FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 25, 2018
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kenny Houck, 541-956-7400
IVCanDO Receives Grant from The Ford Family Foundation for Coordinating Strategic Plan Implementation
$270,000 grant will fund programs and staff positions for three years.
Cave Junction, OR, September 25, 2018— The Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCanDO) has been awarded a multi-year grant from The Ford Family Foundation for coordination and implementation of the Illinois Valley 20/20 Community Vision and Strategic Plan.
The 20/20 Plan was developed with extensive resident input over the course of six months in 2016, and implementation efforts have been growing in strength as more agencies, schools, and nonprofit organizations join in. The 20/20 Plan is available for review at ivcdo.org
The coordination team uses a convening model, engaging stakeholder groups called Action Collaboratives, to work towards community goals. Funding will support deepening the existing work, outreach towards the development of several more Action Collaboratives, specific events and services, and communication of successes to the public. Two full time positions will be supported by this grant.
“We are inspired by the commitment of the different communities in Illinois Valley that are working together on the 20/20 Vision in an effort to create the future they want to see.,” said Roque Barros, Director of the Ford Institute for Community Building at The Ford Family Foundation.
The top community priority of safety led to the formation of the Illinois Valley Public Safety Task Force. That group, which meets monthly, includes the Josephine County Sheriff, Illinois Valley Fire District Chief, local schools, City of Cave Junction, community watch groups, mental health, Safe House Alliance, IVCanDO, Family Resource Center, and others. Together they align and coordinate approaches to enhanced safety throughout the Illinois Valley. Similarly, stakeholder groups are addressing schools support, senior services, family supports and parenting education, food security, recreation and tourism, parks development, and several more focus areas. The formation of a health sector Action Collaborative is a near-term goal.
Those who are interested in joining an Action Collaborative can learn more at the IV Community Website: www.illinoisvalleyweb.org or contact 20/20 Plan Coordinator Kate Dwyer at [email protected]
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The Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCanDO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to develop, implement, and evaluate a living Illinois Valley Strategic Plan that encourages stable community development and aims to improve local economic, social, and cultural conditions through cooperative programs and partnerships in rural southwest Oregon. www.ivcdo.org
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