Links

American Planning Association is a nonprofit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, advance the art and science of planning to meet the needs of people and society.
www.planning.org

Building Community Collaboration and Consensus contains extensive information on Collaboration and Public Participation with an emphasis on Youth Participation. This site is divided into informational sections and pages with links to additional information.
www.communitycollaboration.net

Community Development Society is a professional association for community development practitioners and citizen leaders around the world. CDS members represent a variety of fields: education, health care, social services, government, utilities, economic development practitioners, citizen groups, and more.
www.comm-dev.org

Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) addresses contemporary policy issues in multidisciplinary programs. CARD programs embody academic excellence and communication with policymakers, opinion leaders, farmers, business people, and agricultural commodity organization leaders.
www.card.iastate.edu/home.asp

Center for Community Change helps low-income people build powerful, effective organizations through which they can change their communities and public policies for the better.
www.communitychange.org/default.asp

Center for Rural Entrepreneurship aspires to be the focal point for efforts to stimulate and support private and public entrepreneurship development in communities throughout Rural America.
www.energizinentrepreneurs.org

Center for Applied Rural Innovation develops community-driven and impact-oriented programs focusing on rural viability. The professionals who make up the CARI organization within the University of Nebraska system are located on the University campus as well as across the state.
cari.unl.edu/

Consumers Energy provides information about economic development in the state of Michigan and also includes other resources of the Heartland Center.

http://www.consumersenergy.com/econdev

HomeTown Competitiveness

HomeTown Competitiveness, a come-back/give-back approach to rural community building, is an initiative of the Heartland Center, the Nebraska Community Foundation and the Center for Rural Entrepreneruship, funded by a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

http://www.htccommunity.org

International Association for Public Participation

IAP2 was founded in 1990 as the International Association of Public Participation Practitioners (IAP3) to respond to the rising global interest in public participation. The initial mission was to promote the values and best practices associated with involving the public in government and industry decisions which affect their lives.

www.iap2.org

International Leadership Association (ILA) promotes a deeper understanding of leadership knowledge and practices for the greater good of individuals and communities worldwide. ILA is a global network for all those who practice study and teach leadership.
www.academy.umd.edu/ILA/index.htm

MDC Rural Community College Initiative represents a unique vision that focuses both on people and places-it helps struggling rural communities build a vital economy while also enhancing individual opportunity for the people who live there.
www.mdcinc.org/rcci/

National Civic League (NCL) advocates for the issues of community democracy. NCL envisions a country where citizens are actively engaged in the process of self-governance and work in partnership with the public, private and non-profit sectors of society.
www.ncl.org/

National Rural Development brings together partners from all levels of government as well as private for-profit and non-profit organizations to address the needs of rural America.
www.rurdev.usda.gov/nrdp/

National Rural Health Association improves the health and health care of rural Americans and provides leadership on rural issues through advocacy, communications, education and research.
www.nrharural.org/

The Nebraska Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that has provided financial management, strategic development and education/training services to communities, organizations and donors throughout Nebraska since 1993. It gives Nebraskans and former Nebraskans an easy way to give back to the state and communities they love.
www.nebcommfound.org

NeighborWorks®America is a national, nonprofit organization that was created by Congress to provide financial support, technical assistance, and training for community-based revitalization efforts. Partnering with national and local organizations, NeighborWorks seeks to create new opportunities for residents while improving communities.
www.nw.org/network/

North Central Regional Center for Rurall Development (NCRCRD) exists to strengthen the capacity of local citizens to be key players in guiding the future of their rural communities. The NCRCRD, located at Iowa State University, is one of four regional centers coordinating rural development research and education throughout the United States.
http://ncrcrd.msu.edu/

Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD) focuses specifically on rural problems of the Northeast region.
www.cas.nercrd.psu.edu/

Rural LISC strives to build the capacity of resident-led rural community development corporations (CDCs), and make the resource and policy environment more supportive of rural CDCs and their work.
www.ruralisc.org/

Rural Policy and Research Institute (RUPRI) conducts policy-relevant research and facilitates public dialogue to assist policymakers in understanding the rural impacts of public policies and programs.
www.rupri.org/

Southern Rural Development Center seeks to strengthen the capacity of the region's 29 land-grant institutions to address critical contemporary rural development issues impacting the well being of people and communities in the rural South.
srdc.msstate.edu/#

USDA Rural Development Briefing Room explores how investments in rural people, businesses, and communities affect the capacity of rural economies to prosper in the new and changing global marketplace.
www.ers.usda.gov/emphases/rural/

Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) participates in rural development research and extension projects cooperatively with universities in the West. The WRDC can meaningfully contribute to the quality of life in the West as a catalyst, a convener, and a conduit.
http://wrdc.usu.edu