Monday, July 26, 2010

Main Street Arkansas Update - July 26, 2010




Destination Downtown Conference – September 13-15

Main Street Arkansas Calendar July 26 - 30, 2010
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MONDAY
TUESDAY Cary – West Memphis (Your Town & Kitchen Incubator planning)
WEDNESDAY Mark, Susan – Rogers (site visits with merchants)
THURSDAY Mark, Susan – Rogers (site visits with merchants)
FRIDAY
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Keep Arkansas Beautiful Awards
Reach Customers in 140 Characters
3 Grant Opportunities



Keep Arkansas Beautiful Awards
The July 31 deadline for cities to submit entries for the third annual Arkansas Shine Awards is almost here! This program of the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission (KAB) honors communities that have adopted a comprehensive approach to keeping their hometowns clean and green.

Reach Customers in 140 Characters, All of Them Free
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/smallbusiness/27sbiz.html?ref=smallbusiness

FORD FOUNDATION (09/17/10)
The Foundation’s Space for Change supports a new generation of arts spaces in the United States. The Program’s Planning and Pre-Development grants are administered by Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC). Grants will provide support for critical planning and pre-development activities that may precede partnering in or leading a facility project. Nonprofit arts organizations with strong track records of artistic excellence, who are intending to buy, build, renovate, partner in the development of, or become anchor tenants in a vibrant artist space can apply for up to $100,000 in support of a facility project. The deadline is for letters of inquiry for the final grant round. Additional information including an online letter of inquiry form can be found on the LINC Web site. | Avg. Grant: $100,000 | Contact Info: FORD FOUNDATION , Rise Wilson, Leveraging Investments in Creativity, Attn: Planni, 237 W. 35th St., Suite 1202, New York, NY , 10001, Ph: 646-731-3275, Visit Website

Museum Collections Projects Supported
American Heritage Preservation Program

The purpose of the American Heritage Preservation Program, an initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in partnership with Bank of America, is to fund the preservation of treasures held in small and mid-sized museums, libraries, and archives throughout the United States. Grants of up to $3,000 are available for the purpose of preserving specific items, including works of art, artifacts, and historical documents that are in need of conservation. Projects in the following areas are eligible for funding: treatment of library, museum, and archival collections; improvement of collections storage; and environmental improvement of collections. These grants are not intended to fund a small portion of a larger project, but are aimed at completing a stand-alone conservation project. The final application deadline for this program is September 15, 2010. Visit the IMLS website to download the grant program guidelines.

Grants Enhance Company Communities
Ameriprise Financial Community Relations Program

The Ameriprise Financial Community Relations Program is committed to giving back to company communities throughout the United States by supporting nonprofit organizations whose shared goal is to improve the lives of individuals from all walks of life. The company's community outreach focuses on three key priorities: The Meeting Basic Needs category focuses on programs that help at-risk populations stabilize their lives and become more self-sufficient. The Supporting Community Vitality category promotes programs that build strong communities by creating economic vitality and cultural enrichment. The Volunteer Driven Causes category provides grants to nonprofit organizations where company employees, advisors, or retirees volunteer. Requests are reviewed three times per year. The upcoming deadline is September 1, 2010. Visit the company’s website to submit an online application.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Main Street Arkansas Update - July 19, 2010

Main Street Arkansas Calendar July 19 - 23, 2010
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MONDAY
TUESDAY Quarterly Training – Paragould
WEDNESDAY Quarterly Training – Paragould
THURSDAY Quarterly Training – Paragould
FRIDAY
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IN THIS ISSUE:

Main Street Matters in Community Development
CNNMoney Rates Rogers 10th Best Place to Live
AR Arts Council Needs Your Help
Reinventing the Parking Lot
Walking: Not Just for Cities Anymore
Multi-Use Downtown Development Puts Malls to Shame


Main Street Matters in Community Development
http://newfoundnation.com/2010/04/07/main-street-matters-in-community-development/
- this is kinda meta as I’m sorta quoting myself, but it’s a big deal to me that Rex Nelson said I “hit the nail on the head”. I’m a huge fan of his blog & Saturday Democrat-Gazette columns. Read his blog at http://www.rexnelsonsouthernfried.com/

CNNMoney Rates Rogers 10th Best Place to Live in the U.S. (note the photo is of downtown)
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/100-best-places-to-live-in-america-2010-edition

