Your Community Foundation of White County is hosting a series of Community Conversations facilitated by Rural CommUnity Solutions, a professional organization based in Iowa partnering with e2/Entrepreneurial Ecosystems based in Nebraska.
These Conversations originally were scheduled in Spring 2020 but were postponed (twice, in fact) by Covid. We’re operating on the “third time’s the charm!” premise!
These Conversations (both group and individual) are scheduled the week of April 4. Venues have been secured in Monon, Brookston, Wolcott, and Monticello. The goal of these gatherings is to gain personal perceptions of life in White County from a wide range of citizens from diverse backgrounds, interests, professions, and demographics to hear about how people view our community’s quality of life, its potential, and commitment to its future.
Data collected in these gatherings will be added to an extensive set of technical demographics already compiled by e2 for the Foundation. When complete, resulting data and documents will be available to each of our cities and towns, county government, schools, nonprofits, and any individual or organization interested.
Funded in part by a Community Leadership Planning Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., the Community Foundation is pleased to offer this unique opportunity to our community. In total, the Foundation is investing approximately $30,000 in this initiative, believing that it will provide valuable information as we examine White County’s current status as well as envision its future.
According to Rural Community Solutions’ Frank and Kimberlee Spillers, who will be conducting the conversations, desired outcomes include:
· Help evolve a generational (25 years) vision of those strategic priorities that will contribute to community efficiency, collaboration, prosperity, and vitality
· Identify five to seven top priorities that can focus community development efforts during the next three to five years
· Explore citizens’ and the Community Foundation’s roles in supporting broader community building and prosperity
· Enhance community collaborative system leadership development and organization
Participation in these Community Conversations is encouraged and open to the public; however, reservations are requested and may be made by calling the Foundation office (574-583-6911) or emailing lucy@cfwhitecounty.org. Please RVSP by March 23.