70, Wednesday, April 12, 2006, pp. 18614-18618 or go to http://www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/73302.pdf.

FUNDING

--A federally-sponsored Faculty Loan Repayment Program offers as much as $20,000 per year toward loans of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds serving as faculty for a minimum of two years at accredited health professions schools. The deadline is May 26 and information is online at http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/flrp/.

--The Linking Economic Development and Child Care Technical Assistance Project is soliciting grant proposals for innovative strategies that link economic development and child care. We plan to make funds available in two categories:
1) Small Venture Grants (in the $5,000 range) to help plan or initiate new ideas, policies or programs that apply economic development strategies to the early care and education industry; and,
2) Larger Implementation Grants, for organizations that are ready to move beyond the planning stage and begin to implement a new idea. While there is no pre-set limit on each individual project, the 2006 budget for both categories is $100,000. We anticipate that most awards will be in the $5,000 Venture Grant category. The purpose of the Venture Grant Fund is to seed bold, new ideas. Full grant information available on www.earlychildhoodfinance.org The due date is June 1.

--The Rural Utilities Service has $20 million available in its Distance Learning Grant Program. The grants are specifically designed to provide access to education, training and health care resources for people in rural America. The deadline is June 12. For more information, go to http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm or call David Noll 202-720-0413 or email david.noll@usda.gov or for questions, email dltinfo@wdc.usda.gov.

-- The US EPA Brownfields program offers grants for brownfield assessment, job training, and cleanup with various deadlines. On their main page, under "Other Funding and Financing for Brownfields," is the annual Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI), a grant program for municipalities that HUD administers to stimulate and promote economic and community development. BEDI expects to grant $10 million nationwide, with individual awards not to exceed $1 million. Applications are due June 14, 2006. http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/pilot.htm

--USDA Rural Development has issued its NOFA for FY 2006 housing programs. About $4.8 billion is available for single family direct and guaranteed home loans with a rolling deadline. Section 515, Rural Rental Housing received $99 million, also with a rolling deadline. Programs with a deadline of May 19 include Section 515, Rural Rental Housing; Section 533, Housing Preservation Grants; Section 514 and 516, Farm Labor Housing Loans and Grants. Section 538, Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program Loans and Section 515 Multi-family Housing Preservation Revolving Loan Fund Demonstration Program have a deadline of June 16. To read the NOFA on these and other programs, visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/nofas or go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/ for general information about the programs.

--Archer Daniels Midland Company has announced the 2006 Community Partnership Grant program. The mission of the program is to support agricultural areas of the United States by funding community improvement projects that are identified by individual communities. Up to four grants of $10,000 each will be awarded to nonprofit organizations in ADM communities. The deadline is June 30. Visit http://www.admworld.com/naen/communitygrantspopup.asp or call 800-637-5843 for more information.

--The Women's Foundation of Minnesota's Social Change Fund provides resources for projects that are designed to have a significant impact on societal attitudes and behaviors toward women or girls or that result in systems change. The foundation makes grants to seed, support, and strengthen women's and girls' groups working for social change in Minnesota in five key areas: 1) guaranteeing women's health and reproductive rights; 2) advancing women's safety and security; 3) creating economic justice for women; 4) expanding women's political representation; and 5) promoting women's human rights. Social Change Fund grants typically range from $5,000 to $20,000 for any one applicant/program. The Women's Foundation provides three types of support: 1) General Operating Grants; 2) Project Grants; and 3) Start-up Grants. Applications are invited from all areas of the state of Minnesota. Applicants should contact program staff to discuss their organization, project, and/or fiscal arrangements before submitting an application. The deadline for proposals is July 1, 2006. For more information, see www.wfmn.org.

--The Rural Health Care Program of the Universal Service Fund makes discounts available to eligible rural health care providers for telecommunication and monthly Internet service charges. The program, intended to ensure that rural health care providers pay no more for telecommunications in the provision of health care services than their urban counterparts, is online at http://www.health.state.mn.us/grants/index.html.

--The 2005 Minnesota Legislature enacted the Rural Pharmacy Planning and Transition Grant Program as part of the Rural Pharmacy Preservation Act. Office of Rural Health and Primary Care will begin accepting applications for 2007 grants early next year. For more information, contact Mark Schoenbaum at mark.schoenbaum@health.state.mn.us or (651) 282-3859.

