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NWCCOG Resources Bulletin

Funding & Technical Assistance
 
The USDA Rural Development’s Value Added Producer Grant
Program’s FY 2019 Funding Opportunity is coming soon!  NOFA will be coming out sometime near the end of July and will have over $30,000,000 in grant funds available nationwide.  The VAPG is designed to help with planning or working capital grant funds at a 50/50 applicant match for agricultural producers as they look to market and sell their value added products from the raw commodities they currently produce.  It is never too early to start working on a VAPG application.  Contact: P.J. Howe|Business Program Specialist | Rural Development 970- 3151 | p.j.howe@usda.gov | www.rd.usda.gov/co.
Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant program
U.S. Dept. of Labor. WANTO grant program will award $1.5 million to community-based organizations to encourage women’s employment in apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations. Deadline: July 8.
Bonding Program for Workers Recovering from Opioid Abuse
U.S. Dept. of Labor. funds available to increase the usage of fidelity bonds, through the Federal Bonding Program (FBP), to secure employment opportunities for workers recovering from the misuse of opioids. The Department is committed to helping those recovering from opioid use find family-sustaining jobs, informing employers about opportunities to provide second chances, and advancing strategies to address barriers to employment that may exist.  More info here. 

Endangered Places Nominations
Colorado Preservation, Inc.’s program works with communities throughout the state to preserve endangered historic places. Nominations can be submitted by individuals or organizations and should clearly indicate the nature of the threat to the building or historic resource, such as abandonment or neglect, development pressures, weatherization and natural damage, or other factors. Nominations close August 16th. Nominate Today!
Grants Promote Contemporary Visual Arts
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Funding for the advancement of the visual arts. The Foundation fosters innovative artistic expression and the creative process through its support of cultural organizations that, in turn, support artists and their work. Grants are provided for curatorial programs at museums, artists’ organizations, and other cultural institutions to originate innovative and scholarly presentations of contemporary visual arts. Projects may include exhibitions, catalogues, artists’ residencies, and other relevant activities. The next postmark deadline for proposals is September 1, 2019. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the grant guidelines.
 
Small Business Administration – Disaster Loan Assistance
More info here. Small nonfarm businesses in 31 Colorado counties and neighboring counties in New Mexico are now eligible to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.  These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in counties that began Nov. 1, 2018.  Primary Colorado counties: Chaffee, Crowley, Custer, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Huerfano, Lake, Las Animas, Lincoln, Otero, Park and Pueblo; Neighboring Colorado counties: Alamosa, Arapahoe, Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Costilla, Douglas, Eagle, Gunnison, Jefferson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Pitkin, Saguache, Summit, Teller and Washington.
Citizen’s Institute for Rural Design Funds
Citizen’s Institute for Rural Design offers opportunities that connect rural communities to design resources, enabling communities to act on ideas for improvements to a community’s streets, buildings, public spaces, or landscapes to address the specific physical, environmental, social, and economic challenges facing rural areas. Application Deadline: July 22, 2019.
Groundwork USA Community Improvement
The mission of the Groundwork USA network is to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement, and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships that empower people, businesses, and organizations to promote environmental, economic, and social well-being. Letters of Interest must be received by July 31, 2019.  The selected community will be eligible for up to $200,000 in funding and technical assistance from the National Park Service, US Environmental Protection Agency, and Groundwork USA to plan, establish, and build the capacity of a Groundwork Trust organization in their community. For more info. visit

www.groundworkusa.org.

Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD)
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is available for its competitive grant program known as Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD, formerly known as TIGER). A total of $900 million was appropriated for this program in FY 2019. The NOFO, application, and webinar series describing how to construct a competitive application are on-line at https://www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants.
Deadline: July 15, 2019.
Our Town is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grants program. These grants support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Successful Our Town projects ultimately lay the groundwork for systemic changes that sustain the integration of arts, culture, and design into local strategies for strengthening communities. These projects require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, with one of the partners being a cultural organization. Matching grants range from $25,000 to $200,000, with a minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount.  Deadline: August 8.
ATV Safety and Trail Access Funding
The T.R.A.I.L.S. Grant Program, an initiative of Polaris Industries, provides support to national, state, and local organizations in the United States to ensure the future of ATV riding. Deadline: September 1. More info here
 
