Leading Recommendations from --43 nonprofits

Through a 5 month process, Waking the Sleeping Giant has found overwhelming support for support a Sustainable Community Stewardship fund that would fund Human and Social Service issues. We realize this is a long-term vision. We are interested in supporting our community and sustainability through putting community first.

 
1. Study

2. Role of Government

 
3. Regional—

 
4. Structure—

 

 

 

 

5. Criteria and eligibility—What should be funded?—

 

6. Where funding should come from—

 

7. Time-Line—

 

Endorsement Goal --Endorsement of recommendations by 50 Nonprofits through June 27 and July 25 WSG Assemblies.  Present to August Meeting of the Fargo Development Committee

 


The Following Organizations have Endorsed the development of a Sustainable Community Stewardship Fund
and support the Recommendations put forth by Waking the Sleeping Giant.

 

ü     Project Hero

ü     People Escaping Poverty Project

ü     Mental Health America of ND (MHAND)

ü     Rape and Abuse Crisis Center of Fargo Moorhead

 

ü     I would like to add our Organization to this list of endorsements.

 

Date: ____________________________________________________________

 

NAME __________________________________________________________________

TITLE__________________________________________________________________

Organization_____________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________State______Zip__________

 

~June 2007 ~

 “Waking The Sleeping Giant”

 

Sustainable Community Stewardship Fund

Community Dialogue Report

 

Background--

In January of 2007, Arthur Rolnick, Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis and gave a presentation at Fargo’s Marketplace event as a Key speaker.  He spoke passionately of the need to examine our economic development policies and public funding priorities for the best Return on Investment. Mr. Rolnick cited proven studies where the very best return for public investment is in childhood education and health and human services for children, particularly at risk kids,  along with good public education for life long learning.

 

Mr. Rolnick’s presentation became a catalyst for action and an idea began to surface centering on exploring the potential of a Sustainable Community Stewardship Fund.  The idea was publicly discussed by Commissioner Mike Williams through discussions with other Commissioners and through several letters to the Fargo Forum editors.

 

A Member of an active Nonprofit Alliance called “Waking the Sleeping Giant”, contacted PEPP Organizers and suggested that we explore the Sustainable Community Stewardship Fund and bring the nonprofit community together to pursue the idea.

 

A group of nonprofit representative, clients of nonprofits met with Commissioner Williams at a local restaurant to hear more about his idea.  Minutes were drafted from the meeting and sent out to a 200 member list-serve.  The next day, Fargo Forum editor Mike Nowaski printed an article about the meeting and soon the Fargo Forum Editors weighed in on the conversation.  The initial response was a negative reaction to using the Fargo Dome Sales Tax surplus as funding for this fund, the Forum however, did endorse the Sustainable Community Stewardship Fund as a good idea, however they had a problem in utilizing Dome Surplus for the effort.

 

Our group saw merit in exploring the possibility of developing a new fund in the community that would address the crucial needs of the human service sector.  We were encouraged to gather more input from the nonprofit sector and took the idea to the Waking the Sleeping Giant.

 

WSG Meetings

Since February 2007, nonprofits have given input. Nearly 40 nonprofits have participated in monthly meetings, weekly coffee dates, strategy sessions and in small groups to explore the Sustainable Community Stewardship fund idea.

 

 

Members of the Waking the Sleeping Giant have met with Fargo City Staff, Development Committee and City Commissioners

We have met with the mayor, all the City Commissioners and city staff and find that there is an opportunity to explore the role of the city in this endeavor.  We have not found an unified vision, but we do fin that there is current opportunity to pursue efforts that have an impact and are sustainable.

 

Giant Dialogue

Waking the Sleeping Giant hosted community meeting to have a dialogue on establishing a Sustainable Community Stewardship Fund for Human Service issues in the Fargo Area.  The meeting was held on Tuesday, April 24th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Fargodome meeting room 201.
 
Over 40 people representing 24 nonprofits and other organizations came together people participated in the dialogue and six panelists started us off with broad range of presentations and perspectives.  The participants then broke into groups and worked on prioritizing. WDAY, KVLY and the Fargo-Forum covered the meeting. The theme of this effort was  “Put the Community First”.  The panelists included local city government policy makers, constituents, local community foundation staff and non profit directors.  The panelists addressed the following questions:

 

1.  How would the community benefit from a Sustainable Community Stewardship fund   

     that would fund Human and Social Service issues?

2.  How should such a fund be managed and run?

3.  How would we fund this endeavor?

 

There were a variety of perspectives:

 

We need to look at old problems with new eyes and many brains.  We need to

really define what the city’s role will be in studying the scope of human

needs, the city can be the catalyst to a new global view, a way of looking

at things… Linda Coates (Fargo City Commission)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every day we choose how we want to live…choose to design your tomorrow,

not be a victim of it. People are our most important resource, therefore

we must increase that resource through a partnership that  needs to be

both public/private, built on a shared understanding of the common good.

