# Presentation: 076862

## Recommendations for the user of this Powerpoint presentation

- This is a template, the first section tells the global view of the EZECCCREAP program.  The second half is where you tell your community’s story.
- Please customize as needed, adding slides as necessary, editing titles etc.
- It is recommended to add pictures as appropriate, to add life to the presentation and to better convey your community’s story.
- Please make sure to delete this slide when done.
- Questions:  suzette.agans@wdc.usda.gov

## Rural Empowerment Program Lessons Learned

- _[www.ezec.gov](http://www.ezec.gov/)_   _[www.rurdev.usda.gov](http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/)_

- Created 5-07

## Presentation Format

- National Perspective
- Implementing the program – community perspective
- Questions from the Audience

**Notes:**
Draw from the experience of 60+ highly distressed rural communities

## Slide 4

**Notes:**
Locations of empowerment zones, in blue thumbtack, ECs in blue pins.

## Empowerment Program: Quick Look

- 1994-2009
- Three application and funding rounds
- Ten-year designation/community
- Annual funds: $167K-$4million/community
- Approximately 60 communities
- Only highly distressed communities (35%+ poverty rate) (2 exceptions: outmigration)

- Benchmark Review

## Empowerment Program: Quick Look (cont’d)

- Wide range of acceptable purposes
- Community driven
- Objective: Progress during the 10 years
- Objective: Sustainability after the 10 years
- Leveraging of funds (17:1)
- No new applications currently accepted
- For more info: _[www.ezec.gov](http://www.ezec.gov/)_
- EZ-EC urban program at HUD

**Notes:**
53:1 for ECs and 9:1 for EZs

## Lesson #1

- This approach works!  Many highly distressed rural communities can organize themselves to successfully build a stronger present and future

- Board –Griggs/Steele EZ

## Lesson #2

- Target outside financial assistance to make a big difference
- Lesson #2A: Support small staff and administrative costs
- Lesson #2B: Provide seed money for leveraging
- Lesson #2C: Provide reliable funding over ten years

## Lesson #3

- Target outside technical assistance to make a big difference
- Lesson #3A: Provide vehicles (especially conferences) for peer sharing
- Lesson #3B: Focus TA on processes with long-term benefits (e.g., broad community participation, board development, financial management, benchmark tracking)

## Lessons #4 & #5

- Lesson #4: Utilize broad community participation
- Lesson #5: Use this opportunity to develop new cadre of leaders

- Northwoods NiiJii EC

## Lessons #6 - 9

- Lesson #6: Conduct community assessment
- Lesson #7: Develop community strategic plan
- Lesson #8: Use evaluation and feedback
- Lesson #9: Track progress on plan implementation

## Lessons #10 -14

- Lesson #10: Work with nearby communities
- Lesson #11: Network with other communities
- Lesson #12: Build effective partnerships
- Lesson #13: Capture and use knowledge from many sources
- Lesson #14: Encourage a positive *can do* attitude

## Your Community

- Insert map for geographic orientation

## Demographics

- best to show 2 different periods – could include population changes, economic changes, age changes as appropriate to your community

## Organizational Structure

- Board structure, changes, staffing, and how this has may have changed or the lessons learned.

## 3 Accomplishments

- Good to show pictures along with statements of these significant accomplishments

## Secrets of Success

- Describe how you were able to get to success, especially those items or processes that others in your audience may not know about.

## Biggest Surprise

## Lesson learned in this area

- Cross-Community Collaboration

## Challenges

- Describe Current or future changes the community faces.

## Sustainability: the FUTURE

- Describe how your community is going to get there or has gotten there.

## Lessons Learned

- Describe others types of lessons learned

## Conclusion

- Conclude with impression or overall lesson learned you want your audience to walk away with.

## Thank You

- Questions and Comments?