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Future Generations University leading virtual volunteer management workshop

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BY DR. ERICKA HARNEY, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, FUTURE GENERATIONS UNIVERSITY

Volunteers are the lifeblood of community groups across the country—but how are you supposed to get the most out of their service and meet your beneficiaries’ needs while we’re physically distancing?

I’m leading an online workshop on September 29 to help you. Registration for the workshop is on the Future Generations University website.

You’ll gain the skills needed to transition in-person volunteers to remote roles, recruit and train new volunteers, manage their technical needs, and track their progress.

2020 has been an obstacle course. Nonprofits and organizations that serve the public haven’t been immune. Between online fundraising, virtual donation campaigns, and donning masks and gloves to reach those in need, groups that have been nimble and quick to adapt are the ones that are able to meet their mission.

Many organizations saw communities come together to support one another at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of that organic support is now waning as everyone tries to get back to “normal”.

The need for volunteers has only grown even while their pathway to giving back has become more challenging. Organizations are tasked with transforming what’s always been an in-person effort into virtual opportunities while managing their volunteers remotely.

It’s a challenging problem. And many are struggling to adjust volunteer opportunities appropriately, with few resources to guide them. That’s why Future Generations University created an online workshop to offer strategies and tactics to get the most from your volunteers in any circumstance.

On September 29, I will be hosting a 90-minute session for anyone who manages volunteers in any capacity that are now challenged with adjusting volunteer opportunities. This session will assist attendees in:

  • Understanding and defining what remote and virtual volunteer work is for their organization
  • Handling the challenges and opportunities with remote and virtual volunteers
  • Transitioning volunteers to appropriate roles
  • Supporting volunteers in training and technical needs
  • Managing virtual volunteers and communication

More about this professional development opportunity can be found at the Future Generations University site.

Dr. Ericka Harney CAE, CFRE, GPC, CVA joined Future Generations University to teach Nonprofit Management during a long career in the nonprofit sector. She is currently finishing a Ph.D. in Nonprofit Organizational Leadership from Eastern University while serving as a consultant in strategic planning, fundraising, grant development, governance, program development and evaluation, and nonprofit management.

Share your perspective on volunteering in 2020

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BY ERIN MCGRATH, OPERATIONS AND AMERICORPS VISTA PROGRAM MANAGER, THE HUB

Mr. Rogers reminded us all to look for the helpers in times of significant challenge. I have found myself thinking more about this wisdom in recent months while watching how volunteers have risen to face the new challenges we’ve been presented in this pandemic. It is not enough to just look for the helpers; looking to others must move us closer to being the helpers ourselves.

We’re teaming up with our friends at Volunteer West Virginia to survey people about new strategies, challenges, and opportunities for learning around volunteer-powered projects. We will share the results with our networks. If you’re working with volunteers in this time (or are a volunteer yourself!), please take this survey today.

Click here to go to the survey »

It’s no secret that the practice of engaging volunteers has looked a lot different in 2020 than any year previous. Given the risks of gathering together in person, and the many other barriers folks may be facing in their personal lives right now, engaging volunteers as we knew it before is gone. But the spirit of the helpers Mr. Rogers talks about is still here, and it is thriving. From using virtual spaces to gather and strategize, to carefully choreographed, socially distant activities, volunteers across the state have stepped up to fill new and existing needs of our communities. Acts of kindness, like volunteering, are not only beneficial for our communities; they are also beneficial for our brains.

The further we get into this new normal, though, challenges will continue to arise. That’s why we want to hear what engaging volunteers in your community has been like in the recent months. We know that volunteers are more important to our community health than ever before. Volunteers can, and continue, to rise to meet critical needs of their neighbors; not to mention the positive impacts volunteering has on our brains. We want to hear what’s going on in your community. 

Click here to go to the survey »

Ready to learn more today?

A few weeks ago, we brought you some of our key takeaways from our Community Conversation “Mobilizing Volunteers Today.” We came together hoping to find out what exciting things volunteers have been doing to keep their communities moving forward through the pandemic, challenges organizations are facing to engagement, and to brainstorm solutions for moving towards sustainability. What this conversation revealed is that despite the many new and emerging challenges to engaging volunteers, there are many lessons being learned to build for the future. 