The Arkansas Arts Council Needs Your Help
The AAC is conducting a statewide survey to seek input that will help us determine how to serve you better in the years to come. Your response will help us continue to advance the arts in Arkansas. All collected responses are confidential.
http://www.arkansasarts.org/news/default.aspx?id=193

Reinventing the Parking Lot
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990806,00.html

Walking, Not Just for Cities Anymore
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2010/0709_walkable_spaces_leinberger.aspx

Multi-Use Downtown Development Puts Malls to Shame
http://citiwire.net/post/2133/

Monday, July 12, 2010

Students' street art livens up downtown Ozark




Ozark Middle schoolers' murals, done in the style of urban street art, adorn several vacant building storefronts in downtown Ozark. Their art teacher, Nancy McKenzie, helped create the mural program to liven up the long-ignored buildings, and spark new interest in downtown properties with cartoon bubbles that read, "This location rocks!"

While school's out for the summer, Cindy Garmo, another local artist and active member on the Main Street Ozark Design Committee, will continue the mural program with her own creations.

Main Street Arkansas Update - July 12, 2010




Quarterly Training – July 21-22. Paragould.

Main Street Arkansas Calendar July 12 - 16, 2010
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MONDAY Mark – out
TUESDAY Cary – Texarkana; Susan – Heber Springs
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY Mark – Osceola
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Tourism Study of the River Valley & Eastern Arkansas
WM Taste of the Town Press
Old Movie Houses Find an Audience
Rural Sourcing in Jonesboro
2 Grant Opportunities


Tourism Study of the River Valley & Eastern Arkansas
http://www.thecitywire.com/?q=node/10619
- Sandy Key of Ozark & others have been very involved in this work for years.

WM Taste of the Town Press

http://www.crittendencountyarkansas.com/guest-columns/from-the-wmcoc/205-8th-annual-main-street-west-memphis-taste-of-the-town

Old Movie Houses Find An Audience
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/us/05theater.html?_r=2&hp

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/07/04/us/20100705-THEATER.html?ref=us

Rural Sourcing in Jonesboro
http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/08/smallbusiness/rural_onshoring/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin


America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations Planning and Implementation Grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities

These grants support projects in the humanities that explore stories, ideas, and beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world. The projects can be traveling exhibitions presented at multiple venues, long-term exhibitions at one institution, interpretive Web sites or other digital formats, interpretation of historic places or areas, reading and discussion programs, panel exhibitions that travel widely, reach a broad audience, and take advantage of complementary programming formats (e.g., reading and discussion series, radio, or other media) or other project formats that creatively engage audiences in humanities ideas. The application deadline is August 18, 2010. Visit the NEH website for more information.

Interpreting America’s Historic Places Planning and Implementation Grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities

These grants support public humanities projects that exploit the evocative power of historic places to explore stories, ideas, and beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world. The projects should interpret a place that played a significant role in American history; enrich the visitor experience at one or more historic places by interpreting these places in light of broader themes in American history; make use of the specific features of one or more historic places—the site, its location, buildings, or other natural or built features—as integral parts of the proposed interpretation; be based on sound humanities scholarship; involve humanities scholars in all phases of development and implementation; approach the subject thematically, analytically, and interpretively through an appropriate variety of perspectives; interest broad audiences; and employ appealing and accessible program formats that will actively engage the public in learning. The application deadline is August 18, 2010. Visit the NEH website for more information.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Main Street Arkansas Update - July 6, 2010




Quarterly Training – July 21-22. Paragould. Memos went out early last week.

Main Street Arkansas Calendar July 6 - 9, 2010
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MONDAY office closed in honor of July 4
TUESDAY Mark – Hardy
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
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IN THIS ISSUE:
ACE Accepting Applications for Workshops
Community Development Institute Scholarship Available to First Time Attendee
Documenting Each of America’s 10,466 Main Streets
The Economic Recession & Non-Profits – Lecture at the Clinton School
4 Grant Opportunities
Celebrate Independent Businesses
Responsible Leaders Award
CNN/Livable Cities
Vote for the Historic Preservation Fund


ACE Accepting Applications for Workshops
The Arkansas Coalition for Excellence (ACE) is currently accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for workshops on leadership, grant writing, financial management and other management topics that will begin this fall. Any nonprofit based in Arkansas can apply for the program. The workshops are provided at no cost to qualifying organizations and will be held at multiple locations throughout the state. Deadline for applications is July 19.

