The Montana Horizons Communities invitied over 30 representives of non-profit organizations, foundations, agencies and special interest groups across the state to Bozeman in September to make connections and develop productive relationships  in support of their communities’ visioning and creating a plan of action.

The Partnership Summit had three objectives

• Explain the Horizon Program and process to potential partners
• Provide an opportunity for communities to collaborate with potential part
• Develop a “menu system” taht enhances and facilities communities to connect with partners and the services, resources and programs they provide.

The Partnership Summit was an ideal opportunity for communities to “showcase” their programs and accomplishments to potential partners and other communities. Communities prepared tabletop displays highlighting their communities.

Grant Writing Workshop in Billings, MT

November 13-14, 2007

Montana State University-Billings, in partnership with Grant Writing USA, is pleased to present a two-day grant writing workshop in Billings, November 13-14, 2007. More than 5,000 government and nonprofit agencies across America now turn to Grant Writing USA for grants training. All nonprofit and government agencies are welcome to attend.

Grant Writing USA delivers nationwide training programs and workshops that dramatically enhance performance in the areas of grant writing, national foundation and government grant maker research and relations, program planning, and personal and organizational excellence. Each element plays an important role in grant writing success and all are covered in this, Grant Writing USA’s signature two-day workshop.

This workshop is suitable for beginning and experienced grant writers who desire to increase their fundraising competitiveness and broaden their funder focus.

Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment. Please read the “Payment Policy” section of our online registration.

Tuition is $425 and includes all materials: workbook and accompanying 220MB resource CD that’s packed full of tools and more than 200 sample grant proposals. Seating is limited, online reservations are necessary, walk-ins are not allowed.

For more information including venue location and maps, graduate testimonials and instant, online enrollment, please visit

http://www.grantwritingusa.com/

A STATE-WIDE CONFERENCE

October 26,

Bozeman Holiday Inn, 9:30am-4:30pm 

• A neighbor’s comments before the county commission

• A letter to the editor

• Discussion at a volunteer non-profit board

• Debate among members of the Legislature

What is the quality of public discourse in Montana, among its citizens, its non-profit organizations, media, and governmental bodies?

What can concerned citizens and groups do to ensure that effective public discourse will support effective democracy in our state?

Join us for a day-long conference in Bozeman, featuring Pat Hughes, author of Gracious Space:  Working Better Together, Brian Kahn, Dennis Swibold, Gordon Brittan, Jane Jelinski, Bob Brown, Ann Mary Dussault, Mark Noennig, Chuck Johnson, Carmen McSpadden, Judy Edwards, and others. 

There is a $25 registration fee that will cover printed materials and luncheon.

Sessions will address public discourse in Montana’s past; the nature and place of civility in a democracy, in city councils and county commissions, the legislature, and the media; factors bearing on effective public discourse; the nuts-and-bolts of working together; and resources available to Montanans for a more effective public discourse.

“Can We Talk?” is sponsored by Humanities Montana, on the occasion of its 35^thanniversary, in partnership with the Burton K. Wheeler Center and the Local Government Center at Montana State University-Bozeman; the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West at The University of Montana; Leadership Montana; Artemis Common Ground; and the Montana Consensus Council.

http://www.humanities-mt.org/CanWeTalk.htm

The Montana Horizons Program have two Web-based Community Visioning Surveys now on-line:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/Anaconda

Each of these surveys are slightly different and reflect unique information about the community. If you would like to create your own survey, please contact Paul Lachapelle and he can design and implement your survey now.

The Small Towns in the Great Plains of Eastern Montana is a publication that was just produced  by Marvin Gloege.

Eastern Montana lies near the western edge of the Great Plains. for over a century generations have lived there, building and maintaining community in the face of obstacles imposed by both natural and economic forces. this book brings attention to the small towns of eastern Montana and the people who live there.

The early settlement of small towns in the Great Plains and throughout the U.S. is a basic part of our American roots. Do these towns continue as active and vital places or do they become merely a part of our past? De we let these communities blow away and become ghost towns? Or are their resiliency and resolve strong enough to overcome the long-term trends pointing toward decline?

As he chronciles in his book through interviews, statistical supplement and circumstances surrounding and effecting these communities, Marvin Gloege provides a detailed, sympathetic and realistic investigation into the realities of eastern Montana as a region of declining population. Readers will be drawn into the character of these communities and will come away with a deep appreciation for what it means to fight for survival when extinction seems imminent.

Interviews were conducted in the towns of:

Bainville, Baker, Circle, Culbertson, Ekalaka, Flaxville, Froid, Hysham, Ismay, Jordon, Medicine Lake, Nashua, Opheim, Outlook, Plevna, Scobey, Terry, Westby, Wibaux, Winnet 

Poor People are Moving to Already Poor, Rural Communities

Attracted by low-cost housing and low-skill jobs, poor people move disproportionately to rural communities. Rural places are poor in part because poor people move there. By Bill Bishop [1]

http://www.dailyyonder.com/poor-people-are-moving-already-poor-rural-communities

Community Blogs

In addition to the LeadershipPlenty® training sessions, community coaches Anita Raddatz came out to Montana to conduct trainings for the participating Horizons communities. these trainings were held in Bozeman and Glendive. Anita delivered the trainings to a number of community members and follow-up training, will be available through contacting Edward Sypinski, these trainings have been key in getting participants more comfortable with the medium. The training includes having participants create a personal blog so they can get comfortable with the technology, then transitioning them over to the project/community blog. Each community was provided with a Kodak digital camera as part of the LeadershipPlenty® training, so Anita offered tips on how to include photos in the blog. In small communities where there is no newspaper, the blogs will hopefully prove to be a great, cost-effective way to improve communication. Outside of the bulletin board at the post office, in many cases there was no communication vehicle within the communities. The blogging project has been so successful in Washington and Anita was invited-to travel out to Montana to provide training on blogs here. The goal was to “train the trainer” so that participants can provide training and assistance to community bloggers in their states. For more information on the
Washington blogging project, and to see a list of the community blogs there, visit www.horizonspr.blogspot.com