A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News February 7, 2006 - Grant boosts progress program By: Andrew Hellpap, Daily Tribune Staff Community Progress Initiative officials expect a $240,000 Ford Foundation grant to produce quick results for the program that's designed to stimulate the local economy. The grant, announced Monday, will nearly double the $265,373 the initiative received in funding its first 15 months. The additional money will help the Progress Initiative launch a leadership program for people dedicated to building and sustaining community growth. And thanks to the funds, the Community Progress Initiative will be able to launch its Advanced Leadership Institute in mid-March. "We would have made it happen without it," said Connie Loden, executive director of Heart of Wisconsin Business and Economic Alliance. "This funding does allow us to take on these programs now." The Community Progress Initiative, launched in April 2004, is a program organized by the Community Foundation of South Wood County and the Heart of Wisconsin. The funding it received from the Ford Foundation, a nonprofit group based in New York City, will give credence to the work the initiative is doing and create more excitement and involvement in the project, said Fran Podvin, Community Foundation of South Wood County board member. "I think it's a validation of (all) that has gone before," he said. "They will say, 'I think there is something going on here.'" In addition to helping fund the new leadership program, the money will be earmarked for learning/study tours, industry cluster network support, the "New Ideas" speaker series, grassroots community leadership training and marketing and community awareness efforts. The money also will go to help pay for a Progress Initiative newsletter. Community Foundation President Kelly Lucas said the grant is the culmination of about a year of work after people involved with the initiative contacted the Ford Foundation. Still, more needs to be done to get people involved in the initiative, said Fred Siemers, board member of both the Heart of Wisconsin and the Community Foundation of South Wood County. He said the climate needs to shift toward prosperity, in turn prompting community leaders and business people to get involved. "Until the conversation starts to change, the community won't change," he said. Siemers said as the conversation leads to action, public perception will favor economic expansion. "As people see brick and mortar, they see a connection," he said.
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