IN BRIEF
Building Grantsmanship Capacity in Underserved Communities Southern Rural Development Center (hosted by Mississippi State University) THE IMPETUS Grant funders want to support underserved communities, yet these communities often lack the knowledge and tech- nical expertise to take advantage of these opportunities. 1890 land-grant universities (LGUs) are in an ideal position to bridge this gap with communities, yet some 1890 staff also struggle with these skills. THE WORK To teach teams of 1890 LGU professionals and community members how to find, apply for, and manage grants to fund projects that address underserved communities’ most pressing needs. The Southern Rural Development Center, one of four Region- al Rural Development Centers funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, trained five teams of five people each (including at least one 1890 Extension profes- sional, one community member, and one 1890 student). Each team focused on a selected community in order to open doors to financial support for that community. This training series is unique because the teams have a real community identified along with a real problem they want to address—a tangible connection to learning that makes abstract principles more concrete. The training is separated into distinct modules taking place over time (approximately two weeks between), allowing the teams to apply a skill and get immediate feedback, rather than having to unpack a longer training received over a short period (such as a two-day intensive training).
“I was so lost before this program. I felt like a failure of a woman and mother. This program helped me regain my sanity and confidence that I can do this.”
WITH NTAE GRANT SUPPORT The project coaches chose five teams out of 10 applicants and worked with them to apply real-world grant skills to a specific tangible community need. Six training sessions were conducted, and each team was provided a place to create and share the different components as they were developed. The coaches will meet monthly with the teams at the close of the training series to provide feedback on proposals the teams are developing. This enables the five teams to engage in peer learning as they hear what other teams are doing. “Rachel and John are designing projects that will allow the 1890 institutions to fully participate in grant programs that will bring more funds to underserved communities.” —Dr. Dyremple Marsh, NTAE Catalyst THE VISION Underserved communities will increasingly have the funding they need to tackle such things as workforce development, health equity and well-being, broadband access, digital skill building, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion.
—2019 program participant
How can land-grant universities raise the pub- lic’s awareness of Extension as being about so much more than agriculture? Extension is a beautiful network within and across commu- nities to effect change not only in agriculture, but also in children, youth, and family wellness; community develop- ment; horticulture; and nutrition. Community members may be most familiar with 4-H. I often begin my conversations about Extension with 4-H. And then, launch into “did you know Extension has other amazing programs to support children, youth and families, like Heart & Hope?” Extension professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills to tackle big community issues, like violence, substance abuse, human trafficking. So many families and commu- nities suffer devastating losses due to these issues. This is where Extension expertise is most needed to effect positive change in family systems. ■
In general, it is critical that we let each survivor decide what to share, when to share, and with whom to share their story. Staff hold dear program participants’ privacy, confidenti- ality, and safety. Our team goes to great lengths to ensure participants’ needs in these areas are met and respected before, during, and after participating in the program. How do you protect participants’ privacy? Confidentiality is a ground rule with staff, parents, youth, and teens. We disclose the workshop days, times, and locations only to people who complete the program screening and registration process. We don’t have restau- rants deliver the meals—we pick them up. We carefully maintain paperwork and shred participant files after a set amount of time. We ask detailed questions about taking and using their photo and/or quoting them in publications. We use participants’ initials during staff reflection meetings to maintain their privacy within the office setting. And we let participants know early on that when they see us in public, as happens often in rural communities, they take the lead in acknowledging staff so that we know it is okay to engage with them in public.
See the Building Grantsmanship team member names on page 80.
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EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE | 2022-2023 YEARBOOK
2022-2023 YEARBOOK | EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE
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