Getting Started With Projects

“I have an idea for a great project for our community!”

 

 

Most people get started with their community development journey by working on a specific project or idea, like a community garden or a beautification project. Maybe you have already had success in your community with a project and you’re excited and motivated to see what else you can do to better your community. Understanding how to select and prioritize projects will be important to your success and ability to stay engaged and motivated long-term.  

 

The first step is determining your assets and opportunities. In Lesson 1.2, Getting Started on Your Own, we shared an activity that helps map your community assets. As you look toward the opportunities in your community, create a list of projects that you think that you and a team can accomplish. Don’t worry about obstacles or barriers–at this point, you are just creating a list. Have others on your team or stakeholders in your community make lists as well. 

 

Now that you have lists of projects, you’ll need to determine how you are going to select and prioritize the projects (there are some suggestions in the activities below). As you and your team discuss the projects, look for commonalities. A project turning up on more than one list is an indicator that it’s an important one. You should also think about your projects in short, medium, and long-term goals. Creating a new trail system may be a needed and great idea, but it will take a multi-phased approach over several years. Adding signs to existing trailheads that help with wayfinding may be a more achievable way to start. As you look for projects to tackle first, think about the low hanging fruit–opportunities to get some easy wins that will allow you to build your confidence and your community to build trust in your work and leadership.  

 

Think about why your project is important. Why is it important now? What will this project solve, address, or make better?  Allow your team and community to have input, then select the projects that make sense to start with. Determine the steps to your project and who will be responsible for each task (we have linked a Project Worksheet below to help with this). As you work through your project, make sure you are keeping your team and stakeholders up to date.  In the next lesson, we will focus on sharing your story with the community.  

Activities

Choose 2-3 activities to help you identify your purpose and create a deeper understanding of what is important to you. Take your time with the activities; they aren’t intended to be completed in one sitting.

  • Paper Plate Challenge – This activity from Training for Change will help you define clear objectives and steps. Switch out the word “campaign” for “project” for your activity.

  • Project Worksheet – Utilize this tool to help define why your project is important and who your partners can be. You can alter this worksheet to be used interactively at a meeting, using a flip chart or white board to list the questions in the worksheet. Then, have your team use post-it notes to answer the questions.

  • Action Plan Template – This Action Plan can help move your project forward. List each of the major steps or activities that you need to complete for your project, determine who on the team will be responsible for the parts of the project, and set deadlines for each step. Pick some 100 day wins (or, any number of days that applies to your project) to highlight milestones and keep your team excited about their progress. Your success statement will be a news or media headline that you’ll share when your project is complete. This guide can help you better understand how to use the tool.  

  • Project Prioritization – Making sure that everyone on your team is in agreement and has the opportunity to be heard is crucial when you are selecting projects. You can use this tool to help guide your decision-making by giving each team member a sticker and asking them to chart where the project falls in importance and feasibility. You should print different charts for each project. In Chapter 2, we will give you more prioritization options.

  • Decision Making – Your team will be making many decisions together–some smaller and less consequential, but others may have longer-lasting implications. Ensuring that everyone is engaged, involved, and feels like their voice is being heard is important. These activities will help walk through the process of decision-making.

Reflection

Here’s your chance to take some time to think and reflect on your dreams and interests. Keep a community building journal, scribble notes on some post-its, or simply think about these questions before moving on to the next lesson! When planning a group meeting, you might ask attendees to reflect on one or two of these questions in preparation of the meeting. Or, discuss these questions aloud with your group. 

  • How can you invite others to participate in identifying and selecting projects?

  • Who are the stakeholders you need to involve in your project? How will you approach them?

  • Think about roles you have held on teams or in groups. Can you allow others to step forward in leadership roles as you identify strong project leaders?

  • Have you utilized or been part of decision-making tactics in the past? Did you feel like everyone had an equal voice? How can you ensure that everyone feels heard in your project planning process?

  • How can you contribute if your top priority project isn’t one that the group as a whole wants to move forward? 

