Below are some useful links to local and national rural community and economic development resources. The list includes many groups that create publications and hold conferences, trainings, and seminars on various economic development topics, as well as many sites dedicated to local community development; rural areas and small towns; getting your rural schools involved; corporate re-location and expansion; and marketing your community.

If you know of more sites that should be added to either of these lists, please send an email to: njones@midrivers.com
 

Local Groups & Resources

Come Home Montana
Make your Montana community a part of this statewide effort to retain, regain, and attract talented and creative individuals to our state.  Get your individual community listed on the site and provide a central link to information on what it has to offer.

Eastern Plains RC&D
Montana Resource Conservation & Development area based out of Sidney and covering the 16 counties of Eastern Montana.

Great Northern Development Corporation
Eastern Montana economic development corporation and small business development center based in Wolf Point.

Local Chambers of Commerce
Your area Chamber of Commerce is a great development resource -- see a list of links to those in our local towns.

Local Government Guide to the Internet
A great listing of URL's for local governments including population, housing, infrastructure, e-Government and other information and data links.

Montana Chamber of Commerce
Montana's business advocate group.  The Montana Chamber of Commerce is the advocate of business in Montana and the driving force in promoting a favorable business climate.

Montana Cooperative Development Center
Statewide resource for community-based development and assistance in Montana. MCDC's mission is to study and promote cooperative action as a means of meeting the economic needs of rural Montana. The Center develops, promotes and coordinates educational programs, technical assistance and research on the cooperative form of business.

Montana Department of Commerce
Business location assistance, an overview of the Montana business climate, and information about many local grants and development programs administered by the Department.  

Montana Department of Agriculture
The Department of Ag's mission is to protect, enhance, and develop all agriculture in Montana; to encourage and promote production and marketing for agriculture and allied industries; and to provide protection for producers and consumers through administration and enforcement of statutes established by Montana's legislature.  Business assistance includes certifications, licensing and registration, statistics, grants and loans, and other programs.

Montana Economic Developer's Association (MEDA)
Non-profit networking association of Montana economic development professionals.

Montana Jobs Network
On-line job resource site aimed at creating a skilled and professional workforce in Montana by attracting skilled workers from outside Montana, keeping our graduating students here, and bringing back those Montanans who have left seeking other career opportunities.  Job seekers and employers are encouraged to post job openings and resumes.  

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center
Statewide manufacturing outreach & assistance center staffed by full-time professionals with degrees in engineering and extensive experience in manufacturing and business in a variety of industries. The MMEC can assess your business operations today and help you move ahead for tomorrow.

Richland Economic Development
Non-profit, county-wide economic development corporation based in Sidney.  

Small Business Development Centers
Provides a map of all Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) in Montana.  They can help your start-up or existing business with business plans, marketing plans, financing, and other various small business issues.

South East Montana Development Corporation (SEMDC)
Public benefit non-profit organized to promote economic development in southeastern Montana, serving the counties of Treasure, Rosebud, Powder River, Custer, Prairie, Dawson, Carter, Fallon, and Wibaux.  Also runs a Small Business Development Center, which provides counseling in all aspects of business start-up and expansion.

USDA Rural Development Montana
The state office for administering Federal Rural Development programs.

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National / International Groups & Resources

Area Development Online
Site and facility planning magazine's online database.

Centre for Community Enterprise
"Inspiring, practical, and provocative resources to assist your community."  Many publications available.  Download free of charge the 1st Edition of the Community Resilience Manual.

Center for Livable Communities
Helps local governments and community leaders be proactive in their land use and transportation planning, and adopt programs and policies that lead to more livable and resource-efficient land use patterns.  Check out their Economic Development Principles.  

FreePatentsOnline
Patent your inventions with this FREE online service. Search for existing patents on your product or service ideas. Look up other leading businesses using this service. Also provides analytical services to help build your patent portfolio.

Community Development Venture Capital Alliance
Promotes using venture capital and entreprenurial capacity to create jobs, wealth, and quality of life in distressed communities.

Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED)
"Fosters widely shared and sustainable economic well-being." CFED promotes asset-building and economic opportunity strategies, primarily in low-income and distressed communities, that bring together community practice, public policy, and private markets in new and effective ways.

