Following the $

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Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on April 7, 2008 at 9:34pm

Amen.
j

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Permalink Reply by Bruce LaDuke on June 29, 2008 at 10:44pm

Jon,

In my opinion, today it's more about changing the way people think than it is about connecting people, luring business, traditional economic development, etc. All of those things are still critically important, but new thinking is still paramount.

Traditional approaches to community development on their own are breaking down. By the time community leaders bring in one big company, one they already have is leaving town or has sent most of its jobs to India or China or Mexico. Or by the time an individual company figures out how to deal with one surprise, another has already hit them. Or just when a community thinks they have something sustainable a tornado and/or flood hits and wipes a lot of it out. There are all kinds of diverse challenges on all fronts these days.

E.g., 10 years ago, who could have predicted a simultaneous war on terror, falling dollar, rising oil, housing crisis spilling over into annuities and small loans? But yet everyone still has to deal with it. And while they are dealing with it, there are more challenges in the wings. I read this week that the North Pole is not going to freeze this year, which is the first time in recorded human history. That's just freaky.

Anyway, the word 'Transformation' is almost reaching business buzz word level, but it is in fact the key to all of this. And while many folks admit they need it badly, a lot of them are shooting in the dark at the target and not sure how to achieve it.

What transformation requires above all else is a new mindset/way of thinking. Old thought patterns based on steady state predictability are breaking down. We have to think about success, opportunity, and even sustenance much differently than we did in the past. It's not just about making connections and building businesses, now its about building or transforming into integral adaptable enterprises. And this is impossible to achieve until you first get people think differently.

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Permalink Reply by Andy Fraizer on October 22, 2008 at 5:13pm

Jon:

Interesting post. It has been some time since you posted and my reading, so I would welcome additional conversation.

There are several strategies for community development based on local assets. In Indianapolis, you might investigate the Fostering Commercial Urban Strategies (FOCUS) initiative, http://www.focusindy.com. FOCUS is an innovative partnership between LISC, the Central Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indianapolis Coalition for Neighborhood Development and the City of Indianapolis. This city-wide collaboration is making changes in the planning, advocacy, and delivery of economic development projects. The goal is to build long-lasting relationships that connect neighborhoods with businesses and new resources to revitalize urban markets.

IACED, my organization works with numerous nonprofits across the state who are focused on community economic development. Many are beginning to invest in microenterprise strategies. Comprehensive microenterprise development programming consists of four key elements: Training and Technical Assistance, Credit and Access to Credit, Access to Markets, and Economic Literacy and Asset Development.

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Permalink Reply by Bruce LaDuke on October 22, 2008 at 8:33pm

Andy,

You might be interested in this global community we just started for futurists, social entrepreneurs, and economic developers:

http://www.communitytransformer.com/

Bruce

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Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on November 2, 2008 at 3:39pm

Andy,
It would be a good idea for us to talk more about this. Shoot me an email with a time: jspeer@creoquality.com.
Cheers,
j

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Permalink Reply by DeWayne A. Landwehr on July 2, 2009 at 9:25am

Jon,

Well said. We are always drawn to the 'home run' approach, and quite often a series of singles would do a much better job. There is never any one thing that defines a community's economic character, and rarely any one thing that can improve it. I wonder if anyone has had an experience with a government program called, Assets for Independence (AFI). It is not a quick fix solution, but could help a community build wealth over time. I'm not even sure that program is still active.

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Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on July 4, 2009 at 1:09am

DeWayne,
I did a quick search for AFI (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/assets.html):
Assets for Independence (AFI) is a Federal program that provides grants to enable community-based nonprofits and State, local, and Tribal government agencies to implement and demonstrate an asset-based approach for offering low-income families help out of poverty.
I hadn't heard of the program before.
Thanks,
j

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Permalink Reply by DeWayne A. Landwehr on July 6, 2009 at 7:38am

Jon,

AFI still requires that the local entity to supply the seed capital, but then enhances it, as you no doubt have read.

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