DATES TO REMEMBER:
DECEMBER 31, 2008: LETTER OF AGREEMENT DUE (Main Street Towns)
JANUARY 20-21: QUARTERLY TRAINING, LITTLE ROCK
MARCH 1-4 : NATIONAL MAIN STREETS CONFERENCE, CHICAGO, IL
MARCH 15-17: GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE ON TOURISM, FORT SMITH
MAY 14-16 : ARKANSAS PRESERVATION CONFERENCE, EUREKA SPRINGS
SEPTEMBER 14-16: DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, EL DORADO
Main Street Arkansas Calendar December 1-5, 2008
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MONDAY Greg – out a.m., Mark, out a.m.
TUESDAY Cary, Caroline, Mark – AEDC grant training, Lonoke; Greg, out; Nancy, out a.m.
WEDNESDAY Caroline & Greg, Benton; Mark & Susan – Blytheville
THURSDAY Cary – LR/training; Susan - DeWitt
FRIDAY Caroline – Ozark (with Rhea, Preserve America Agent); Cary & Greg – out
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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Fire in Downtown Batesville
Excellent MSWM Press (Branding Highlighted)
Eureka Press
What Happens When A Big Box Retailer Moves?
7 Grant Opportunities
Arkansas Ranked 48th in New Economy Index
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Fire in Downtown Batesville:
http://www.guardonline.com/?q=node/49910
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=76449&catid=2
Excellent MSWM Press:
http://arkansasbusiness.com/printable.asp?aid=110023
- this is a direct result of the branding visit recently conducted. I’ll be sending a DVD of the branding presentation & product to Main Street & Network towns soon as I think this is something most of you should consider.
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Eureka Springs Press:
http://www.romantictraveling.com/EurekaSprings.htm
For Sale: 20,000 Square Feet Box – What Happens When A Big Box Retailer Moves or Goes Out of Business
http://www.slate.com/id/2204599/
Be sure and read the slide show essay. I particularly enjoyed the Spam Museum
http://bigboxreuse.com/
The 1772 Foundation will be accepting new letters of inquiry after January 1. The Foundation funds a wide range of historic preservation projects and educational activities. For more information visit the website http://www.1772foundation.org.
Once again we are seeking rural nonprofit institutions or local governments to produce Your Town workshops in 2009. We can award four new contracts next year. Communities that are working on specific design issues, updating comprehensive plans, trying to revitalize their downtowns, or trying to manage growth should consider applying. The proposal format is straightforward, and proposals are due on December 12th. To download the RFP, go to our website, www.yourtowndesign.org and click on the RFP notice in the left-hand column.
National Endowment for the Arts 2009 Grant Deadlines / Guidelines will be available at www.arts.gov in early January.
Access to Artistic Excellence: To encourage and support artistic excellence, preserve our cultural heritage, and provide access to the arts for all Americans. An organization may request a grant amount from $5,000 to $150,000. (Deadlines: early March and Au¬gust, 2009).
Challenge America: Reaching • Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants: To support projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Grants are for $10,000. (Dead¬line: late May, 2009).
Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth: To advance arts education for children and youth in school-based or community-based settings. An organization may request a grant amount from $5,000 to $150,000. (Deadline: early June, 2009).
Fiskars' Project Orange Thumb to Support Garden Programs
Deadline: February 17, 2009
Launched in 2003, Fiskars' Project Orange Thumb has awarded grants totaling more than $300,000 to over a hundred community groups, schools, churches, and other organizations for their garden programs.
This year, the program will award grants to twenty organizations in the United States and Canada. Each grantee will receive up to $1,500 in Fiskars garden tools and up to $800 in gardening-related materials (i.e. green goods). Four grants will also be awarded to groups in Australia. Each of those recipients will receive up to $1,000 in Fiskars Tools and up to $1,000 in gardening-related materials.
Gardens and/or gardening projects geared toward community involvement, neighborhood beautification, sustainable agriculture, and/or horticultural education are eligible. Community garden groups as well as schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs,
and treatment facilities are all encouraged to apply. Only group applications will be considered; single individuals are not eligible for a Project Orange Thumb grant.
For complete program information and application, visit the project's Web site.
Grants Address Systemic Problems
Support for Surdna Foundation
The Surdna Foundation is interested in fostering entrepreneurial programs throughout the U.S. that offer viable solutions to difficult systemic problems. The Foundation primarily provides grants to nonprofit organizations through the following program areas. The Effective Citizenry program encourages young people to take direct action to solve problems in their schools, neighborhoods, and the larger society. The goals of the Environment program are to stabilize climate change, improve transportation systems, and safeguard U.S. domestic oceans. The Arts program supports the artistic advancement of teens and seeks to strengthen the quality of art education. The purpose of the Nonprofit Sector Support program is to enhance the ability of the nonprofit sector to advance a just and democratic civil society. The Community Revitalization program works in select U.S. cities to support efforts to create environmentally sustainable, mixed-income communities. Letters of inquiry in most program areas are accepted throughout the year. Visit the website listed above for details on the Foundation's grant programs and the letter of inquiry process.
Funds for Company Communities in the U.S. and Canada
State Farm Companies Grants Program
The State Farm Companies Grants Program is committed to meeting the needs of company communities in the U.S. and Canada. Grants are provided in the following three distinct priority areas. The Safe Neighbors category focuses on driving safety, home protection, disaster preparedness, and personal financial security. The emphasis of the Strong Neighborhoods category is on affordable housing, homeownership issues, and sustainable communities. The K-12 Public Schools category targets teacher quality, service-learning programs, and educational reform. Requests may be submitted throughout the year. Application guidelines and local contact information are available on the State Farm website listed above.
Arkansas Ranked 48th in The New Economy Index
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=356735
States at the top of the list tend to have a high concentration of workers in “knowledge jobs” that require at least a two-year college degree, are at the forefront of the information technology and Internet revolutions and have institutions and residents that embrace the digital economy, the report said. The groups used 29 indicators to rank each state on how well its economy is structured to compete regionally, as well as globally.
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