Technical Assistance & Coaching

Reference Resources

Training Opportunities

Funding Resources

Evaluations

Sample Community Plans

Blueprint Communities participants are offered a number of resources to assist them in developing and implementing their community revitalization plans. Check back periodically for additional resources.

Technical Assistance & Coaching

• Community Coaching: Community Development Partnership of West Virginia
  • Guide to Community Coaching
  • Application for Community Coaching
    
    
• Regional Planning and Development Councils: http://www.movrc.org/
  
  
• Main Street West Virginia, Coalfield Development: http://www.wvdo.org/community/assistance.html
  
  
• Mission West Virginia Inc.: http://www.missionwv.org/
  
  
• The Standards for Excellence serve as a model of how well managed, responsibly governed, nonprofit organizations operate: http://www.standardsforexcellence.org/
  
  
• The goal of Nolo is to make America's legal system accessible to everyone. With hundreds of top quality, plain-English legal products, Nolo helps businesses and nonprofits get up and running and grow: www.nolo.com
  
  
• Administration for Children and Families (ACF): http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf/
  • Compassion Capital Fund (CCF)
  • Targeted Capacity Building Program
  • Toolkit for Faith Based and Community Organizations: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf/resources/toolkit.html

Reference Resources

• The Fairmont BC team created and used door hang tags (sample here) to announce a meeting to everyone in the neighborhood. The team printed 500 of them and cut out the area for hanging on the door in about an hour's time. They were easy to distribute.

• Community Investing Center's Community Investment Database. A search tool that allows you to find organizations and investment products that meet your needs and interests: http://www.communityinvestingcenterdb.org/
  

• "Back Home with Blueprint Communities" Booklet (PDF)

• The Community Revitalization Desktop Guide provides a comprehensive model for community revitalization. Offered by the PA Department of Economic & Community Development, the Guide can be of use to communities in any state: http://www.newpa.com/default.aspx?id=479. 
  
  
• Simple Truths About Leadership (PDF) , PowerPoint presentation deliverd by William G. Batz, COO of FHLBank Pittsburgh, at the Blueprint Communities workshop on April 2, 2007.
  

• Neighborhood Revitalization Planning & Implementation (PDF), PowerPoint presentation delivered by Jeremy Newberg, President, Capital Access, Inc.

• Evaluation Ideas: Team Evaluation Activity (PDF), PowerPoint presentation delivered by Mary Ohmer, Ph.D., Ohmer and Associates, Evaluator for Bluepirnt Communities initiaitive.

• The West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service challenges West Virginians to strengthen their communities through service and volunteerism. It identifies resources, promotes an ethic of service, and empowers communities to solve problems and improve the quality of life for individuals and families.

• DataPlace by KnowledgePlex offers a one-stop source for data about your community, or any other place in the U.S. This site provides up-to-date information from several sources, including customized maps.

• Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) provides unbiased analysis and information on the challenges, needs, and opportunities facing rural America. RUPRI’s aim is to spur public dialogue and help policymakers understand the rural impacts of public policies and programs.

Training Opportunities

From time to time, various institutions, agencies or organizations offer opportunities for funding, program participation, advisory assistance or other support. As we become aware of them, we'll post them here. Please let us know about any opportunities you come across, whether or not you've actually taken advantage of them.

• Training: The Brushy Fork Annual Institute. Three days of training to help build hands-on skills, expand your network of contacts and resources and explore contemporary Appalachian issues.

• Resource: The SkillBuilder Training Calendar. Published three times a year in January, May, and September by the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service: http://www.volunteerwv.org/skillbuilder/SBoutput.cfm
  

Funding Resources

• Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh Community Investment Programs
  • Affordable Housing Program - grants/loans for affordable housing projects & special needs populations
  • Banking On Business - assistance for start-up and expansion costs for small businesses
  • Community Lending Program - below-market-rate loans for all kinds of community investment projects
  • First Front Door - grants for qualified first-time homebuyers
    
    
• WV Development Office Flex-E-Grants: Limited to distressed and at-risk counties, late summer application period: http://www.wvdo.org/community/FEG.html.
  
  
• Governor’s Community Partnership Grants: http://www.wvdo.org/community/gcpgp.html
  
  
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Funding Opportunities:
  • 2007 Community Connect. Broadband community connection funding opportunities for fiscal year 2007 will be announced in the near future.
  • Rural Development Telecommunications Program
  • Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program
  • Rural and Community Development. Funding opportunities and other resources.
    
    
• The West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service identifies grant opportunities for communities: http://www.volunteerwv.org/h/answers/grants.cfm

• Neighborhood Investment Program, Small Cities Block Grant, and Local Economic Development Grant, Economic Infrastructure: http://www.wvdo.org/community/assistance.html

• West Virginia Partnerships to Assure Student Success (WVPASS). Supports West Virginia communities by providing them with training, technical support and resources for youth and community development. For grant opportunities available to West Virginia communities: http://wvpass.org/grants.html
  

• Mission West Virginia Inc., capacity buidling funding: http://www.missionwv.org/
  
  
• Administration for Children and Families (ACF): http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf/
  • Compassion Capital Fund (CCF)
  • Targeted Capacity Building Program: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf/about_ccf/prgm_target_cap.html
    

Evaluations

• West Virginia Team Members Pleased with April Training! – Summary Report by Ohmer & Associates (PDF)
• Ohmer Associates – Evaluation Tools and Materials (PDF)
• Sample Logic Model – BC Planning Process (PDF)
• Sample Logic Model – BC Housing Goal (PDF)

Sample Community Plans

• Summers County 2020 Plan (PDF)

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