South Dakota Rural Enterprise is teaming with the Northwest Area Foundation to offer a new process aimed at helping communities develop new strategies to plan for economic development as well as reduce poverty.

Creating a Value-Added Community (CVAC) is built around five value-added capacities, which have been proven to assist communities in creating significant change for the better. The five value-added capacities are:

Inclusivity. At the community level, decision-making is often limited to a small group of insiders. Others may feel shut out of local decisions by these insiders and believe change to be difficult. Inclusivity promotes new voices in the community planning process.

Community approaches leading to regional impact. Rural communities are increasingly realizing the benefits of making regional alliances with neighboring towns. Forging a partnership with a regional center or market city can help rural communities develop products in demand in those larger markets, leading to a stronger local economy.

Leadership development. Leadership is not confined to the individual. It is part of a larger system that includes present and future generations of decision makers. Involving leaders of today and tomorrow carries a community forward while maintaining a shared vision for progress.

Identifying and building economic engines. These are the platforms on which communities create wealth, through continuous infusion of outside resources, and by building and strengthening local assets and businesses.

Asset-based development. Communities achieve better results when they focus on their assets, instead of their deficits or needs. Most development programs have focused on the “good/bad” statistics of an area. Many financial resources look for distress, problems and needs, instead of identifying positive aspects of the community that offer a foundation for building assets.

South Dakota Rural Enterprise will be accepting individual participant applications and community process applications until September 15, 2007 for the first round of CVAC processes in South Dakota. Phase I, funded by the South Dakota Community Foundation, will involve five pilot communities. If you think your community would benefit from this program, e-mail us at or phone 605-978-2804.

The South Dakota team of CVAC facilitators came together for training in Pierre at the end of July. Northwest Area Foundation trainers led the session.

2007 SUMMER REPORT
	Market research shows progress, promise & potential
	"Enterprise" fuels the spirit of SD business
	Author presents workshop to Rural Enterprise board
	Microenterprise program begins to take shape
	Capital Investment Fund is working for SD
	Meadowlark Retreat
	Helping communities & organizations to GROW
	Program creates value-added communities