Grangeville, ID

Our Coordination System Action team met and held a conference call with Jackson, Minnesota to learn how they set up their Community Foundation. Also present at this meeting were Chin Le and Katie Cooper from neighboring community, Cottonwood. As we explore forming a community foundation/coalition, we are considering making the non-profit bigger than just the Grangeville community and inviting the Cottonwood Horizons to join us in our efforts. Our hope is to begin thinking more regionally rather than just as one community.

The converstaion with Jackson was very informative and inspiring. Jackson was a pilot Horizons community four years ago and are still going strong. They have spent a lot of time successfully developing leadership and structural change in their community. We will continue to glean information from them. Thank you Jackson!!!

horizons_summit_actionteams.pdf

Seven Grangeville Horizons members attended the Horizons Summit held in Grangeville on Thursday, January 24th.  The Summit was attended by Horizons community members from more than 8 communities as well as local and statewide partners.  The Summit provided an opportunity for each community to share the vision and action that has come out of their Horizons experience and to seek assistance from the potential partners who were present.  Potential partners had the opportunity to hear about all of the great community work happening across northern Idaho in Horizons communities.  Lots of connections were made between Horizons communities and with potential partners who can provide assistance as the action teams move forward.

Grangeville’s Action Team status report was presented by Scott Russell.  A copy of the report can be viewed at the beginning of this post.

The Grangeville Horizons Coordination System Action Team has determined that their number one goal is development of a community entity with 501(c)3 non-profit status.  The Action Team is in the process of working through the process to form a community-wide structure and system for developing and implementing a variety of projects that will target issues of poverty.  Development of a non-profit entity will allow for an organized and coordinated approach to community-wide planning and fund seeking for projects that help the community reach its vision of being a vibrant small town that has a powerful sense of community with opportunities for all people to thrive and grow.

Grangeville’s Leadership Development Action Team is working to “create and make a path and resources for people interested in developing leadership skills within the community”.  Their goals include:

• connecting existing community leaders with people who may be leaders on new community projects
• developing community mentoring/leadership training in the schools by placing volunteer mentors in the schools and offering monthly brown-bag lunch leadership training in the school to include youth as well as other community members

The Leadership Development Action Team’s ultimate goal is to see an increase in community members taking leadership roles. 

Downtown Action Team - 1/14/08, 6:00 PM, Miller Hardward

Farmers Market Action Team - 1/18/08, 12:00 PM, The Gallery

Education Action Team - 1/16/08, 6:30 PM, Soltman Center

Leadership Action Team - 2/4/08, 4:00 PM, Super 8

Business Development Action Team - 2/4/08, 5:30 PM, The Gallery

Recreation Action Team - 1/14/08,  6:30 PM, Oscar’s

Coordination System Action Team - 1/18/08, 9:00 AM, Jahn Studios

Grangeville’s Horizons Steering Committee met on Tuesday, January 8th to talk about priorities for use of funding through the Northwest Area Foundation and the University of Idaho.  Each Action Team submitted a plan for upcoming work and a request for funding to assist with that work.  All funding requests will be considered and a final budget will be set by the Steering Committee at its February meeting.  The Steering Committee identified that completing the application process and becoming an approved non-profit entity is the highest priority but it appears that all requests, with the exception of a contract with the U of I to survey the community about attitudes and beliefs about education, are within the existing amount of funds available.

Recreation/Culture Action Team Work Plan

Leadership Development Action Team Work Plan

Education Action Team Work Plan

Downtown Action Team Work Plan

Cordination System Action Team Work Plan

Business Development Action Team Work Plan

Eight Grangeville residents attended training on December 6th to learn about “Nonprofits that Work.”  The day long training was conducted by Kay Sohl, Executive Director of Technical Assistance for Community Services (TACS), an organization that provides training and consulting resources for non-profit organizations.  Attending from Grangeville were Mark Baker, Paul Eimers, Deanna English, Andrea Solberg, Sally Nolan, Jody Hoogland, Mary Jahn and Hanna Young.  As a result of the training, the Coordination Action Team will start to pursue receipt of 501(c)3 status for a community non-profit (possibly a community foundation) that can provide non-profit status and a coordination mechanism for all work in the community aimed at making Grangeville a thriving community for the future.

The Grangeville Farmers Market will reopen June 7th 2008, Rain or Shine!

Local produce, crafts, food and music highlight this great community event Saturday mornings at Heritage Square.

For more information visit www.GrangevilleFarmersMarket.org

Contact Suzanne at 208.315.1924 or Renee at 208.839.2395 for questions about vendor rules and how to apply to become a vendor

Horizons Action Teams are working on the following:

Downtown Action Team:  community yard sale - Spring 2008, Steelhead Run celebration - Fall 2008, planter boxes on Main Street

Leadership Development Action Team:  discussion about targeting Leadership Development system to youth and 20-30 year olds, linking new leaders with experienced leaders for mentoring, reviewing existing leadership development training for possible use

Coordination Action Team:  website is up and running and will be fine tuned as we use it, November 19th at 5:00 PM at Camas Professional Counseling - Debbie Evans from Kamiah will meet with the group to discuss how the Upper Clearwater Community Foundation was formed and what purpose it serves in the community

Recreation Action Team - forming a volunteer “Recreation Commission” to begin to explore how to eventually have a paid Recreation Director and staff, ultimately would like a Recreation Center to be built

Cultural Action Team - also really interested in building a center to house performing arts and other cultural programming, will merge with Recreation Action Team and work together toward a Art and Recreation Center

Business Development Action Team - purpose is developing a system to provide continuing support to new and existing businesses, central point for resources, marketing, coordination of existing resources for businesses, looking for a member from the Dept. of Commerce and Labor

Education Action Team - first meeting Wednesday, November 14th, 6:30 PM at Soltman Center