Read our key takeaways post to learn more »

Erin McGrath is the Operations and AmeriCorps VISTA Program Manager at the WV Community Development Hub.

Measuring what matters could level-up community development in West Virginia

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BY STEPHANIE TYREE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE HUB

In 2019, The Hub interviewed and surveyed hundreds of stakeholders working in the community economic development field in West Virginia. We were seeking to understand what successes had occurred in the past decade to advance rural community development.

Through these surveys, interviews, and community focus groups we were able to identify six shared strategies for successful rural community development. Communities that were seeing visible and sustained progress seemed to have most if not all of the strategies underway.

The “best practices” for successful rural community development are:

  1. Maintaining and growing volunteerism and civic engagement;
  2. Developing diverse local leadership;
  3. Building a common vision and executing a shared plan;
  4. Centering inclusivity, collaboration and communication to sustain engagement and transparency;
  5. Actively engaging and using the support systems available to help with local community development;
  6. Leveraging diverse funding opportunities.

Download our Preliminary Report on the State of Community Development in West Virginia to learn more about the 6 best practices »

These six best practices were the guiding light we received from experts in community building in rural places facing high rates of poverty and economic decline. While they show ways of working together to improve communities, there remains a central question within the field about how do you know when success has been achieved.

Is success the successful redevelopment of a local building, or of a certain number of buildings? Is it the start or growth of a certain number of businesses? A certain percentage reduction in downtown vacancy rates or of crime rates? Is it a certain number of volunteers working actively to improve their community? Is it all of these things and more?

How exactly are we measuring the success of what we are all doing, together, to advance community development in West Virginia?

One of the key findings from our analysis of the past ten years of the state’s community development field is that while significant work happened across the state from 2010-2020, that work was often poorly documented and inconsistently measured. Practitioners and community volunteers were often so focused on just doing the work that they failed to document the short and long-term impacts of their activities, successes and failures.

This might seem fairly theoretical, but we found that the failure to adequately document the impacts of the work was a significant deficiency in the state’s community development field and is a likely contributor to our persistent challenge of attracting resources, engaging more volunteers and local leaders, and promoting the value of investment in our region and state.

In short, measuring impacts matters. And we have a long way to go in getting real measurements of impacts for the community development field as a whole in West Virginia.

When we are able to better document the thousands of volunteers around the state that are putting time, talent and donations into local projects to improve their communities, and we can tie all of that work to increased business activity, increased property values, tourism, recreation, local income, tax revenue and, (the holy grail) increased population – then we will be able to make a remarkable case for the value of the work we are all doing to make our communities more thriving, vibrant places.   

We see this as the next step for our work collectively as a community development field in the state. Identifying shared metrics that we track to demonstrate short and long-term impact will catalyze increased engagement, increased investment, and improved communities.

We’ve proposed some potential short and long-term indicators of success in our Preliminary Report on the State of Community Development in West Virginia, but that’s just a start.

We’re excited to work with our partners at West Virginia University in the coming year to map these shared metrics and begin to build a collective approach to measuring these across the diverse types of community development work that are happening throughout the state across many sectors, by many partners and throughout many communities. A team from the university is hosting a collaborative virtual convening between faculty and community development practitioners on Oct. 29th to learn more about which indicators are currently being collected, and explore how faculty outreach and community efforts can better align data collection and reporting efforts.

Community developers across the state are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Margaret Stout (Margaret.Stout@mail.wvu.edu) to get involved in this exciting and potentially transformative project.

So, join us in October, or go online and let us know what you think of those initial ideas in our feedback form. And let us know if this is an issue that gets you excited! We’re always looking for data geeks to help us improve our work and grow our expertise.

Stephanie Tyree is the Executive Director of the WV Community Development Hub.

Regional recreation economy initiative gains new ground – congratulations to Mon Forest Towns!

