Community Development

Community Development education helps citizens tap into local strengths and University resources. Some of the following Community Development programs that may be useful during these tough economic times:

• Community Emergency Management Program provides education and technical assistance to individuals and families, local governments, businesses, schools and organizations in preparing and responding to natural and man-made disasters.

• Community Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Development is a cross-disciplinary program to stimulate entrepreneurial communities and foster a climate of entrepreneurship locally, regionally and statewide.

• Food Circles Networking Project is creating an infrastructure to create the community-based food systems that help farm families produce food for local markets; connect farmers and consumers directly; encourage community-based processing and distribution; and encourage the consumption of locally grown food.

• Community Development Academy is an intensive, experiential, five-day course which explores ideas and develops practical skills for effectively involving and empowering local citizens and leaders in community-based efforts.

• Organizational Development for Nonprofits is designed to aid the small nonprofit organizations in Missouri that are in many ways the backbone of civic life in our communities. They include the neighborhood organizations, community betterment groups, faith-based organizations, auxiliary clubs, educational associations, and many others. Their work often defines what is unique about the places we live and their efforts to address some of the most difficult community issues often differentiates a good place to live from a not so good place to live.

• Alianzas program fosters inclusive communities that recognize and address the unique qualities and challenges of Hispanic/Latino residents using a community-based, collaborative learning approach.

Additional information from The Foundation Center:

• The Foundation Center provides free funding information through a network of nearly 400 "cooperating collections" - libraries, community foundations, and other nonprofit resource centers across the country. Use this map to locate a Cooperating Collection near you.

• Community foundations are an important source of local and regional assistance, information, and funding. Use the map to find information on giving, assets, and the distribution of community foundations across the nation, and to view a detailed profile of each foundation and its geographic affiliates.