----For additional information on rural fundraising go to:
http://www.casanet.org/program-management/resource-dev/rural-fundraising.htm

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) launched a grants and loan Web site of all MDH funding opportunities, online at http://www.health.state.mn.us/grants/index.html.

MEETINGS/CONFERENCES/TRAINING

--Fund Development, Thursday, May 18, 8:30 am - 4 pm. Initiative Foundation, Little Falls. Contact Rachel Durfee directly for questions and/or to register - rdurfee@ifound.org.

--Follow the Federal Dollars: A guided tour through the federal budget process
In this workshop, you will gain an understanding of:
-Key federal budget terms and concepts, and the basics of the federal budget (where do federal dollars come from and where do they go?)
-The timeline for the federal budget process
-How the President's Budget is developed
-How the Congressional Budget is developed and how it is enforced
-Opportunities for input and advocacy in the federal budget process using some current federal issues as examples

This workshop is led by Steve Francisco, Federal Policy Director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Thursday, May 18, 9:30 a.m. - noon (registration opens at 9 a.m.) Model Cities Brownstone Room, 849 University Ave. W., St. Paul, 55104 - $35 for MCN members/$50 for nonmembers For more information go to: www.mncn.org

-- Barn Culture will be held May 20, 2006 (Sat., 10:30 - 3:30) in Glenwood, MN. Presented by Friends of MN Barns. The program includes local historians, preservation and restoration specialists, blacksmithing and old time musicians. Cost is $30 - $40. Details at http://www.friendsofminnesotabarns.org

--June 1 forum on the Future of Geographic Information Technology. One of the major components is the "GeoWeb," which combines map data with web-like hypermedia; web pages, video objects, audio objects, etc. - that are tagged with location coordinates in addition to a URL. It allows us to learn about the environment as we move through it. To learn more about this event, see http://www.mngislis.org/metrogisforum.htm

--Grant Writing, Tuesday, June 13, 1 - 4 p.m. Initiative Foundation, Little Falls. Contact Jolene Howard directly for questions and/or to register-- jhoward@ifound.org or call her toll free at 877-632-9255.

--Follow the Dollars: A guided tour through the state budget process
In this workshop you will gain an understanding of:
-The basics of the Minnesota state budget
-The timeline for the state's budget process
-How the Governor's budget proposal is developed
-How the budget travels through the Legislature, and
-Opportunities for input and advocacy in the budget process
Workshops are led by Nan Madden, Director of the Minnesota Budget Project - an initiative of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Wednesday, June 14, 2006 -9:30 a.m. - noon (registration opens at 9 a.m.) Model Cities Brownstone Room, 849 University Ave. W., St. Paul, 55104. $35 for MCN members/$50 for nonmembers.

--Nonprofit 101 Conference: The Nuts and Bolts of Practical Management addresses the basic tools of effective nonprofit management and provides a broad overview of the many resources available to nonprofits in Minnesota. Its primary audience includes those new to working in the nonprofit sector as board members, staff members, and volunteers as well as people who find themselves in new positions at nonprofits. Tuesday, June 27, 2006 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (registration opens at 8 a.m.) at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis campus School of Law, 11th Street and LaSalle Avenue. Call Ann Johnson, Director of the Center for Nonprofit Management, at (651) 962-4300 for more information.

--Minnesota State University Moorhead, in partnership with United Way of Cass Clay and the Otto Bremer Foundation, will host a nine-month leadership program on "The Essentials of Nonprofit Administration" beginning September 13, 2006.The class meets the second Wednesday of each month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the MSUM campus. Each month a different topic is covered, such as nonprofit governance, human resource administration of staff and volunteers, marketing programs and services, strategic planning, program development, legal issues and leadership, among others. Presenters are academic and nonprofit professionals recognized as experts in their fields. Program cost is $300 per participant. For more information on this leadership program, contact: MSUM Customized Training Coordinator Kathleen Paulson at 218.477.5051 or paulsonk@mnstate.edu

--Joint Annual Conference o f the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the Minnesota Council on Foundations - Common Ground for Common Good - October 4 & 5 2006 at the RiverCenter in St. Paul. For more information about the conference, please contact the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits 651.642.1904 / 800.289.1904 or info@mncn.org also the Minnesota Council on Foundations can help, call Margaret Winchell at 612.335.3559.

