| West Virginia Multi-Collaboration (WV)
Location and Context
Patterns of sectionalization began before West Virginia became a state and have continued throughout our history. Much of the state's traditional economy has eroded in the past 20 years. Loss of jobs in the extractive and heavy manufacturing industries have put many residents out of work, and establishing a new economic base for the state has been difficult. Communities have suffered from these changes in multiple ways. With the exodus of many young citizens, the pool of local leadership has waned. Difficult economic times, absentee land ownership, limited local resources, poverty and associated social problems and reliance on government financial intervention have contributed to a culture of limited community self-determination. These conditions make it difficult to develop important networks that build social capital and enable community change. Despite the state's challenging economic and social history, a diverse group of organizations is achieving measurable successes, engaging community energy and renewing the sense of "place" in citizens. This is being done through organized and relentless strategic planning and grassroots organizing.
Statistical Information and Geographic References
Collaborative Structure and Strategy
The State's economic development vision, entitled "A Vision Shared," entails a twofold strategy of building bridges and empowering citizens. This strategy aims to show measurable progress in achieving five critical goals:
- fostering regional cooperation;
- enabling leadership development;
- promoting public/private collaboration;
- improving WV's image (internal and external); and
- increasing non-profit capacity.
An essential need in achieving this vision and strategy is the development of civic entrepreneurs, i.e., local leaders able to forge new linkages at the intersection of business, government, education and community.
West Virginia's ability to address this need is limited by lack of resources to organize local citizens and leaders in small communities throughout this Appalachian mountain state and to empower them to develop local strategies for community revitalization and economic opportunity. Through leadership development, community planning and coordinated technical assistance, previously isolated and neglected communities are reinvesting their social capital to unlock untapped natural and human assets and to realize economic and community growth. National, state and community partners are working together in a multi-faceted collaboration to provide leadership skill development, grow capacity and assets of community foundations, provide technical assistance and increase funding for community-based non profits.
Leverage and Impact
Proposed outcomes of expanded collaborative efforts include the following:
- increasing financial assets of the existing community foundations;
- founding new community foundations in unserved areas;
- providing leadership skill development to citizens in the public, private and independent sectors, expecially in the most distressed communities;
- increasing operating funds available to local, regional and state non-profit organizations working in community and economic development;
- improving effectiveness in achieving outcomes and cost efficiency of non -profit organizations by providing technical assistance in key areas of organzational management; and
- increasing the collective effectiveness of non-profit organizations by developing networks to address common objectives and policy goals.
Presentation on WV Multi Collaboration
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Main Contact |
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Mary Hunt
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
PH: 412 288 0360
MHunt@benedum.org
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