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Rural, Books and Banks

VIVA! Women of Color Symposium in Los Angeles on November 7. Learn more and register.

In this week’s Must Know:

  • Rural Report
  • Books and Banks – Member Kudos
  • The Goodies: information on important opportunities like trainings, funding, scholarship programs. This week’s highlight is an investment officer position with the California Organized Investment Network (COIN). The deadline to take the online exam and to apply for the position is October 29, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. PST. Learn more.

Rural Report

Several things have come across my desk lately about rural economies and the importance of micro. Take Siskiyou County as an example: the state and federal governments own 60% and private interest own the remaining 40%. We all know what is happening to state and federal budgets; that means budget cuts for parks and public lands. After the government, hospitals and schools were the largest employers, but they’ve downsized significantly. That leaves a few larger corporations with hundreds of employees and small businesses as the crux of the economy.

Nancy Swift, the Executive Director of Jefferson Economic Development Institute worked diligently to gather support from her representative. Last month, her efforts paid off. The Rural Microbusiness Investment Credit Act of 2011 or H.R. 2858 was introduced by Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Wally Herger (R-CA). The Rural Microbusiness Investment Credit Act of 2011 would help new enterprises start and existing enterprises grow by providing a 35 percent tax credit on up to about $30,000 of new investment. We will keep you posted on its progress.

The upcoming 2012 Farm Bill also has the potential to bring resources to rural micro. The Farm Bill includes the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) in which several CAMEO members have participated. And guess what, those programs are on the chopping block. Our colleagues at the Center for Rural Affairs are working on a petition campaign to prioritize Farm Bill spending.

And finally, Aspen’s FIELD Institute has a new case study about how rural MDO’s can foster market expansion for their clients. The roles discussed range from building clients’ capacity to creating venues for sales to generating and consummating sales.

Books and Banks – Member Kudos

Former CAMEO C.E.O, Catherine Marshall, has written a book – Field Building: Your Blueprint for Creating an Effective and Powerful Social Movement. Field Building walks you through the complex tasks associated with launching and building a social movement, and provides the step-by-step guidance to ensure that your effort takes root-and takes off. It also provides real-life examples and points you to further resources you’ll need as you grow your movement. Congratulations Catherine!

CDC Small Business Finance Corporation is the second most small business friendly bank in San Diego, right behind Wells Fargo. Of course they are!

The Goodies

New opportunities for trainings, conference information, funding, scholarships, and other information that have crossed our desks since the last Must Know. A running tab of current Goodies is on the CAMEO website.

The California Organized Investment Network (COIN) is recruiting an investment officer. The deadline to take the online exam and to apply for the position is October 29, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. PST. Learn more.

Inland Empire Economy: Come hear some of the state’s most reputable forecasters – Christopher Thornberg, Founding Partner of Beacon Economics and Brad Kemp, the firm’s Director of Regional Research – deliver a new outlook for the U.S., California, and Inland Southern California economies. Then join a lively debate over the direction of jobs and employment in the Inland region. It all takes place on Thursday, November 3, 2011 at the Riverside Convention Center; Registration and Breakfast 7:00 a.m., Program 8:00-11:00 a.m. Register today for the CAMEO discount.

Grant Opportunity: Would you like to develop a green Micro Enterprise development training or lending program? On a competitive basis, we will select Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) that serve low-income individuals that will commit to learn how to teach the “the triple bottom line” to their clients. ACE (CDFI in Georgia)and Friedman Associates will select two MDOs that serve predominantly low-income individuals, to develop a plan to build programmatic and organizational capacity in green microlending, training and/or technical assistance. Apply by November 30, 2011.

Check out Opportunity Fund’s new fundraising campaign as an example of a well-done campaign.

For your clients: CARAT is providing technology training programs for free to small businesses in California. Check out the schedules for October and November.