--Save the Date for the Blandin Foundation's second annual Broadband Initiative conference, set for Oct 18 & 19 at Arrowwood Resort near Alexandria. Stay tuned at http://www.blandinfoundation.org/bsite/bbsite.html -- sign up at the website for their email newsletter.

OPPORTUNITIES

--Nominate an Outstanding Nonprofit: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits' 2006 Nonprofit Awards The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and MAP for Nonprofits are seeking nominations for the 2006 Nonprofit Mission and Excellence Awards. The Nonprofit Mission and Excellence Awards emphasize the importance of nonprofits to the quality of life in Minnesota by recognizing achievements that make a significant impact in the areas of innovation, advocacy, anti-racism, responsive philanthropy, and overall excellence. Recipients will receive a financial gift (except in the case of responsive philanthropy), a Minnesota-made art glass award, and will be honored among their peers at an evening reception on October 4th during the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits/Minnesota Council on Foundations Joint Annual Conference in St. Paul. The deadline to submit a nomination is May 26, 2006. For more about the nomination process, visit www.mncn.org/awards.htm Have questions or need more information?
Mission Awards: contact Shelly Dreyling at MCN, 651-642-1904, ext. 225 or shelly@mncn.org.
Excellence Awards: contact Julie Dappen at MAP for Nonprofits, 651-632-7232, or jdappen@mapfornonprofits.org

--The Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP), an AmeriCorps program, is looking for a full-time program director. Our 25 AmeriCorps members serve full time at 18 local non-profit agencies, helping low-income and new immigrant residents learn to use technology more effectively.

Please help spread the word about this position-- the application deadline is June 1, 2006. Feel free to forward this to your network of friends and colleagues. The full position description is available at:
http://www.technologypower.org ---

***We are also recruiting 25 full-time (paid) AmeriCorps members for our upcoming service year which begins in Sept. and runs through August 07. Additional information about CTEP AmeriCorps positions are linked from the technologypower.org website as well.

--Renewing the Countryside, a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization, in partnership with the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, is now seeking stories and story ideas, as well as young writers and photographers to be part of the Youth Renewing the Countryside production team this summer. A national committee composed of representatives from farming, youth development, and entrepreneurship networks, along with writers and photographers, will select the stories to be included in the publication and the writers and photographers who will create it. Selected contributors will be paired with professional writers and photographers who will act as mentors throughout the process. Renewing the Countryside will provide modest compensation to writers and photographers for their work. Contact Beth Munnich (beth@rtcinfo.org or (866) 378-0587) with:

• your story idea
  
• name(s) of potential contributor(s), including young writers or photographers (youth is defined as mid-teens to early 30's).
  

The deadline for nominating stories, writers, and photographers is June 15, 2006. Submissions and nominations will be reviewed beginning in early June.

--The Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration is seeking trainers to lead sessions for our new Volunteer Resources Leadership Series. MAVA's new training series is composed of eight modules on the key elements of effective volunteer resources leadership. It will be offered statewide starting in July 2006. We are looking for trainers statewide with:

• Experience presenting to groups and facilitating groups
  
• Familiarity with volunteer management best practices
  
• Flexibility to provide a limited number of trainings a year (for which you will receive a stipend and mileage reimbursement)

The first training of the trainers will be held in St. Paul on June 28, 2006. At the training, you will receive instruction in how to use the well designed curriculum and tips on how to be an effective trainer. It will be lead by nationally known volunteer management expert Betty Stallings who designed the series we are basing the training on. Additional training of trainers will be held in Greater Minnesota locations in fall, 2006. The locations of the training will be based on where people are who express an interest in the training. After the training, trainers will be matched with opportunities to deliver modules from the series. For more information, contact: Mary Quirk, Volunteer Resources Leadership Project Manager at mquirk@MAVAnetwork.org