 

Community Development in Action

A group in Elkins wanted to improve the beautification in their downtown, so they started with seasonal displays, like greenery gnomes at Christmas, scarecrows in the fall, and wooden flowers in the spring. They are continuing to adjust, adapt, and expand their efforts. Check out their spring flower project here »

Ready to keep going?

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Partner Feature:

Our work is made possible thanks to incredible partnerships with other community development organizations across the state. From local economic development authorities (EDAs) to state level nonprofits working to uplift communities, all of our partners are crucial in making West Virginia the best it can possibly be by working together.One partner that made our work truly profound this year is Coalfield Development. For years, Coalfield Development has worked to rebuild Appalachian communities by inspiring the courage to grow, activating the creativity to innovate, and cultivating communities of opportunity in central Appalachia.We are proud to be part of Coalfield Development’s ACT Now Coalition, a broad network of organizations working hand-in-hand to uplift communities throughout Southern West Virginia. The ACT Now Coalition is infusing more than $63 million into programs to help communities using business development, building revitalization, and so much more.The Hub is leading the Community and Business Resilience Initiative as part of the larger ACT Now Coalition to bring other partners with us to build up community and business resilience in the Coalition’s footprint.“For decades, we’ve known the economy of southern West Virginia needs diversification. Some progress has been made on this goal, but not nearly enough,” Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development, said about the ACT Now Coalition. “ACT Now constitutes a tangible opportunity to take a major leap forward in this generational challenge to become a vibrant, growing, diversified economy. In the wake of continued coal-job losses, nothing could be more important for our region.”Our partnership with Coalfield Development is giving us a chance to take our work to new communities and to build upon our years of experience. Working alongside Coalfield Development in this large undertaking to bring $63.8 million to communities in Southern West Virginia is validation that the work happening to uplift West Virginia communities continues to grow.

Community Feature:

The Hub works alongside communities across West Virginia coaching community teams as they come together to make transformative changes in their towns. In 2022, one town stands out for its continued work and unwavering commitment to making its community a place where people want to live, work, play, and visit.Petersburg, located in Grant County at the northernmost point of the Mon Forest, is filled with community members who want to make their town a destination. Not only have businesses opened, and stayed open, the town has transformed the way they present to the world through rebranding and outdoor recreational development.As part of the HubCAP IV program, Petersburg utilized its technical assistance to push forward with projects to bring transformative change to its community. Part of the work Petersburg worked towards was creating plans to pave a hike and bike trail that runs along the Petersburg dike. The proposed trail will run approximately three miles along the Petersburg dike and will include multiple entrances for walkers and bikers. The group secured a $25,000 grant from Senator Hamilton, which was matched locally by the City of Petersburg, the County Commission, and the Board of Education, each adding an equal share to bring the total to $50,000.This year, Petersburg witnessed a major upgrade to one of the town’s most iconic and historic structures: The Hermitage Inn. The hotel, which dates back to 1841, has been renovated and once again welcomes guests to stay the night and have a nice dinner in the restaurant.The Hermitage Inn is the first project initiated and completed as part of the Downtown Appalachia: Revitalizing Recreational Economies (DARRE) program. Seeing the old hotel returned to its majesty has been an incredible development for Petersburg adding another jewel to the downtown area.Seeing Hub communities come together to create transformative change thrills us. Community members are the subject matter experts on what their towns need. Our commitment to accompaniment and walking alongside communities as they do the hard work guides us in our work. Celebrating their victories with them gives us a moment to uplift those making the work happen.