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Ribbon cutting for new welcome signage in Petersburg, WV
BY TALIA SCHWELLING, NORTH ZONE RESOURCE ASSISTANT, US FOREST SERVICE

The Mon Forest Towns Partnership (MFTP) is a collaborative, regional effort between ten communities throughout the Monongahela National Forest and is supported by the US Forest Service (USFS), USDA Rural Development (USDA RD), and West Virginia University (WVU). Our vision is to connect communities to each other, to the Forest, and to our natural resources to generate positive and tangible outcomes that will improve quality of life and vitality of this region. Through relationship-building, community engagement, and resource sharing, the partnership aims to foster a sustainable recreation economy across the Mon Forest region. The MFTP has worked or will be working with the WV Community Development Hub in several of the MFTP communities: Cowen, Elkins, Franklin,Marlinton,  Petersburg, Parsons, Richwood and White Sulphur Springs. Thomas and Davis are also a part of the larger regional partnership.

After three years of hard work and dedication, the MFTP signed a Memorandum of Understanding and became an official partnership earlier this year! 

As a young initiative, we have hit the ground running and have a lot of exciting things happening now and in the future. Here are just a few projects we have in the works now:

  1. New town welcome signs. Each community has worked closely with our WVU graphic design partners to customize a Mon Forest Towns welcome sign for their town. The welcome signs have icons with town amenities and three embedded circles that represent each town’s unique spirit.  Some towns have already installed their signs and held ribbon cuttings to celebrate!
  2. New wayfinding signage and interpretive materials. To guide visitors to community resources and forest recreation opportunities as well as promote the partnership, Mon Forest Towns is working with WVU graphic designers to create branded signage.  Kiosks, maps, brochures, interpretive signage, and wayfinding signage are being designed and prepped for printing this fall – see some examples of the works in progress below. The examples have not yet been finalized, but are shared with the permission of the designers).
  3. New collaborative marketing campaign. We want to spread awareness about Mon Forest Towns, and what better way than fun and informative merchandise?  We are working on creating stickers, buttons, window clings, and rack cards to get the word out.
  4. New public and green spaces. Towns are working directly with the Landscape Architecture program at WVU to create vibrant community spaces that cater to both locals and tourists. Marlinton’s Discovery Junction is a great example of a community effort to transform a vacant lot into a downtown rallying point for the community and its visitors, we hope to see more projects like this in the future.
  5. New online presence. Web development and GIS specialists from WVU have created a beautiful online space for the partnership that includes a forest-wide asset map, town features, and blog space for storytelling.  The asset map allows locals and visitors alike the freedom to discover opportunities across the forest in our ten communities and beyond.  This site will go live fall 2020.
  6. New plans for trails. We have secured funding for IMBA Trail Solutions to work with Mon Forest Towns, Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center working group, and the Town of Marlinton to develop a detailed plan for purpose-built mountain bike trails that will propel the economy of Pocahontas County, WV.
  7. Support for small businesses. Mon Forest Towns is fortunate to collaborate closely with Woodlands Development Group. Woodlands has served a myriad of small businesses with grants, loans, and technical assistance and has been a crucial partner as we navigate through the impacts of COVID-19.

To find more information about Mon Forest Towns and how our initiative is growing, be on the lookout for our website that will go live this fall!

Plans for new community wayfinding and interpretative signage are in progress now. Check out these examples of early-stage designs!

Talia Schwelling is the North Zone Resource Assistant at the US Forest Service. Talia can be reached at talia.schwelling@usda.gov.

6 WV teams receive Blueprint Communities designation

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Just a few of the 65 (!) people that gathered to celebrate the graduation of these communities. Scroll to the end of the story to see more photos!
BY KAYCIE STUSHEK, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS SPECIALIST, THE HUB

On August 13th, 65 people gathered virtually to celebrate the graduation of six West Virginia teams from the Blueprint Communities program, a program of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh that is administered in the Mountain State by the team here at The Hub.

We are extending a big CONGRATULATIONS to these communities for their outstanding work:

  • Kingwood (Preston County);
  • Lewis County;
  • Meadow River Valley region (Greenbrier County);
  • Monticello neighborhood of Clarksburg (Harrison County);
  • New Martinsville (Wetzel County); and
  • Parsons (Tucker County)

These teams are now officially designated as “Blueprint Communities” through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, meaning they’ve invested the sweat equity to build up their skill sets in key community and economic development areas and created plans for their future, and now they are eligible for new opportunities and resources to help make those dreams come true. Read on to learn about their exciting progress – including more than $100,000 already secured to achieve their goals.

