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In selecting sites, Dakota Rising will evaluate each community’s application based upon the following criteria. This criteria will be weighted in the evaluation process with numbers 1 through 5 (marked in red) being given the greatest weight and numbers 6 through 10 (marked in blue) given lesser weight.
- GREAT LOCAL CHAMPION
Each community must be able to identify a great potential Local Champion; someone who can inspire others to action and have the ability to network well both within and outside the community. This person should be charismatic, committed, and tenacious enough to provide the citizen leadership to make this program a success. She or he must have a history of investing in the community and bringing people together. The Local Champion should be someone with whom others will want to work.
- GREAT LOCAL COORDINATOR
The Local Coordinator can be the same person as the Local Champion, but does not have to be. A great potential Local Coordinator keeps the program organized and moving forward. This person must be dedicated, committed, and tenacious enough to lead a great program and be especially good at coordinating and communicating details. It is helpful if he or she has a history of community involvement and bringing people together, although organizational and communication skills are more critical. This individual should be someone with whom others are excited to work.
- DIVERSE AND DEDICATED LOCAL RESOURCE TEAM
Each community will organize a Local Resource Team to provide guidance for the community’s program and to local entrepreneurs. An effective team should show diversity in the expertise of its members (i.e. banker, educator, established entrepreneur, technical assistance provider, accountant, etc.). Ideally, the team would be made up of people from the public and private sectors. They, as individuals, must have a history of community involvement, investing in the community and working well with people within and outside the community. These team members should be able to provide beneficial support and advice to community entrepreneurs and they must represent a cross section of the demographics of the community.
- MARKET FOR THE FELLOWSHIP: POOL OF ENTREPRENEURS
Applicants must provide evidence that there would be potential fellowship candidates from among current entrepreneurs in the community. As this is an on-going program, there must be a pool of entrepreneurs from the community who would apply, not only in the pilot year, but in future years, and who would be an asset to the fellowship.
- EVIDENCE OF BROAD-BASED COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
The applicant community should have a history of collaboration as well as a history of investing in itself and accessing opportunities. The community should demonstrate a willingness to support and assist in the growth of individual entrepreneurs and be able to show examples of how residents and organizations have collaborated to invest in a better future.
- DIVERSE/UNIQUE: CONTRIBUTE TO LEARNING DURING THE PILOT YEAR(S)
In the pilot year of this program, Dakota Rising is looking for sites that will contribute to the learning of the initiative. Each community selected should contribute something unique to the fellowship, which will add to the learning in the pilot year(s) and that will teach us something critical or beneficial for the future program. To assure diversity, of the four sites to be selected, Dakota Rising will choose at least one site that is Indian reservation based and at least two sites that are based in smaller communities.
- INITIATIVE: EVIDENCE OF ONGOING PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT IN THE PROGRAM
The ideal site will effectively communicate with Dakota Rising staff and be an agreeable partner. The Local Resource Team will actively participate in the program and fully access resources and share results. Although “Initiative” is not addressed in the application, the communities will be evaluated on their face-to-face interaction with Dakota Rising staff and their perceived willingness to engage in the program.
- OPPORTUNITY: VALUE OF THE PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY
This program is designed to leverage greater opportunity within each community and not duplicate any existing services already available. Each potential site will need to give evidence that this program will be a critical asset to their community and it will help to leverage key resources and opportunities.
- GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA
The community is required to develop a clear geographic service area. As geography is a criterion for eligible entrepreneurs, the community must clearly define their boundaries so that potential fellowship applicants know if they are included in the site or not. Some examples of geographic boundaries could be a county, a partnership of two or three towns to create a region, an Indian reservation, or simply a predetermined mileage perimeter around a town. All definitions are acceptable, but it is important that the definition be clear and the site have a sense of community and collaboration.
- WELL-DEFINED FELLOW SELECTION CRITERIA FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT (SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND ECONOMIC)
The Local Resource Team must develop clear and measurable criteria for evaluating the impact of the Fellow’s business on the community. In doing this, the community should address any restrictions related to its social, environmental, and economic well-being. For example, what would the community’s stand be on such businesses as those in the adult industry, pawn shops, and casinos? Or, would the community welcome a waste management business? Are there certain businesses that community members would not want in their community?
Some communities may choose to focus on a desirable economic change such as job creation or increased revenue circulation; others may want businesses that only serve a local market or only store-front businesses, for example. Some businesses start in a community, but once growth is achieved, they tend to move or sell to someone outside the community. Communities may want to consider criterion that address this issue.
Any criterion created is acceptable. What is most important is that all the criteria reflect the values of the community and that those criteria are objective and measurable.
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Dakota Rising is administered by
SD Rural Enterprise in partnership with:
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East River Electric Power Cooperative and the REED Fund |
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Enterprise Institute |
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Equip |
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Governor's Office of Economic Development |
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Northeast Council of Governments |
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Oweesta |
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Small Business Development Centers |
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SDSU Cooperative Extension |
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