Last Updated: 12/28/2009
Information for designated communities approaching the end of their grant and/or designation, including ends dates of designation, general information, and accomplishments.
Which Designated Communities are Ending? Per 7 CFR 25.3 and P.L. 111-20
- EZs - Round 1-3 designation expires on 12/31/2009
- EZ/ECs - Round 2 designation ended on 12/31/2009
- EZs - Round 1 designation ends on 12/31/04
- Champions - most champions’ MOU have expired - many MOU’s allowed for an extension of another 5 years. Please contact your desk officer for more information and to update our records. A memo was sent to the State Office to update MOUs and to revitalize the program as necessary.
- REAPs – Continue under the 2008 Farm Bill.
Information for all Designated Communities:
The following powerpoints and documents may prove useful for communities' boards and residents.
- Are you empowered yet? (ppt, 153kb) - A practical powerpoint that will cause you and your board to ask, “where are we on the staircase?” And “where do we want to be?” Changing or re-affirming the vision.
- When your Federal Funding Ends. (ppt, 471kb) - Items to consider at the end.
- Regional Development Training - using the Community Development Process as the basis, this training focuses on regional development.
The lessons fit very well into the community assessment process and also where a community or communities want to go in a world that is more globally connected and impacted by changes in other countries. This training is designed to assist practitioners in developing a forward-thinking regional economic plan that not only generates momentum for development in their own communities, but also helps them in accessing federal resources. Modules One through Six are available in a narrated PowerPoint presentation at Western Carolina University website. Case studies are presented include the Kentucky Highlands EZ.- Public Relations for Communities (ppt, 63kb) - Do your partners or community members know the EZEC future plans? A quick powerpoint to walk you through the process of when, how, who and where.
- Champions- Renew your MOU with USDA-RD - please contact your CD Liaison in your state.
- The Library of Tools and Resources - a variety of useful information, worth visiting for the first, second or third time.
- Technotes meriting a revisit: How to Write a Grant Proposal (TN-13), How to Create a 501©3 (TN-16), Building and Maintaining a Partnership (TN-7), and Leadership Development (TN-12) - most of these recently updated.
- Questions and Answers Concerning the EZ/EC SSBG Grants (Round 1)
Key Memos:
- Guidance on using EZEC Funds Past the Program End Date– This guidance is in question and answer format, which was gathered through conversations with staff, communities and the USDA Office of General Counsel. If there are any questions please contact the CD Liaison in your state.
- Close Out Memo for EZECs - the process used to close-out your EZEC grant. Training was held on October 28, 2008, Tuesday via a Webinar. To review the webinar please see the powerpoint which includes questions and answer (in white at the bottom of some slides) received during the webinar.
- Extension Process of your Grant, Round 2 and 3 - Request for grant extension DUE JULY 11, 2008. View the powerpoint used during the July 1, 2008 Webinar on the EZEC Grant Extension Process.
- Round 1 EZECs – HHS guidance
Link to the - HHS EZ/EC webpageAccomplishments:
- Output-to-date Measures Report - FY09 (Word, 45kb)
- Partners & Resources (Excel, 47kb)
- Lessons Learned from APA 2007 Annual Conference - Dessert Communities EZ and Empower Lewiston EC tell their stories (web format, 4mb). And you can too with this template (ppt, 4.7mb) to funders, constituents and others.
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