Over the course of the year-long program, these teams have collaborated with their communities to dream up a vision for the future and develop the stepping stones for how to get there. These community leaders spent this past year gaining knowledge and skills, connecting to resources to ensure success, and outlining their strategies for how to accomplish their goals.

“The most important thing is the support of the residents of the community. Without their buy-in and support, our plans would fail.”

– Martin Howe, Monticello

“This has opened my eyes to the resources that are available and to the need to bring more people in to the work over time.”

– Dave Lumsden, Meadow River Valley

Teams connected to expertise on topics relating to their projects and that would build their capacity to achieve their goals. Just a few training titles included: Team Building for Success; Grant Writing; Getting Downtown Development-ready; Promotional Marketing for Businesses; Public Space Arts Initiatives; School Renovation; Housing Opportunities; and Creative Fundraising. They also connected to one another to understand better what is happening across communities in West Virginia

“Until you get involved in programs like this, you don’t know all of the resources that are available to us in West Virginia.”

– Sandy Hunt, New Martinsville

“I’ve learned about connections. You hear of a project that you always wanted to do, and you may hear of someone that has already done it. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Borrow the good ideas coming out of other communities.”

– Ray Smith, Lewis County

Even though communities are facing significant challenges this year, these resilient leaders stayed the course. The community teams have already raised more than $100,000 in grants and donations towards their initiatives, and have torn down three dilapidated buildings to make way for future projects.

Communities have been awarded opportunities such as the Fulcrum Program, which connects teams with WVU graduate students for design projects; assistance with dilapidated buildings through the WVU BAD Buildings program; and Mills Group LLC’s pro-bono conceptual architectural services, awarded to four WV projects as a part of their 15 year anniversary, two of which were in Blueprint communities! 

“This is proof a small community can make big things happen!”

– Robbie Baylor, Kingwood

“It’s time to make a change. The time is now.”

– Jason Myers, Parsons

We are honored to be a part of the journey as coaches to the community teams and administrators of this initiative in West Virginia, and we offer heartfelt gratitude to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh for bringing their Blueprint Communities program to the Mountain State. 

The Hub’s Executive Director Stephanie Tyree said it well when she addressed the teams at graduation: “It is most inspiring to hear you talk about how the keys to success are partnerships, continuous engagement, identifying resources, and continually showing up for your communities.”

Get ready, West Virginia! There are even more great things to come from these communities.

Thank you to the partners and supporters who joined the community teams in celebrating at their graduation ceremony, including Senator Joe Manchin and President & CEO of Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh Winthrop Watson, who both offered congratulatory remarks to the graduates, as well as representatives from the Office of Senator Shelley Moore Capito; Office of Congressman David McKinley; Office of Congresswoman Carol Miller; and Office of Congressman Alex Mooney.

Virtual Group Photos Taken at the Ceremony of Community Teams and Partners
Just a Few of the Celebratory Graduation Caps!

Ready to tell a new kind of story about WV? We’re looking for a Communications Associate

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The team at the WV Community Development Hub is looking for a Communications Associate to advance our work in building a narrative about West Virginia that shows that change is possible and it is happening today. The person who takes on this role will support enacting a multi-platform communications strategy in collaboration with The Hub’s team to lift up the stories of innovative community leaders.

Check out our job listing for more information »

Applications are due September 15, 2020.

The Hub is a statewide nonprofit organization that works directly with dozens of towns, cities and community teams each year, maintains a network of thousands of engaged readers across our multiple communications platforms, and uses our communications to strategically position the community development efforts of West Virginia communities and organizations as an innovative and leading approach on regional and national stages.

If you are passionate about West Virginia, community transformation, and the ability to use communications as a tool to amplify positive stories and motivate others to make positive change in their own communities, you will be a great fit with The Hub’s values.

