Past Initiatives

Know Your Region Training

Pioneer Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Promotion in Rural America - Two-year initiative was supported by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The project recognized regional development organizations that had successfully overcome five key obstacles to entrepreneurial vitality in rural regions: distance to market, lack of available capital, economies of scale, absence of entrepreneurial networks, and the independent spirit of rural populations. Two reports were published: Taking Care of Business: The Role of Regional Development Organizations in Promoting Rural Entrepreneurship and Business Not as Usual: Regional Development Organizations Promote Rural Entrepreneurship (2001 and 2002).

Loan Sales and Securitization for Revolving Loan Funds - A partnership project with Commonwealth Development Associated to test a viable private capital market for securitized revolving loan fund (RLF) business development loans (2001).

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Regional GIS Scholarship Program - Supported by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and in partnership with Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), 59 regional development organizations were awarded scholarships for GIS software and training from ESRI to help them build their internal GIS capacity for use in all areas of planning. Culminated with a final report, GIS Technology: Enhancing Regional Planning and Development (2004).

GIS Works - To help regional development organizations learn how GIS technology can be used in all areas of planning and program delivery, the Research Foundation researched and prepared a best practice report that illustrated the many uses of GIS in regional development. GIS Works was distributed to all regional development organizations in the nation (1999).

HOMELAND SECURITY, DISASTER MITIGATION AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Flood Plain Mapping Demonstration Project - The Federal Emergency Management Agency funded this competitive project that selected Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center to update its flood plain maps using GIS technology, illustrating the benefits of regional approaches to flood map updating as a means to build disaster resistant communities and regions (2002).

Project Impact Pilot Mentoring Project - With support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Research Foundation coordinated a mentoring project that matched successful Project Impact Communities with start-up communities for on-going and on-site mentoring experiences (1999 - 2000).

Pulse of Small Town and Rural America - A project in partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that assessed the current thinking of rural and small town elected officials, economic development practitioners and others about various federal programs and policies effecting their efforts to promote community and economic development. The results of the instantaneous polling during the opening plenary session of NADO's 2004 Annual Training Conference were presented in eForum Results: The Pulse of Small Town and Rural America (2004).

Partnership Project - With support from the Ford Foundation, launched a program to encourage regional development organizations to partner with non-profit organizations on various community and economic development initiatives. Resulted in a best practice resource guide, The Power of Partnerships: A Guide for Practitioners and Policymakers (1998).

Census and Rural America - Recognizing the tremendous impact of the decennial census upon rural regions, the Research Foundation prepared an in-depth guide on how the numbers are used by the government and what that means for rural communities. The Importance of the Census to Rural Americans received considerable recognition as an informative guide when it was published and widely distributed (1998).

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Planning - In partnership with the Corporation for Enterprise Development and the Economic Development Administration, Research Foundation staff conducted a series of strategic planning workshops (1999).

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Universal Service - Understanding the digital divide and the critical need to bring rural communities on par with their urban and suburban counterparts, the Research Foundation began to assess the impact of telecommunications technologies to rural regions and communities. With support from GTE, a one-day symposium on telecommunications was held and a report, Universal Service: Linking Communities to Opportunities, was generated to provide rural policymakers and practitioners with suggestions for assuring universal service in their communities and regions (1998).

Making Progress for Local Consultation - In partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the National Association of Counties, the Research Foundation developed mechanisms for information dissemination and training aimed at increasing the involvement of local officials in the statewide transportation planning process (2004 - 2005).

Connecting to Today's Rural America - Support from Greyhound Lines, Inc. helped the Research Foundation convene rural development policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders for a one-day symposium that addressed prevailing transportation issues in rural areas. This event helped the Research Foundation evolve into a leading proponent for rural and small metropolitan transportation equity (1999).