Ideas at work

Find initiatives and collaborations working to increase civic engagement and learn about effective strategies for action.

built capital

NeighborWorks America
NeighborWorks America is one of the country’s preeminent leaders in affordable housing and community development. They work to create opportunities for lower-income people to live in affordable homes in safe, sustainable neighborhoods that are healthy places for families to grow.

North Dakota Apartment Association
The North Dakota Apartment Association (NDAA) is a non-profit trade association representing owners, developers, investors, managers and employees of apartment communities in the state.

North Dakota Association of Builders
NDAB is actively involved in the legislative process, protecting and promoting members during North Dakota’s Legislative Assembly. NDAB is at the Capitol each day, representing the interests of the professional home building industry and monitoring legislation affecting members.

North Dakota Department of Transportation
This site is full of helpful information about state roads, services and a variety of programs. The site also features an enhanced travel information map which provides access to current state road conditions along with real-time views of road and weather conditions from our stationary cameras. Visitors may utilize printable PDF maps, mobile device compatible travel information and a weather radar function to assist them with their travel plans. Motorists can also call 511 to access road condition information on the go.

North Dakota Housing Finance Agency
The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency is a public financial institution dedicated to making housing affordable for all North Dakotans. The Agency facilitates affordable mortgage financing, assures the continued availability of low-income rental housing, and seeks to provide for the state's changing housing needs.

North Dakota Manufactured Housing Association
The North Dakota Manufactured Housing Association (NDMHA) is a state trade association representing all segments of the manufactured housing industry, including manufactured home builders, suppliers, retailers, community developers, owners and managers, insurers and financial services companies.

North Dakota Solid Waste and Recycling Association
The NDSWRA works in conjunction with the ND Department of Health to provide services and education on waste collection, landfills, recycling, and related topics.

cultural capital

German-Russian Country: Prairie Legacy
The German-Russian Country is interested in preserving and promoting the Germans from Russia heritage and culture in order to enhance tourism opportunities in the three counties of Emmons, Logan and McIntosh.

NDSU Libraries Germans from Russia Heritage Collection
Whether you seek information on your family tree or the perfect kuchen recipe, NDSU Libraries' Germans from Russia Heritage Collection is a valuable resource. It is located in the North Dakota State University's Main Library, the state’s land-grant university.

North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission
Created by the North Dakota Legislature in 1949, the ND Indian Affairs Commission was one of the first such commissions established in the United States.  Although the official function of the NDIAC has been modified over the years to reflect changes in federal and state policy, the main goal of the Commission has always been to create a better North Dakota through the improvement of tribal/state relations and better understanding between American Indian and non-Indian people.

North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum
The North Dakota Heritage Center is home to the State Historical Society of North Dakota (SHSND) and the State Museum, the State Archives, the State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation, and the North Dakota Geological Survey paleontologists.

North Dakota Tourism
The North Dakota Tourism Division promotes the rich culture and heritage, diverse scenery and unique and entertaining experiences found in North Dakota.  Here you will find resources for North Dakota's tourism industry.

State Historical Society of North Dakota
The mission of this society is to identify, preserve, interpret, and promote the heritage of North Dakota and its people.

The Foundation for Community Encouragement
The Foundation for Community Encouragement (FCE) encourages people, in a fragmented world, to discover new and better ways of being together. Living, learning, and teaching the principles of community, FCE serves as a catalyst for individuals, groups, and organizations.

The Ukranian Cultural Institute
The Ukrainian Cultural Institute was organized by the North Dakota Ukrainians in 1980.  Its organization was prompted by a desire to preserve the Ukrainian culture in North Dakota.

500 Nations North Dakota
This site provides information on various aspects of the Native American culture in North Dakota and the different cultural events for Native American heritage that take place in North Dakota.

financial capital

Business Retention and Expansion International
BR&E is an economic development strategy that focuses on the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Programs are designed to help support existing business develop and expand in today's global economy.

Community Reinvestment Act
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)  is intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate.

Community-Wealth.org
This website is dedicated to supporting the expansion of wealth-building institutions within communities by providing tools and information to policy makers, practitioners, media, and academics.

Economic Development Association of North Dakota
The Economic Development Association of North Dakota supports economic opportunity for the residents of North Dakota by enacting different policies in business practices that will encourage prosperity.