We are looking for someone who can support with documenting and capturing the work of West Virginia community leaders happening on the ground today, and also in being an amplifier for these stories of innovative community leadership through communications strategies and platforms.

Does this sound like you?

Check out our job listing for more information »

Applications are due September 15, 2020.

The Hub is looking for a consultant to support us with strategic planning

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The Hub is soliciting proposals from consultants experienced in strategic planning to lead the organization’s Board of Directors and staff through a long-range strategic planning process.

Proposal applications will be accepted until September 23, 2020.

View the Request for Proposals for more information »

The Hub is moving into its second decade of work, and has had sustained growth in its work and impact over the past decade and in particular in the last five years. Detailed information about our work and impact is available in the annual impact report. In 2016-2017, the staff and board completed a strategic planning process that refined the organization’s mission, values and purpose and set out clear internal and external strategic goals for the coming three years.

As we look toward the coming five years, we expect that significant shifts will happen within the economy, the nonprofit field, and the community development field. A process to set out organizational strategic goals and strategies for the coming five years will help us move through the turbulent times we are in and emerge as a stronger, focused organization.

We are looking for a consultant who can offer the following services:

  • Work with a Strategic Planning Team to articulate a clear strategic plan for The Hub for 2021- 2026. This plan should identify specific organizational growth, programming, fundraising, and communications objectives for The Hub to pursue in the next 5 years in pursuit of its mission.
  • Conduct a small scope internal and external survey to evaluate The Hub’s success in achieving the strategic goals set out in the 2017 strategic plan and conduct a general SWOT analysis of internal and external perceptions of the organization.
  • Develop a timetable of implementation with specific measurable benchmarks, objectives and tasks to be accomplished to achieve goals.
  • Establish a framework and process for the organization’s leadership to effectively implement the strategic plan and monitor progress toward achievement of goals and objectives during the 5- year period.
  • Plan and facilitate all meetings related to the project, and provide leadership, direction and expert consultation and advice related to the development of an effective strategic plan, including successful implementation.
  • Deliverables must include: A clear, easily comprehensible strategic planning roadmap accompanied by a strategic planning timeline, implementation and evaluation methodology; Completed multi-month planning process with board and staff; and a comprehensive written strategic plan document.

Proposal applications will be accepted until September 23, 2020.

View the Request for Proposals for more information »

Matewan’s hard work continues to pay off with a $1.7 million award for downtown revitalization

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Historic photo of the Nenni Buildings, captured soon after the murder of labor rights hero Sid Hatfield (learn more at the WV Encyclopedia)
BY MACKENZIE NEW WALKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WV MINE WARS MUSEUM, AND KAYCIE STUSHEK, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS SPECIALIST, THE HUB

We have had the privilege of working with Matewan residents and local partners and have continuously seen how their diligence, thoughtfulness, spirit and drive has never wavered and has been a primary factor in their many achievements that have continued to build over the years. 

A commitment to Matewan’s past and honoring a future that ties its rich history with adventure has always been at the center of their community conversations. In the past few years alone, community members have been building momentum and bringing a great energy to their town in numerous ways.

We’re including just a few highlights of achievements from recent years here. Do you know more? Share them in the comments! 

  • Multiple new businesses have opened centered around history, culture, and outdoor recreation; 
  • The Historic Lock Up and City Hall had a huge facelift, with external and internal renovations done by local volunteers; 
  • The WV Mine Wars Museum moved to a larger location, thanks to a partnership with the local UMWA chapter, who purchased and is working to remodel the recently closed BB&T building, now the International Cecil E. Roberts Building, to be a space to serve the community in multiple ways;  
  • A local Convention and Visitors Bureau was formed, who is a hub of information for local activities, and who recently collaborated with other partners to put up stunning billboards around the area; 
  • A beautiful mural painted by local community members greets visitors at the end of Mate Street; and a new solar-powered speaker-box talks you through some of the area’s rich historical events; 
  • The Tug Fork River is becoming even more of a recreational asset to the community through regional collaborations; 

And now…

The three historic Nenni Buildings located in the heart of downtown were purchased by area partner Coalfield Development, and have received $1.7 million dollars in funding for redevelopment efforts that align with the vision of this determined community!