For more information, contact Joe Schafer, Education Director & ARRA Grant Coordinator, at jschafer@acenonprofit.org or by phone at 501.993.7932. Request for Applications, can be found Here. More information is also available at the ACE website www.AceNonprofit.org.

Community Development Institute Scholarship Available to First Time Attendee
The Community Development Institute is proud to announce that a Bill Miller Scholarship will be made available to a first-time CDI attendee for the 2010 Institute, scheduled for August 2-6 in Conway, Arkansas.

To download the application, visit http://www.uca.edu/cdi/billmillerapp.php. The deadline for submissions is July 2, 2010.

Documenting Each of America’s 10,466 Main Streets
http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2010/06/documenting_10466plus_main_str.html?wpisrc=newsletter

The Economic Recession & Non-Profits – Lecture at the Clinton School
- video
http://www.clintonschoolspeakers.com/lecture/view/economic-recession-and-nonprofits/


EPA Grant Opportunity: Climate Showcase Communities
Application deadline: July 26, 2010
This program provides support for planning, demonstration, and/or implementation projects designed to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.epa.gov/air/grants_funding.html

Grant Opportunity
http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/strongcommunities
Through the Strong Communities: Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change competition, Ashoka's Changemakers andCommunityMatters are inviting individuals and organizations to submit innovative projects and ideas to engage citizens in building strong communities across the United States and Canada.
The Strong Communities competition is open to all types of individuals and organizations (charitable and nonprofit organizations, private companies, and public entities). The competition will consider all entries that reflect the theme of the challenge. To be considered for an award, entries must indicate growth beyond the conceptual stage and have demonstrated social impact and sustainability. While the program supports new ideas at every stage and encourages their entry, the judges are better able to evaluate projects that are beyond the conceptual stage and have demonstrated proof of impact.
CommunityMatters is interested in solutions from a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to)conservation, planning, economics, politics, education, deliberative democracy, and the arts, and especially encourages submission of interdisciplinary approaches. CommunityMatters has a special interest in receiving submissions from young people.
Online competition submissions will be accepted until August 11, 2010

$75 Million Available from USDOT and HUD Launch Groundbreaking, Collaborative Effort to Create Sustainable, Livable Communities
http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2010/HUDNo.10-131
Chase Community Giving Launches Summer 2010 Online Program
More than $5 million will be shared among two hundred local charities selected by the public via online vote at Facebook....

Posted on June 19, 2010
Deadline: July 12, 2010

Celebrate Your Independent Businesses.
Join the celebration of our nation's locally owned independent businesses during Independents Week, July 1-7, 2010. It's a time to reflect on unique businesses and entrepreneurs and the role they play in shaping the future of our communities! Visit AMIBA's Independents Week web page to view or download free templates for various Independents Week materials or start with this primer (pdf), which summarizes potential activities.

Responsible Leaders Award
http://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/responsible-leaders/
Teachers, community leaders, small business owners, firefighters, farmers, grassroots leaders, local government members, non-profit organizers, neighbors, you. All around us are everyday heroes who take on big responsibility as a matter of course. Nominate leaders in your community (it can even be you) for the Local Leaders, Big Responsibility Contest. They could be featured on ResponsibilityProject.com and win a donation to a charity of their choice.
Simply click below to submit your nominees and a few words on how they have made your community better. The top three nominees as judged by our panel will be featured on ResponsibilityProject.com, and interviewed on video to broadcast their story.

CNN Livable Cities website & award
http://advertisementfeature.cnn.com/philips/livable_cities/

VOTE FOR THE HPF!

On April 16, President Obama announced the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative, a multi-state agency effort to enhance and conserve America’s urban and rural natural resources. The Administration is encouraging public participation to shape the initiative in two ways: Listening sessions in select locations (the first one was this week in Montana) and an online forum where American’s can vote on initiative ideas.

We have posted the suggestion to include permanent and full funding for the Historic Preservation Fund but we need your help! Please take a few moments to go to the online forum and vote for HPF funding. Registering to vote is free and simple:

• Go to http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/
• Register in the top right corner
• Search for “Historic Preservation Fund” It may also be found towards the bottom of the right hand column under “What’s Hot”
• Click “Promote” next to Fully Fund the Historic Preservation Fund idea

Support for HPF Funding on the online forum is gaining ground but we definitely need your help!