The greatest resource any city has to improve the community is found within the community itself. Attracting wide spread community funding support for pending improvement projects is not something cities have readily at their fingertips. Why? – Because a well-established relationship within the community, its businesses, organizations, and philanthropic individuals typically doesn’t exist.
When community funding support outreach is incorporated into the overall project scope of work and outcomes, deliberate strategies are created to develop community relationships that become attracted to the project’s needs and potential funding components.
To attract community resources to city projects, the engagement process must include community resources as an essential element of the project. This parallel project strategy positions improvement components for a wide variety of funding support. Here are a few examples of civic and community partnerships my community funding strategies have produced.
Stillwater – Downtown Revitalization
- Community Symposium and Downtown Revitalization Community Support – $30,000
- Local Architects Pro Bono Services – $75,000
- Great Idea Grant Competition Award – $5,000
Cambridge – Downtown Revitalization
- Creation of new community foundation
- Business organization foundation support – $300,000
- New city-created Facade Grant Program – 5 businesses apply in first 6 months
- New “Adopt a Flower Basket”program established
“Todd’s natural abilities and sense of people and priorities are vital skills that make him a valuable asset to our community. I have no doubt that his brilliance, organizational expertise, and his unique perspective will propel him to make significant contributions in the future. Todd is thoughtful, mature, ethical, competent and possesses an amazing ability to learn and adapt. His curious and flexible mind combined with his dedication to making our world a better place are his greatest attributes.”
Jeff Heegaard, Co-Founder, Lower St. Croix Community Foundation
Community Collaboration 