Diane Wray-Williams (Moorhead City Council)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A community stewardship fund could help by supporting activities that help

community members work together to make sure this community is ours.  By

investing in people we can create a better community understanding, with

the opportunity to expand that understanding regionally. Fowzia Adde (Immigrant Development Center)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The community stewardship fund would bring a broad spectrum of people

together around common concerns to work toward a more inclusive, tolerant,

and vibrant community.  Bringing the needs of everyone together through a

fund that provides the services that keep people independent.  Colette Erck (Social Connextions)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

We must take a step back and clarify the need for a sustainable community

stewardship fund.  We need to be the solution to the problem we all know

exits.  Many people have been talking about this for a long time, we need

to step forward and work on this. Brian Arett (Fargo Senior Commission) 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Donors are interested in outcomes with measurable results.  Assessment is

important to protect donor intent.  Karla Aaland (Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation)

 

Suggestions

One important step in the process was to look at reallocating existing funds instead of counting on finding new funds.

 

Do not shy away from the money discussion.  

                                              Doing nothing at all is expensive, too.

 

Snap-Shot Survey

A survey was developed to assess the financial impact of nonprofits and to identify the unmet need the sector faces.  After a few weeks of gathering information, the survey questions were evaluated and we began to ask different questions.  We had only received 8 surveys back and decided to do a more interactive outreach strategy.  We designed 4 weekly coffee dates in various coffee houses in the Fargo-Moorhead community.  This was done in an effort to solicit input from new participants on organizations that had not participated in previous meetings and dialogues.

 
 
Coffee Dialogues

We invited the nonprofit community to come and participate in these listening sessions that were focused on the Sustainable Community Stewardship fund.  A total combined participation was 44  individuals, representing 20 different organizations and nonprofits.

 

Summary of Coffee Dialogues—

Wednesday, May 30th, 2:00 at the ‘Fryin Pan’ on Main Ave., Fargo

Discussion centered on educating the general public about the value of nonprofits, the hard working organizations, the efficiency and the essentialness of the sector. The group discussed the Sustainable stewardship fund background and potential and strategized on how to get buy in from 50 nonprofits by the end of July.  Three groups were in a position to endorse the stewardship fund idea meeting.  Others need a written proposal to take back to staff and board.

 

Thursday, June 7th, 10:00 AM at Moxie Java on Broadway in Fargo

New organizations and new people were present at the coffee.  Specific programs of transitional housing and economic development for new American communities were discussed as priorities in the organizations present.  There was also a lot of discussion on supporting the Family Healthcare Center in it’s effort to seek funding and support from the community.  Access to affordable and community based healthcare was seen as a pressing need in the community.

 

Thursday, June 14th, 3:30 at Atomic Coffee on Broadway in Fargo

The group discussed supporting a mega analysis of existing data that nonprofits have. The group also discussed the opportunity to have constituent/clients/consumers give testimony and participate with the process of developing this fund.  There was also discussing of getting nonprofits involved in local elections centering on emerging ideas of sales tax initiatives as a funding mechanism of this idea.

 
Wednesday, June 20th, 10:00 Am to 11:00 AM at Moxie Java in Moorhead

The role of government in funding Human Services was discussed.  Framing the image of nonprofits was seen as very important for the community to better understand what we do and the benefit for all.  A lot of time was spent on how to approach nonprofits and the group recommended a written endorsement from organizations.  It was also suggested that we send teams to meet with staff and board of organizations.  A 5 to 6 page report with a list of recommendations will be presented at the June 27th Waking the Sleeping Giant Meeting that will seek written endorsement from organizations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leading Recommendations from --43 nonprofits

Through a 5 month process, Waking the Sleeping Giant has found overwhelming support for support a Sustainable Community Stewardship fund that would fund Human and Social Service issues. We realize this is a long-term vision. We are interested in supporting our community and sustainability through putting community first.

 

1. Study—

·       There is not support for a new study or needs assessment, but there is support to gather information nonprofits already have. 

 

·       The group recommends the gathering of existing information that identifies the need, costs, unmet needs and priorities community and nonprofits.

 

2. Role of Government

 

3. Regional—

 

4. Structure—

 

 

 

 

5. Criteria and eligibility—What should be funded?—

 

6. Where funding should come from—

 

7. Time-Line—

 

Endorsement Goal --Endorsement of recommendations by 50 Nonprofits through June 27 and July 25 WSG Assemblies.  Present to August Meeting of the Fargo Development Committee

 

 
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