Institute for Business and Industry Development
The Institute for Business and Industry Development provides resources to help North Dakota businesses become more productive and competitive by improving quality, boosting sales, reducing costs and increasing productivity.

Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center
The Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center fosters a culture of entrepreneurship and supports the creation of rural startups in the counties of Wells, Foster, Griggs, Stutsman, Barnes, Logan, McIntosh, and Dickey. The Center offers entrepreneurship events, customized training, and individual technical assitance to help with starting and building a business.

North Dakota Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
This site exists to connect association members with the happenings in our state association and to provide information to the community regarding the work our association does in North Dakota.

North Dakota Board of Accountancy
The Board of Accountancy reviews the entrance qualifications of CPA candidates, annually registers accountants, monitors continuing education, and addresses consumer concerns.

North Dakota Department of Agriculture
Agriculture is the dominant sector of our state’s economy. Our 31,000 farmers and ranchers lead the nation in the production of more than a dozen important commodities, among them wheat, durum, flax, canola, sunflowers, pulse crops and more.

North Dakota Department of Commerce
The North Dakota Department of Commerce is the state's lead economic development agency and is charged with coordinating and focusing the state's economic development resources.

North Dakota Department of Labor
The North Dakota Department of Labor is responsible for enforcing North Dakota labor and human rights laws and for educating the public about these laws. In addition, the department licenses employment agencies operating in the state and can verify the status of independent contractor relationships. We are here to be of assistance to all North Dakota citizens, employees, employers, those purchasing or receiving services, and those providing services.

North Dakota Horizons Community Leadership to Reduce Poverty
Horizons focuses on the individual members of communities in order to promote community prosperity over economic and population decline; which can be accomplished through an 18 month Horizon project.

 North Dakota Lottery
The North Dakota Lottery website features information on the lottery, staffing and its games, along with the latest winning numbers.

human capital

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals who is committed to improving the nations healthy and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.

American Foundation of Suicide Prevention
American Foundation of Suicide Prevention is dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. Also provides state by state information, rates, ranking population and amount of occurrence.

CassClayAlive!
The initiative is a collaboration of health-minded organizations that have joined to make Cass and Clay Counties the healthiest place in America to live, work and play. The initiative provides information on how to become more involved in the community.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Injury
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information and data on injury and violence prevention and control. Injury topics include violence prevention, motor vehicle safety, injury response, traumatic brain injury and home and recreation safety.

Dakota Diabetes Coalition
Dakota Diabetes Coalition serves North Dakotans through efforts to prevent diabetes and to improve care for those who have diabetes. The statewide group strives to improve the lives of patients living with diabetes and the professional skills of people committed to ending the diabetes epidemic.

ChildcareAlive!
ChildcareAlive! Encourages and supports childcare providers to learn more about increasing healthy eating and healthy living activities. Providers who participate in ChildcareAlive! will learn fun, creative and practical ways to help children and families lead a healthy lifestyle.

Firstlink
The local crisis center for the Fargo area provides support during suicidal crises and prevention.

Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard school of public health provides a wide spectrum of information about nutrition.

Healthfinder.gov
Healthfinder.gov is a government site where you will find information and tools to help you and those you care about stay healthy. Their content consists of a wide range of health topics selected from approximately 1,400 government and non-profit organizations to bring reliable health information to the population. Also, by typing in myhealthfinder in the search box, you can get specific information for your age, sex and who the information is for.

Job Service North Dakota
Search jobs statewide, in a variety of fields and for numerous employers.

Map my Run
MapmyRun lets you map your run/bike route in the community and track your progress.

National Physical Activity Plan
The National Physical Activity Plan is a comprehensive set of policies, programs and initiatives that aim to increase physical activity in all segments of the American population.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. The Lifeline’s national network of local crisis centers provides crisis counseling and mental health referrals day and night.

North Dakota Department of Health WIC
WIC is a program for pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and children younger than 5 and is available in all counties in North Dakota. WIC offers healthy food for proper growth and development and helps families choose healthier ways of eating.

North Dakota Department of Human Services
The mission of this organization is to improve North Dakotan's quality of life by supplying necessary human services, while still respecting each individual's independence.

North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
The mission of the DPI is to partner with communities and schools throughout the state and provide support and services in order to ensure a healthy school environment for all students and to harbor success.

Prevention Institute
Prevention Institute serves as a focal point for primary prevention practice- promoting policies, organizational practices and collaborative efforts that improve health and quality of life. Prevention Institute is committed to preventing illness and injury, fostering health and social equity, and to building momentum for community prevention.