DEI Journey:

Since 2018, The Hub has been working diligently to bring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into our work. For years, the organization has been working internally to expand on one of our core values: “We believe diversity creates strength.”We believe that now is a time when we must work from the ground up to commit to long-term efforts to build power through leadership development, programmatic strategies, and partnerships that commit to building power and advancing racial equity.Looking back at our organizational history, we acknowledge that our work in rural communities with populations of less than 15,000 has not reached a diverse cross-section of people in West Virginia. Because of this, we began to ask, “Who isn’t here?” when examining our involvement in communities. The social unrest in 2020 led us to examine our role in white supremacy, ableism, classism, and gender discrimination, and the ways we have perpetuated unjust systems in our communities and across West Virginia.Since 2020, our equity journey has included a staff racial equity learning series, making internal commitments to increasing our hiring and retainment of diverse staff including creating full-time Racial Equity Fellowship and VISTA positions, committing to increased coaching for rural communities of color across the state, and tackling the inherent challenges of advancing equity across the community development field within a highly rural, majority white state where Black and brown leadership has been historically marginalized and under-invested.Our belief in the power of local people to see the value and the potential of their place, and of each other, is at the core of our belief in the potential we have to build power in West Virginia to advance racial equity, inclusion, and accessibility while disrupting systems that have historically excluded some communities.We are committed to engaging in conversations to uplift communities and leaders of color to move from talk to action on why race matters in West Virginia as we work to disrupt these systems. We will support investment in Black-led organizations and rural Black leadership. And we are committed to driving public and private investments into these spaces, both organizational and geographic.

Grafton

A core team led by Unleash Tygart, Inc participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

Huntington

Core teams led by Thundercloud, Inc. and the City of Huntington participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support community development projects located in Opportunity Zones.

Charleston

A core team led by Crawford Holdings, LLC participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

White Sulphur Springs

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Petersburg

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Marlinton

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Franklin

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies.

Elkins

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies. 

A core team led by Woodlands Development Group also participated in Opportunity Appalachia, receiving technical assistance to support a community development project located in an Opportunity Zone.

Cowen

Residents participated in round 4 of The Hub’s capstone Communities of Achievement program with a focus on building local recreational economies. Read their community case study.

Parsons

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

New Martinsville

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.

Monticello Neighborhood of Clarksburg

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Watch their community documentary.

Meadow River Valley Region

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future. Read their community case study.

Lewis County

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

Kingwood

Residents participated in the Blueprint Communities* program to engage their neighbors and co-create strategic plans for their future.

Smithers

Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.

Montgomery

Residents participated in the Cultivate WV program to kickstart community and economy building. Read their community case study.

Message from our Executive Leadership Team

It has been a year of abundant opportunities and partnerships across the state, and a year that has pushed all of us to work harder, faster, and smarter – together.At The Hub, we say that “the work works when you put in the work.” This means that our approach to community-based development, and individual leadership development, really does transform local communities, especially when we all work together for the same goal, and stay committed to working together for the long haul.In 2023, we continued to be amazed at the local leadership, drive and innovation we saw in communities throughout the state that are building locally-driven development from the ground up. Our network of community leaders, partners and opportunities keeps growing and shows no signs of slowing in 2024!

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone for being part of the larger Hub community as we reflect on this year’s deep impact in West Virginia communities through our work. We are thrilled to have champions who believe in our mission that every community in West Virginia can achieve economic growth when they are supported with the tools and training they need to lead and spark positive change.

We believe strongly in the fact that putting in the work yourself to improve your neighborhood, your town, and our state is where true transformational change happens. With strategic partners and thought leaders like you in the work with us, we continue to be able to walk alongside community teams as they do the work to uplift their communities.Thank you to all of the community teams and leaders who are brave enough to keep showing up every day, and putting in thousands of hours of volunteer time to support your communities and the entire state. Your determination in the face of difficult work and far-off successes is something to applaud yourself for – and to celebrate.Whether you’re volunteering on the ground in your community, sharing our stories of hope with your friends and neighbors, or attending a virtual event with The Hub, your participation in our work is what keeps it going. Thank you for all your work and support this past year, and we are excited to continue in the work with you in 2024!In Continued Accompaniment,

– WV Community Development Hub
Executive Leadership Team

Stephanie Tyree

Executive Director

Amanda Workman Scott

Director of Community Engagement

Katie Loudin

Director of Strategic Development