The U.S. Department of Transportation Funds for Mobility Innovation 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced that $15 million in research funds is available to transit providers, state agencies, and federally recognized tribes through the Integrated Mobility Innovation Demonstration program. Applications are due August 6, 2019. For more information, view the funding announcement posted here.
The HOPE VI Main Street Program provides grants to small communities to assist in the renovation of historic or traditional central business districts, or “Main Street” areas, by replacing unused, obsolete commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. Deadline: July 30.
Innovation and Design  Training: Methods & Tools for Generating New Ideas and Turning them into Action
July 23 from 1 – 5 pm at the Summit County Main Library in Frisco – more info and register here
Workshop Objective: Introduction to the methodology and tools for Innovation. Learn about various Innovation approaches, methods, tools and creative problem-solving techniques to encourage your teams to develop new ideas.  Join CRC for a 1/2-day introduction to Innovation. Learn about the methods of Innovation and specific tools to encourage and support innovative thinking within your organization. This hands-on, interactive workshop will provide participants with a greater understanding of the various approaches and ways to Innovate. More info and register here.
Northwest Colorado Small Business Development Center Workshops
Join SBDC in the Vail Valley for these workshops – more info and register at www.northwestsbdc.org:
Writing a Business Plan – July 11
Finance Essentials for Small Business – August 8
Startup to Scale Up – September 13-14
 
10th Annual Colorado SBDC Women’s Small Business Conference: “Building for the Future”
July 18, 2019 at the Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio, CO – more info here

Learn from our business experts at our variety of breakout sessions, sign up for one of our free, confidential consulting sessions, get inspired from our engaging keynote speaker, or take advantage of our community of small business owners/experts and network!

Affordable Nonprofit Financial Leadership Training
July 11 | 9:00am – 4:00pm | Leadville
Offered by the Community Resource Center and Lake County Community Foundation. Strengthen your financial leadership skills and your organization. Build your organizational capacity around nonprofit accounting practices, financial oversight, and internal controls. Join us for an overview of the critical components of financial management for nonprofit organizations. This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of basic financial management terminology, policies and best practices for success. More info and register here. 
Small Town, Big ideas: Downtown Institute for Business
Sept. 10 in Manitou Springs – More info and register here
Across the country and the world communities are realizing to the power of the creative economy and experiential business. Manitou Springs has been supporting creative entrepreneurs before it was trendy, and in partnership with Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) and APA Colorado will share the tools, resources, and networks essential to building the systems to feed the business ecosystem.
Join us for this innovative day in collaboration with the Manitou Arts Center and Start Up Colorado Springs!
 
American Planning Association Colorado Conference: 
Elevated Planning: Balancing Place and Change! 
Sept. 18-20 in Snowmass Village, CO – more info and register here
Check out the preliminary program and register online at http://www.apacolorado.org/2019-conference.
 
Housing  Colorado Now Annual Conference
Oct. 8 – 11 – Keystone, CO
In 2019, the Housing Colorado Now Annual Conference will celebrate 31 years as Housing Colorado’s
signature event, which gathers affordable housing professionals for creative, inspiring, and thought-provoking education. We will continue to build from our past successes to shape Colorado’s future-a future of more affordable options and excellent, safe housing for all. The time for solutions and collaboration is now! Come join us as we tackle the big issues together and find ways to develop and preserve our state’s housing.
 
Campsight Breck 
Sept. 22-24
An innovation and marketing unconference for outdoor industry brands, adventurous visionaries and bold storytellers. More info here!
Drive, Lead, Succeed Conference – Economic Development Council of Colorado
October 9 – 11 at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs CO – more info here
This annual conference aims to provide the knowledge, tools, and connections that are vital to foster a growing Colorado economy:  Gather the industry’s top influencers and thought leaders together to share knowledge and answer questions that no one else can; offer new and vital tools and solutions to pressing economic issues facing Colorado’s professional economic development community;
Facilitate quality collaboration and opportunity to exchange fresh, new ideas among Colorado’s leading Economic Development professionals, business and non-profit leaders, government officials and more.
 
State Demography Summit
November 1st at Arapahoe Community College
Save the date for the 37th Annual State Demography Summit. This one-day summit will present updates to SDO population estimates and forecasts, and provide up-to-date information for county and municipal planners, data analysts, economic development professionals, and others.  This year’s summit will offer continuing education credits for real estate appraisers, real estate brokers and members of the American Institute for City Planners (AICP).  Registration will open September 2, 2019.
Resources
Housing in Eagle County Overview Map 
The mission of the Eagle County Housing & Development Authority (ECHDA) is to provide innovative, affordable housing solutions to the working people, elderly and disadvantaged members of the Eagle County community.  By creating this overlay map, this helps tell the story of those who live, work and play here along with partnerships and projects that have been established. ECHDA has been working for our community to alleviate barriers, create partnerships and establish creative solutions to help solve Eagle County’s housing crisis.  www.eaglecounty.us/housing www.valleyhomestore.org