FAQ's for Communities

Here are some questions recently asked by a community member that the whole group may benefit from knowing the answers to:

1. Will you need names and addresses of all those attending the Study Circle Facilitator training sessions in Watertown, Mitchell or Rapid City? We do not need the specifics, just a head count and which location you plan on attending so we can plan for space/lunch.


2. Should we be trying to bring the high-schoolers to that training or do we just make sure we get them at our “kick off? We think that it would be better to include high school students in other aspects—not as facilitators. So be sure to include them on the planning committee, in the kick-off events, and certainly in the study circles.


3. We have decided to have the kickoff...the night of a local basketball game...the kickoff in the book it says to have a speaker and if there needs to be a reimbursement for them do we as a planning committee just pay for that or do we get the city to pay for it? Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF) has provided some money for program costs which may include such things as kick off events. Kari will be looking at the budget to determine what might be available to communities. But let me also say that NWAF encourages communities to look for ways they can use their own community assets as a way to encourage buy-in of the program and commitment to future projects. So my best answer is to plan to fund things from within but realize that there may be some reimbursements later.


4. When do we get the money and how much? I know this is a valid question for communities! Northwest Area Foundation provides funds in several ways to Horizons communities at different points throughout the process such as: Funding the trainings such the Study Circles trainings in Pierre and Watertown—attendees will be reimbursed for travel expenses, provided meals, and materials etc. as these events occur. But the real question is “when do we get the potential $2000-$10,000 incentive money?” NWAF will create Poverty Reduction Accounts (PRA’s) for each community that completes the entire Horizons process. So you are right in assuming that those funds will not be given until the project is completed in 2008. Those funds will be given to the community through a 501c3 organization capable of receiving and administering the funds in your community—such as a local community foundation. The better a community does throughout the process the more money that may be given. For instance, there are several thresholds to be met, such as getting 30 people to attend Study Circles—if a community can get 60 people to attend, that will be a potential to “earn” more of the incentive money by showing NWAF the commitment from the community.