BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPORT by Rey Gonzales

Simply put, community capacity is “a community’s ability to define and solve their own problems.” The more skills, assets and strengths that a community group has, the better prepared they are to achieve their goals. Every community possesses skills, assets and strengths, but too often we tend to measure the drought when we should be focusing on the bounty.

As a community strives to move forward and build capacity, there are plenty of quality programs and organizations in South Dakota from which to choose. We at SD Rural Enterprise offer the Creating a Value-Added Community (CVAC) process, Leadership PlentySD and the GROW program. CVAC is geared at building community capacity that leads to lasting change, developing community assets, expanding economic opportunity, and inclusive decision making. Leadership PlentySD aims to teach participants the skills needed to lead volunteers in local decision-making and problem solving. Our GROW program is a customized strategic planning process targeted at helping communities and development organizations set effective goals and measures and manage expectations for organizations, directors, and the community.

In addition to our programs, the SDSU Cooperative Extension Service and the Rural Learning Center also offer community capacity building programs. Currently, a program called “Horizons” is being implemented in 21 South Dakota communities through the Extension Service. The 18-month Horizons process, funded by the Northwest Area Foundation, is tasked with building new leaders and reducing poverty, which manifests itself in a variety of ways. Seven Extension Service educators are located around the state, and can provide a variety of educational programs for communities, including LeadershipPlenty and the Study Circles process.

The Rural Learning Center, based in Howard, focuses on issues important to small communities in their efforts to reinvent rural America. Currently, the Rural Learning Center is engaged in 38 communities across the Midwest as they assist in developing businesses, housing and strong local leadership.

Many South Dakota communities went through a Community Assessment implemented by volunteers and coordinated by the Rural Development Council. The assessments were specific in assisting the participating communities become more proactive about their economic and community development efforts.

All of the these programs and organizations have merit, and they all have something in common. They exist to leverage the most important element of successful development: communities willing to invest in themselves. A community must decide what kinds of investments it must make, and think about how those investments support the overall goal of a stronger, more prosperous community.

It is important that communities not be mesmerized by short-term results nor stymied by long-term prospects. It must be understood that returns are not always measured in financial terms, but should be evaluated in stronger families, new and emerging leaders, increased civic participation, and more collaboration in the community and the region. With all the good work being done in rural South Dakota, the time is right to invest in your future. Now is the time to move beyond survival, and begin the process of building strong and sustainable communities.

ANNUAL REPORT
	Collaboration creates entrepreneur program
	What it takes to change the world
	Collaboration is the touchstone for progress
	Taking prosperity into our own hands
	SDCCF aids Pierre man in business ownership
	What is community capacity?
	Collaboration produces results in Chamberlain-Oacoma area
	Staff changes at Rural Enterprise
	2007 Financial Report