Safe Kids USA
Safe Kids USA helps prevent injuries at home, at play and on the way that provides important safety information for seatbelt use in the car, fire and burn prevention, pedestrian instructions and sports safety.

Safe Kids Worldwide
Safe Kids Worldwide is a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children with more than 600 coalitions in the United States, including North Dakota.  Programs that are supports by Safe Kids Worldwide include buckle up, fire and burn prevention, walk this way and sports safety.

Society for Public Health Education
Society for Public Health Education promotes healthy behaviors, healthy communities and healthy environments with primary focus on public health education. SOPHE provides information on injury (unintentional injury and violence/intentional injury) and behavioral science.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) is the nation’s only federally supported resource center devoted to advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. SPRC provides technical assistance, training and materials to increase the knowledge and expertise of suicide prevention practitioners and other professionals serving people at risk for suicide.

natural capital

Energy of North Dakota
Energy of North Dakota is an outreach and education program with the mission to open the lines of communication and improve understanding between the petroleum industry of North Dakota and key stakeholder groups. Energy of North Dakota is guided by the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s Outreach and Communications Committees, which are made up of industry professionals ranging from operators to service companies to consultants.

Environmental Protection Agency in North Dakota
This is the page of the entire EPA website that focuses on issues and happenings in their Region 8, which is the region that North Dakota falls into.

Natural Resource Defense Council
The Natural Resource Defense Council discusses many different aspects of wind energy and other nonrenewable resources for many different states, and the page for North Dakota has a great deal of information that is state specific.

North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts
North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts (SCD) is a website for all Soil Conservation Districts that are at the county level.  The SCD have the mission to inform, educate, and provide leadership in conservation of soil, water and other natural resources.

North Dakota Coal Conversion Counties
The three county member organization is led by Chairman John Phillips. Members must have a power plant in their county that converts lignite coal to electricity. The board meets at the call of the chair. The annual meeting is in October.

North Dakota Environmental Health Association
The mission of the North Dakota Environmental Health Association is to promote and protect the environmental health of the citizens of North Dakota wherever they live, work, or play.  We unite with individuals, families, and communities to improve environmental health and enhance their quality of life.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department
The mission of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is to protect, conserve and enhance fish and wildlife populations and their habitat for sustained public consumptive and appreciative use.

North Dakota Industrial Commission Oil and Gas Division
The Oil and Gas Division regulates the drilling and production of oil and gas in North Dakota. Our mission is to encourage and promote the development, production, and utilization of oil and gas in the state in such a manner as will prevent waste, maximize economic recovery, and fully protect the correlative rights of all owners to the end that the landowners, the royalty owners, the producers, and the general public realize the greatest possible good from these vital natural resources.

North Dakota Natural Resources Trust
From its inception, the Trust has played a role as facilitator between agricultural and conservation interests. In addition to facilitating and funding sound, on-the-ground conservation of natural resources, its goal is to identify common issues, create dialogue, and resolve conflicts.

North Dakota State Climate Office
The mission of the North Dakota State Climate Office is to advance the use of climate information for the economic and environmental benefit of North Dakota and the public safety of its citizens, through climate monitoring, research, education, and extension and information services.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service North Dakota
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) working through a cooperative working agreement with local soil conservation districts is the agency responsible for conservation of natural resources on private land.  NRCS provides technical assistance to landowners using voluntary programs.

Western Dakota Energy Association
The Western Dakota Energy Association (WDEA) is the trusted and unified voice for the betterment of the citizens of North Dakota and the WDEA membership.

Windustry North Dakota
Windustry provides information on many different aspects of wind energy in North Dakota as well as other areas. 

political capital

Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments
The Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments (Metro COG) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Fargo-Moorhead area.  Metro COG is a transportation policy-making organization made up of representatives from local government and transportation authorities.

North Dakota Association of Counties
The North Dakota Association of Counties provides quality services to the residents of each county leadership to ensure fair, effective, and efficient government; as well as dealing with trends that impact local governments.

North Dakota League of Cities
The North Dakota League of Cities supports local leadership in communities throughout North Dakota by providing resources such as educational opportunities to city officials and representing communities’ interests in state and federal public policy discussions.

North Dakota Secretary of State Elections Division
Official government site provides information and videos on voter registration, candidates, campaign disclosures and statistics.