Directory of Development Organizations
Guide to Microfinance Institutions,  Small Enterprise Development Organizations, NGOs/PDOs,  Development Agencies,  International Organizations,  Private Sector Institutions,  Banks,  Government Ministries,  Universities and Development Consulting Firms,  prepared to facilitate international cooperation and knowledge sharing in development work, both among NGOs, research institutions, governments and private sector organizations.

Economic Development Online
Online courses for Business Retention and Expansion and other economic development topics from the University of Minnesota.

Economic Research Service
The Economic Research Service (ERS) is the main source of economic information and research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Click on "Find State Facts" under the "how to" box to find facts and data from your state.  Click here to go the Montana Fact Sheet.  You will want to be sure to visit the Enhanced Quality of Life for Rural Americans Page.

Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED)
Non-profit charitable foundation created by the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO) to sponsor programs and activities that improve the educational, social, and economic conditions of rural areas. FRED raises funds to sponsor scholarships, awards, and programs that directly benefit rural America.

Heartland Center for Leadership Development
Independent non-profit center with many programs and publications focused on "practical resources and public policies for rural community survival."

Ireland's Industrial Development Agency
Described as the country to follow in economic development strategies at the 2001 MT Economic Development Summit, Ireland has achieved great success in the field in recent years, making theirs the fastest growing economy in Europe.

NASA's Small Business Programs
Learn how your small business can benefit from NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) Programs.

National Association for Community Leadership
Resources, information, and national discussion of leadership issues.

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
"Provides advocacy, education, research and training for the nation's regional development organizations." Rural Transportation Organization, Economic Development Finance Service and more.

National Business Incubation Association
Publications about business incubation, information on existing incubators and current issues, and business incubator statistics.  Sign up for their Member Listserve.

National Development Council
"The Development Finance Professionals."  Provides technical assistance, training, and development services to local and state governments and nonprofit organizations.  See if their NDC Training can help you and your community.

National Rural Economic Developer's Association
Rural development organization consisting primarily of, but not limited to, development professionals working for rural utility organizations.

National Rural Funders Collaborative
Established in 2001, NRFC is a funding initiative to reinvest in and revitalize rural American communities faced with persistent poverty.  Subscribe to their mailing list and make sure to read their monthly "Rural Connections" publications.

NCDA Online
The National Community Development Association is a national nonprofit organization comprised of  local governments across the country that administer federally-supported community and economic development, housing and human service programs, including programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs. 

NeighborWorksNet
Information relating to a host of community-revitalization efforts from across the country.  Check out their Neighborhood Reinvestment Training Institute. 

Opportunity Finance Network
National membership organization of community development financial institutions (CDFIs).  Member CDFIs provide capital, technical assistance, and development services to support the revitalization of economically-disadvantaged urban, rural, and reservation-based communities across the United States.  Offer training & consulting services for CDFI's and Investors.

Rural Information Center
Provides information and referral services for rural communities, organizations, officials, and citizens.

Rural People, Rural Policy
Part of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the purpose of Rural People, Rural Policy is to improve the lives of rural people by building the capacity of rural networks and the organizations that serve those living in rural communities.  The project seeks to raise the awareness of rural policy at local, state, regional, and federal levels, and mobilize like-minded rural constituency groups to have an impact on rural policy at the local, state and national level.

Rural School and Community Trust
"Rural schools and communities working as partners for the future of rural America."  Mission includes strengthening relationships between rural schools and communities and engaging students in community-based public work.  Subscribe to the new "Rural Roots" newsletter.

Rural Telecommunications Congress
Facilitating the growth and development of rural telecommunications infrastructure, applications, and policy that benefit rural communities and economic development.

Sonoran Institute (formerly the Community Stewardship Exchange)
Information, contacts, and examples of community-based strategies that preserve the ecological integrity of important natural systems while meeting the economic aspirations of adjoining communities. 

U.S. Department of Commerce
Includes offices such as the Economic Development Administration, National Telecommunications & Information Administration, and Minority Business Development Agency.

U.S. Small Business Administration
Provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow businesses. SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses.

USDA Rural Development
Federal Agency with financial programs to support essential public facilities and services, promote economic development, offer technical assistance and information to help form agricultural cooperatives, and to help communities undertake community empowerment programs.

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