Kellogg Foundation Chooses Nebraska Initiative for National Grant: HomeTown Competitiveness

Authors

Jeff Yost, Nebraska Community Foundation

Date of this Version

5-18-2005

Document Type

Article

Citation

Provided by the Heartland center for Leadership Development.

Press announcement from the Nebraska Community Foundation for release May 22, 2005.

Contact: Jeff Yost

Comments

Used by permission.

Abstract

Lincoln, Nebraska, USA—HomeTown Competitiveness, a Nebraska initiative currently working in seven counties and communities in Nebraska, has been chosen as one of six recipients of grants provided through the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s 75^th Anniversary Entrepreneurship Development Systems for Rural America.

The $2 million award, over three years, was approved by the Kellogg Foundation Board of Directors meeting at Battle Creek, MI last month. More than 180 applications were received for the grants to develop six national models in rural entrepreneurship.

HomeTown Competitiveness (HTC) provides a framework for rural communities to help them identify reachable goals and strategies focused on the four pillars of reversing rural decline, including building leadership and community capacity, engaging young people, fostering local philanthropy and supporting entrepreneurship.

The core partners in the Kellogg-funded initiative will be the Nebraska Community Foundation, The Heartland Center for Leadership Development, the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Center for Rural Affairs.

Other collaborative partners are colleges and programs at the University of Nebraska; the Nebraska Microenterprise Partnership Fund; Northeast Community College at Norfolk; Northern Great Plains, Inc. of Fargo, ND; the Nebraska Lied Main Street Program and the Rural Enterprise Assistance Project; and Consolidated Telephone Company and Great Plains Communications, Inc., who serve the rural HTC communities.