Meeting August 26: WAG Strategic Planning

The Wellness Action Group is a local community organization in it's infancy. Its sponsor is the Horizons Group and WSU with a purpose to reduce or eliminate poverty in this area.

The focus of the Wellness Action Group is to build a community center for the Grand Coulee Dam Area. Our community has a major need for a comprehensive center to address the central issues associated with poverty.

Most of the efforts so far include planning and background research and input from community members. Soon, the W.A.G. hopes to begin the process of coordinating funds and building the community center. At that point, the support of the entire community will be needed.

Won’t you join now?

Tonight's Agenda:

Review minutes from previous meeting
Reports
Old Business	· Strategic Plan · Increase community participation and buy-in/partner with local government · Train the Trainer training for Futures Game · Mind Mapping Exercise
New Business	·

Next Meeting

September 9, 2010 Time, Location TBD

Minutes July 10:

Meeting Minutes

July 15, 2010

Horizons Grand Coulee WAG Action Meeting

Pepperjacks Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.

Present:

Scott Hunter

Sheri Edwards

Jenelle Ottmar

Christine Price

Lee Stockhorst

Old Old Business

Scott – After Tom Jensen’s idea from the hospital renovations, our community project can cut and paste from another community plan. See Ephrata, Bellevue plan from the Parks and Recreation District. How was it written? Merge them. This may be a good project for Lee. Find the digital version of these plans.

Lee can also make a calendar of grants to apply for, adding this to our strategic plan.

Lee – We can also host finger painting days and the like, sponsored by WAG to survey the market and earn community buy-in. Currently eleven softball teams are using the park (which is not being watered). Anything you can take your kids to hear is appreciated. We may also sponsor a financial planning workshop and job/scholarship application workshops.

Jenelle – Horizons can easily sponsor a financial education workshop. This is one of the program specialties. We can offer babysitting as well.

Scott – To partner with local government we may have to “shame” officials into participation. North Dam Park is being let go to waste. It is a huge asset.

Lee – I will return from summer vacation on August 22.

Jenelle – We will bring project supplies for Lee to our next meeting. I believe Nate Pitturaschatit or Amanda Poch are in possession of the project business cards. Kevin Lind may have the camera.

New Business

Mind Mapping Exercise scheduled for Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

Christy – The Gates Foundation is giving grants to support community foundations. You must be a 501c3 to receive this money. The application process and award criteria are very simple.

Next Horizons WAG Meeting	August 26, 2010 PepperJacks Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.
Coulee Area Park and Recreation District (CAPRD) Meeting

Minutes by Jenelle Ottmar

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HORIZONS:

Community Leaders Reducing Poverty

Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

What picture will we paint for our community?

WAG Horizons Community Meeting
6/10/10
6:30-8:30 PM
Center Elementary
Notes and Thoughts
Sheri Edwards

Help us choose the next big steps to bring us from past poverty and divisions to future hope and unity...

Text:

Christy Price
Paul Allen Foundation
Poverty
Fill gaps
Community needs
Build Capacity

Barbara Engstrom
State grant-- maybe rotary

Michelle --
Mark Neal, Architect
Tell the story

Wellness center
Master plan

Needs Assessment
Competition to community

Daycare
Kids prepared to learn
Atmosphere

The Package
The Story
The Evidence

Ownership
See Handout

Food Service-who, how
Bureau and others--
"Membership"
Hotel/motel tax

Jenelle Ottmar
Impact Statement


Connections
School-- pool, fitness, conference rooms, health agencies;
Medical-- therapy pool, conference rooms, health agencies, elder help;
Daycare-- learning prep, safety, health agencies;
Parks and Rec-- pool, parks, funding, conference rooms, education;
Culture-- activities, education, shared history, conference rooms;
Daily health-- community and school access;
Tourism-- year-round access;
Conferences-- CCT, BLM, GCDSD, CCH, Others (church, Rotary, Chamber, Businesses);
Fiber--access for community
Community--cohesion, five towns/one home center, employment, youth activities, wellness, 1935-2010+, future vision reality...

So...

What picture will we paint?

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HORIZONS: Community Leaders Reducing Poverty

Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.

Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org

Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/

WAG Meeting 4/26

The Wellness Action Group is a local community organization in it's infancy that is sponsored by the Horizons Group and WSU to reduce or eliminate poverty in this area.

The focus of the Wellness Action Group is to build a community center for the Grand Coulee Dam Area. There is a major need for a center here and much of the central issues with poverty could be better addressed with this type of facility.

Although at this time the majority of efforts and needs have been directed towards planning, in the very near future the W.A.G. hopes to begin the process of coordinating funds and building the community center. At that point, the support of the entire community will be needed.

For now it is enough to get the word out about what the goals of the W.A.G. are and let the entire community know to be ready to help however they can.

Thank you,

W.A.G.
Rick Morton, Member

Next meeting:

Monday, April 26, 2010
Grand Coulee Senior Center
6:30 pm

Funding Possibilities Meeting 4/8/10

What happened at the meeting?
A Lesson in Self- sustainability: Outcomes That Change Communities

Patrick Malone, Presenter
WSUE Horizons Coach




4/8/10
Senior Center, Grand Coulee, WA

Outcomes

The most important aspect of funding any program is to focus on the outcomes for people that you hope to achieve.

What will change?
How will you know?

How much? What is your budget? What will you fund? How committed are those involved?




Create the value in the community--
The Horizons group-- How can you generate own income?

What about your core membership?
You as leaders?
Board members?
Have you shown your commitment?




Fees for service
In today's economic times, be entrepreneurial in your design.

• Social enterprise....Earned income. For what can you charge a fee?
• Donors... individual are base -- 85% of all donations
• Grants....hardest and slowest
• Government earmarks... Yes, that word: pork. Think of the West Central Community Center, Spokane. What will catch the eye and heart of those involved?

Gap funders...a
Again, what has the community given and developed to which the funders fill the gap?

Ideas:
Community garden members develop and sell a product from their produce (example: salad dressing in LA).

Expertise from community members we serve (sales, accounting, art, etc.) provide the foundation for themselves and a new service --a thrift store, an art gallery with lessons, a local book). Jobs created and funds (social enterprise) reinvested.
........

Other Topics
Nonprofits --membership fees

Pricing-- think of our Horizons group as the business across the street.

Marketable expertise. -- What skills do our members and our community have that can be marketed?

How about...
Art
Culture
Garden
Drama
Animal care
Story telling
Music
Poetry
Photography

Resources

Directory of community nonprofits

Grants.gov. Funds
Earmarks - apply.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Foundation Directory Online ask library to subscribe to the Foundation Directory Online

Foundation center...online search section...

Federal funds ... Own those items forever... Be prepared...

Consider: Public vs private money

Foundations don't want continued connection but DO want sustainability. Remember to focus on and tell the stories of your outcomes.

Funder contacts. Enjoy contact. People. Relationships.

Build a culture of service ... Philanthropy

Everyday Democracy

....

Needs
Meshing and blending group goals

Park & Rec district...
1st Monday, 5:00. Center School teacher lounge
New school needs more to obtain its original ideas
Letters---lots of letters

Tourists will be part of help--- need more to do, so our vision will add to their needs for which they will pay the fee to use our center.

Year round use... Yes, the pool and more.

The vision: community center: pool, child care, classes, etc.

The message:
How much will you help so we can make it happen together?
Our initial output will promote help for the community, market our community skills, and support the quest for further funding.
...


-- Post From IPad by Sheri

Location:Senior Center, Grand Coulee, WA

Community Meeting: Bring a Friend

Let's get up to speed!

The Wellness Action Group (WAG) and community meeting is confirmed for Thursday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center in Grand Coulee. Bring a friend, bring a neighbor, hope to see you there!

We will have a special guest speaker, Patrick Malone, Horizons Community Coach and Microenterprise Assistance Project Team Member, for a presentation on Nonprofit Fundraising Basics, followed by a question and answer session.

Let's find out how to move forward with the community vision, the strategic plan of which is here.

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Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons by Great Beyond

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HORIZONS: Community Leaders Reducing Poverty
Working together to move from poverty to prosperity for all.


Mary Schilling at 633 3033 or email at mschilling@gcdsd.org


Learn more about the Horizons program http://horizons.wsu.edu/