North Dakota State Chamber of Commerce
The Greater North Dakota Chamber works to make North Dakota’s business climate the best in the nation. We amplify your voice in the legislature and advance positions that help your business succeed. We also provide personalized assistance when you are working to grow your business but reach a roadblock.

Directory of local North Dakota Chambers of Commerce
The North Dakota Chamber Directory provides links to all of the local Chambers of Commerce in North Dakota. 

social capital

Center for Community Vitality
The Center for Community Vitality ties North Dakota State University to individuals, organizations, businesses, and communities throughout the state through research-based information.

City of Fargo Metro in Motion
Metro in Motion calendar provides people in the Fargo Moorhead area an opportunity to see the active living events that are coming up.

Connecting the Dots
Connecting the Dots is a partnership of the Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation; the Cities of West Fargo and Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead, Minnesota; and Sanford Health. We are pleased to offer this new community tool; a site that brings community resources, issues, and needs to one location.

Dakota Medical Foundation
The Dakota Medical Foundation has a focus on children, while working to improve health and the accessibility of healthcare services.

Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation
The Area Foundation of Fargo-Moorhead serves as a long term route of giving back to the community through Donor Advised Funds, Scholarship Funds, Designated Funds, and Unrestricted Funds.

Fargo Parks District
Fargo Park District provides a calendar of events for the upcoming activities adult and kids can be involved in such as a teen pool party or winter fest broomball.

Lewis and Clark Development Group
The Lewis & Clark Development Group is a collaboration of Lewis and Clark Regional Development Council, Lewis & Clark Certified Development Company and Community Networks North Dakota, joined to provide programs and loans to support businesses, local governments, and individuals in expanding affordable housing opportunities and advancing economic and community development across North Dakota.

North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People
The North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People is a dynamic organization of service providers, joined together to work on the concerns of homelessness in our state. The Coalition believes that housing and other basic human needs should be within everyone's reach in an affordable and dignified manner.

North Dakota Community Foundation
The Mission of the North Dakota Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life for North Dakota’s citizens through charitable giving and promoting philanthropy.

North Dakota State Fair
This fair is held every summer in North Dakota as a social gathering that attracts people throughout the entire state as well as visitors from other states, with attractions such as concerts, fair rides, livestock, food, and much more.

North Dakota State University Extension Service
NDSU Extension works to provide education to all North Dakota residents on improving their quality of life by focusing on agriculture and developing the potential of youth, adults, and communities; through offices in all counties throughout North Dakota. 

North Dakota Youth Forward
Youth Forward is anything and everything that connects people ages 14-24 to a future in North Dakota.  It promotes jobs, entertainment, education and more opportunities for youth looking to stay in North Dakota.

Northwest Area Foundation
The Northwest Area Foundation focuses on eight states, and the promising or cutting edge organizations in those states that have demonstrated success in innovative work in order to reduce poverty and reach sustainable prosperity.

United Way of Cass-Clay
To make our community a better place to live, work and raise our families. We are driven by this mission because underneath everything we are, underneath everything we do, we are all people, connected, interdependent, united. United Way of Cass-Clay brings people together to create lasting change that will improve lives.

United Way of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and Area
United Way is mobilizing our community to make the changes that improve life for the people who live here. We work with city and state agencies, schools, childcare centers, health care providers, and area non-profits. We will identify the most pressing needs, raise the funds needed to make those changes, and channel resources to make the greatest possible impact.

Community Development

community needs assessment

Beginning Again North Dakota
Beginning Again North Dakota (BAND) is a program that aims to bring permanent economic development to rural communities through action-oriented steps by local residents. The locally led design of BAND is intended to show local residents their community’s assets, thereby enhancing the residents’ quality of life, promoting a stronger local economy, and improving the region’s environmental health.  

Community Foundations National Standards Board
The Community Foundations National Standards Board is dedicated to ensuring that community groups enact sound policies, by providing guidance to achieving their missions and becoming distinctive groups.

FirstLink
FirstLink’s mission is to assist people in identifying, accessing, and making effective use of community and volunteer resources.

Healthy Food, Healthy Communities
Promising strategies to improve access to fresh, healthy food and transform communities. In many low-income communities across the country, the only places to buy food are fast-food and convenience stores that sell fatty, sugary, processed foods. Some communities have no food vendors of any kind. This lack of access to healthy food makes it difficult for families to eat well, fueling the country’s growing obesity epidemic and the severe health problems that accompany it.