The team at Coalfield Development shared more about this story on their website.

Read the story and more details on this exciting project » 

There are so many more initiatives and positive things happening in Matewan, look them up to get more details, as this community should definitely be on your must-visit list.

Completed historic building redevelopment project is a welcoming beacon in the city of Hinton

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Way to go, Hinton! See before and after pictures below
BY CANDICE HELMS, PRESERVATION ALLIANCE WV AMERICORPS MEMBER, HINTON HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION

Hinton’s oldest standing residential structure, The Campbell Flannagan Murrell House Museum, built circa 1875, has recently gone through more than the obvious facelift. Over the past few years, the community and partners have come together to give this current day museum much needed attention focused on preservation and preventative maintenance.

In June of 2017,  the former Preserve Alliance West Virginia’s AmeriCorps Member Sarah Rogers, submitted a (successful) National Coal Heritage Area grant in hopes to address the concerns of the safety of the CFM House and to preserve the structure and its contents. Combined with that, I, the current PAWV AmeriCorps Member, submitted a mini-grant through the Hinton Area Foundation to fund the painting of the exterior. The City also contributed their labor to doing a majority of the work. In September 2019, the project started and successfully ended in July 2020. Jumping in after Sarah left, was quite seamless. The entire Board of the Museum has been very supportive and excited as I was to see a much needed, finished product.

BEFORE
AFTER

A staple in the repair process was the installation of a much needed retaining wall. Water damage issues were in abundance with this Historic structure, and redirecting the water away was just the beginning of the process. Tree removal, installation of supplemental guttering, and equipping a dehumidifier in the basement were also needed to complete that effort. Throughout the house, there were windows that needed attention, walls in need of patching, flooring to be replaced, and much more. Lastly, the entire house was painted to what the Museum Board deemed as the most accurate, original color scheme.

Hinton is coming around the bend full force in Community Development and this project is just one of the many to consider successfully done! We are very proud of this new, shining beam in the West End and every passer-by gets greeted with a lovely sight, and all who put in any effort, receives a reminder that it takes a village to keep moving forward, FULL STEAM AHEAD!

West Virginia students dream up public policy solutions for today’s challenges

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BY TAYLOR BENNETT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT POLICY COORDINATOR, THE HUB

Each year, The Hub supports a key method for West Virginia’s students to flex their policy muscles and get real-life experience in pitching public policy issues to legislators through the Summer Policy Institute (SPI).

Put on by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy and the American Friends Service Committee, SPI typically brings students from across the state to a central location to learn more about the policy process, build their understanding of key policy issues, and take part in a policy pitch competition.

This competition is the real deal:

  • Students come up with innovative policy solutions that would address West Virginia’s biggest challenges if they were passed tomorrow.
  • They pitch these solutions to current legislators and policy professionals whose job it is to craft, advocate for, and pass policies in our legislature.
  • The winning pitches receive a $500 mini-grant to continue advocating for their policy solution. 

The events of 2020 led to a virtual convening instead of an in-person event. But, neither students nor the event hosts and participants were slowed down by virtual participation. SPI kicked off on July 24th with virtual sessions running through the week. The event culminated in a policy pitch contest on August 1st.

Judges this year included legislators from the West Virginia House of Delegates as well as non-profit advocates. They heard innovative policy ideas from participants; provided valuable, real-world feedback, and even offered to work with SPI policy teams after the event was over to help bring their ideas to the state Capitol Complex in Charleston.

With a record number of policy pitches offered up by the students, the SPI team was able to offer not one, but two $500 mini-grants to the top pitches, getting more new advocates and innovative ideas out into the world.

The policy team winners this year were:

  • The Jobs of the Future Team, proposing power purchasing agreements to increase solar jobs and,
  • The Supporting Children Aging Out of Foster Care Team, proposing a new mentorship program to support children in foster care to build the skills they’ll need to take on adult life. 

Winners received the mini-grants of $500 each to continue advocating for their issue, and all teams will receive ongoing support from SPI contributors to continue growing their advocacy skills.

Get ready, West Virginia Legislature! New advocates are on the way.