RESOURCES and MISCELLANEOUS

--Amber Waves, April 2006 Amber Waves presents the broad scope of ERS' research and analysis. The magazine covers the economics of agriculture, food and nutrition, the food industry, trade, rural America, and farm-related environmental topics. Available on the Internet and in print, Amber Waves is issued in print five times a year (February, April, June, September, and November). The Internet edition, or "e-zine," includes links to web-only resources. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/April06/

--The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the US -Ten years after the first generation of genetically engineered (GE) varieties became commercially available, adoption of these varieties by U.S. farmers is widespread for major crops. Driven by farmers' expectations of higher yields, savings in management time, and lower pesticide costs, the adoption of corn, soybean, and cotton GE varieties has increased rapidly. Despite the benefits, however, environmental and consumer concerns may have limited acceptance of GE crops, particularly in Europe. This report focuses on GE crops and their adoption in the United States over the past 10 years. It examines the three major stakeholders of agricultural biotechnology and finds that (1) the pace of R&D activity by producers of GE seed (the seed firms and technology providers) has been rapid, (2) farmers have adopted some GE varieties widely and at a rapid rate and benefited from such adoption, and (3) the level of consumer concerns about foods that contain GE ingredients varies by country, with European consumers being most concerned. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB11/

--Ethanol Reshapes the Corn Market -This article examines the possible market impacts of the ongoing expansion of the U.S. ethanol sector. To meet the sector's growing demand for corn, some of the corn produced in the United States is likely to be diverted from exports. In the future, corn may cease to be the main feedstock for U.S. ethanol production if cellulosic biomass is successfully developed as an alternative. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/April06/Features/Ethanol.htm

--Agricultural and Rural Communities are Resilient to Higher Energy Costs - Higher energy costs have led agricultural producers to substitute more expensive fuels with less expensive fuels, shift to less energy-intensive crops, and employ energy-conserving production practices where possible. Energy price increases will have the biggest impact on farmers where energy represents a significant share of operating costs. Rural communities face somewhat different issues with increases in petroleum and natural gas costs. As the cost of producing goods and services rises, so will household costs for transportation and home heating. Because of higher transportation expenses, rural communities may see changes in settlement patterns, especially in more remote rural areas. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/April06/Features/Energy.htm

--The new issue of Ten magazine looks at the double bottom line of financial and social returns offered by community development funds, the future of Medicare and Social Security, new contactless payment technology, the impact of immigration on labor imbalances, and the link between financial performance and governance. The issue also includes the Bank's 2005 annual report. For additional information, visit the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Web site. http://www.kansascityfed.org

--Minnesota Power Online Business Resource Center http://mnpower.biztoolkit.org Available through Minnesota Power in partnership with the James J. Hill Reference Library (St. Paul, MN), one of the most comprehensive business libraries in the nation.

-- The Center for Rural Policy and Development announces its new Atlas of Minnesota online. Maps can be downloaded. Go to: www.ruralmn.org and click on the Atlas button.

--Woodstock Institute is pleased to announce the release of a new report examining the alarming levels household debt in the United States. Examining the different measures of debt and what they tell us about how households are savings and spending, Reinvestment Alert 30: U.S. Households Debt Levels are Worrying No Matter How You Look at Them underscores the importance of Woodstock's work to figure out how ordinary families can build, not deplete, financial assets. Some key findings are provided below. The full report is available for download by following the link below: http://www.woodstockinst.org/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,1/task,doc_download/gid,621/
Some key findings:

• Household debt rose from 71% of disposable household income to 126% between 1979 and 2005.
  
• Total household liabilities increased from 20% of total household assets to 29% between 1999 and 2004.
  
• Homeowners' equity in their homes declined from 67% of their homes' value to 57% between 1979 and 2004 despite rising home values that would add to an owner's equity.
  
• The median value of mortgage debt for families in the bottom fifth of the income distribution increased 191% and in the second lowest fifth, 124% between 1989 and 2001.
  
• Self-reported credit card debt data show that between 1989 and 2004 credit card debt, in inflation adjusted dollars, doubled.
  
• Credit card industry data show that the mean household credit card debt for families with at least one credit card exceeds $9,000. Since 40% of families pay their credit card bills in full every month, families who carry balances have average balances considerably in excess of $9,000.

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