HealthyPeople.gov
Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. 

The Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD)
The Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) is at the center of a large and growing movement that considers local assets as the primary building blocks of sustainable community development. Building on the skills of local residents, the power of local associations, and the supportive functions of local institutions, asset-based community development draws upon existing community strengths to build stronger, more sustainable communities for the future.

The Next Chapter: North Dakota 2.0
The North Dakota 2.0 initiative focuses on North Dakota’s industries of agriculture, manufacturing, and energy production. These industries are supported in order to ensure a successful future for rural North Dakota, by executing such steps as providing funding for community infrastructure projects. This initiative was crafted on the ideas of remaining free from bias and including participants in order to provide a diverse point of view for the future of North Dakota.

grant writing

American Grant Writers’ Association, Inc.
American Grant Writers' Association's mission is to enhance the community of grant administrators and grantseekers' professional standards and ethical practices through education, certification, networking and professional growth.

ECS Grants, Inc.
ECS Grants can help your school, non-profit, or community group learn to write winning grant proposals to fund your worthwhile projects and programs. Grant writing can be very cost-effective for your organization. ECS Grants specializes in training your own in-house grant writing team. ECS has the experience to quickly train your staff, making them a highly effective team.

Grant Writing USA
Grant Writing USA delivers training programs across America that dramatically enhance performance in the areas of grant writing, grants management and grant maker research.

Non-Profit Guides
Successful grant-writing involves solid advance planning and preparation. It takes time to coordinate your planning and research, organize, write and package your proposal, submit your proposal to the funder, and follow-up.

Resource Associates Grant Writers
For more than 15 years, Resource Associates has been diligently serving the capacity building needs of nonprofits, tribes, businesses, and governmental agencies. We specialize in grant writing and nearly everything to do with grant funding.

strategic problem resolution

A Community approach to address health disparities: Toolkit for health and resilience in vulnerable environments  
This report provides an overview of the T*H*R*I*V*E project, which provides a framework for community members, coalitions, public health practitioners, and local decision-makers to identify factors associated with poor health outcomes in communities of color, engage relevant stakeholders, and take action to remedy the disparities.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Designing and Building Healthy Places
This page provides resources from the CDC's Healthy Community Design Initiative. Healthy community design integrates evidence-based health strategies into community planning, transportation, and land-use decisions.

ChangeLab Solutions
ChangeLab Solutions provides community-based solutions for America’s most common and preventable diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and asthma.  Our solutions promote the common good by making healthier choices easier for everyone.

Community Building Institute
The Community Building Project works on addressing public issues through assisting public foundations, entities, organizations, and coalitions by fostering strategic planning, staff and board development, and strategic positioning.

Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: Promising Strategies to Improve Access to Fresh, Healthy Food and Transform Communities  
This report discusses the difficulty having access to some healthy foods in low-income communities across the county. There is also a discussion of the economic shortcomings that result from communities not having full-service grocery stores. Solutions are presented that could benefit underserved communities and lead to opportunity.

National Community Development Association
NCDA is a national nonprofit organization comprised of more than 550 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. Since 1968, NCDA has been at the forefront in securing effective and responsive housing and community development programs for local governments. The Association provides timely, direct information and technical support to its members on federal housing and community development programs.

Otto Bremer Foundation
The Otto Bremer Foundation was created in 1944 by Otto Bremer and has continued to assist individuals in striving for social, economic, and civic participation in their communities for mutual benefit.

Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub)
The Rural Assistance Center was established as a rural health and human services information portal.  RAC helps rural communities and other rural stakeholders access the full range of available programs, funding, and research that can enable them to provide quality health and human services to rural residents.

Total Resource Community Development Organization
Total Resource Community Development Organization (TRCDO) is a non-profit entity that offers a multitude of services to help you live a healthier, productive life. Services include Public Health Awareness, Education, Programs, Testing, Re-Entry Support Services, Adult Education, Leadership Consulting, Youth Mentoring Programs, and our Food Pantry.

Youth Involvement in Community Development: Implications and Possibilities for Extension new
There is a need for Extension program/policy developers to better understand the role of youth in the community development process.  The findings of this study provide insights into the factors most directly shaping youth attitudes and involvement in their communities.  From these, implications for applied use in Extension programs are presented.

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North Dakota Compass

Center for Social Research
North Dakota State University

Compass created by:
Wilder Research

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