Become Informed. Get Engaged. Betting on the People of South Wood County

Incourage believes that a healthy community is an informed and engaged community. We’ve worked in partnership with John S. and James L. Knight Foundation since 2009, to understand and invest in the connected concepts of information and engagement as key drivers of economic health and the vitality of a community.

A recent example of this work is a partnership with Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS) to co-host “Community for Us, By Us,” elevating the voice and opinion of all residents on community issues that matter to them. The first two meetings surfaced three priorities:  Creating a Public Forum for Authentic Dialogue on Community Issues, Community Aquatics and Downtown Development.  

Simultaneously, the South Wood County YMCA and City of Wisconsin Rapids were separately pursuing action on the issue of aquatic facilities. They presented options to the public on July 26 (Wisconsin Rapids Aquatics Options Presentation 7-26-16).

It’s unfortunate, however, that the options were presented as seemingly mutually exclusive – one or the other - with no opportunity to ask questions, clarify information or voice opinions. Attendees were told to submit questions online or to call a council member to express an opinion. Given the format and delivery of the presentations, an “apples to apples” comparison of the information was difficult and a polarizing frame was created – are you for indoor or outdoor?   

The third WIPPS Meeting was held on August 9. An engaged group of 44 individuals showed up to discuss aquatics – not to talk about indoor versus outdoor options, rather, to fully explore this as a community issue.

Various opinions and perspectives were represented with civil dialogue and respect. Assumptions and questions were surfaced, including “How do we understand the options presented and make informed comparisons? What are the sources of funds and specifics of financing?  How can we assure aquatics are available to all? Is this really a choice of indoor versus outdoor facilities? How can we have both?” The process also encouraged individuals to think with a broader lens on the issue: to assess their own interest in aquatics, the benefit to the community and the impact on future generations. I encourage you to review the WIPPS Meeting report.

The issue of aquatics also presents an important learning opportunity that can inform future progress. In the last fifteen years, there has been research, leadership development projects and citizen action groups formed, all to address aquatics. Yet all failed to come to fruition. This is not a statement to cast blame. It is a statement that invites inquiry and examination of how we address community issues and take action. How do individuals participate?  How do institutions receive input from the broader community and make decisions?  What barriers were encountered in previous efforts? Do they still exist today?

Answering these questions will accelerate our ability to make progress in realizing a community – and an economy – that works well for all. One in which residents are informed and engaged, funders respect the wisdom of the user and don’t exert undue influence to achieve outcomes they believe are best, and organizations are committed to inclusive processes and working together for the common good. 

Kelly

Community Picnic: It’s About Us

Five years ago Incourage made a bet on the people of south Wood County.  We bet that if we replaced our traditional annual meeting with a community picnic celebrating local assets and designed to be welcoming and open to all, you’d show up. We hoped you might support the event in some way over time and might even help it grow into an annual, community-owned and led effort.

Here’s to the people of south Wood County. You not only showed up, you asked “What can I do to help next year?”. We have over 400 volunteers registered for this year’s picnic!  There are now more volunteers for the picnic than we had attendees at our traditional annual meeting. And, the composition of the volunteers and attendees at the picnic is more diverse and reflective of our community. People of all ages, income, professions, political views and ability are coming together to donate time, talent and resources to make the community picnic a success.    

A local farmer, Harold Altenburg, called the first year and asked, “What can I bring to the picnic?”. He showed up with 1,000 ears of corn, a roasting machine and volunteer help. Harold will likely exceed 20,000 ears of corn donated since the event began at this year’s picnic. Corn that is grown with love, served with a never-ending smile and a positive comment about our great community. Harold’s enthusiasm is contagious – take a look at his comments from a past picnic.

   

Partner organizations, including food vendors, have increased every year. As of this morning, 60 community partners are contributing time, labor, product and services. Although the picnic is offered at no cost to attendees, many people want to make a financial contribution – especially after experiencing the event. Free will financial contributions are accepted onsite at the picnic or online.   

Every year the number of people attending has increased – we expect over 6,000 this year – and, perhaps, we’ll even hit 7,000. The people of south Wood County are showing up and we’re happy to welcome all to this event. 

Importantly, this picnic is about so much more than food.

It’s about transitioning an economy, celebrating our assets and restoring a sense of pride and hope in our community.

Healthy communities create enabling conditions for all people to meet their full potential. We can’t support all people in meeting their full potential if we don’t know them.   

Healthy economies are local and inclusive. Local and inclusive means we know the people who live in our shared community. 

Look around at the picnic and really see the diversity of people that live in our community. Ask people to share their story. Why do they live here? What are their hopes for the future? What do they love about this place? What are their challenges?

Join us on the riverfront in downtown Wisconsin Rapids this Wednesday at 4:30. Get an ear of corn and a smile from Harold, food from generous local vendors, enjoy local talent and meet someone you don’t know. You’ll be building a healthy community and economy in the process.

See you there!

Kelly

It’s About More Than a Building

The Tribune building may appear quiet at the site these days, however, appearances can be deceiving as activity levels remain high and moving forward on all fronts. Incourage is committed to making good decisions about moving to the next phase of capital construction in a fiscally responsible manner.  In the context of these discussions and decisions, funding is important but only one factor in forward movement – and, frankly, one of the easier factors to address.   The building will get funded.  It’s one thing to renovate a building.  It’s another to create the conditions in the community for success and sustainability.  As we’ve said repeatedly, this is about so much more than a building.  

Realizing our vision – ‘a community that works well for all people’ – requires a holistic and long-term perspective on change that encompasses more than the Tribune building.  Rest assured – we’d like to see workers on site and renovation accelerating, and it will happen.  However, fostering community change is not quick or easy work. It requires long-term perspective, commitment to values, perseverance and patience.

In addition to securing financial support for the Tribune and broader community, we are focused in areas of work that are interdependent and when approached simultaneously create conditions for long-term success – not only for the Tribune, but for all development projects and investments.  These include:

• supporting increased engagement by residents in community processes & decision-making; 
• investing in training and supporting key institutional partners to increase collaborative practice in economic development;
• advocating for increased trust, collaboration and shared vision in development activities, and; 
• refining and adapting our own operating model to achieve greater impact. 

Tribune sits at the fulcrum of downtown development – or more broadly, how we approach business and decision-making as a community.

In our role as a ‘community developer’ we’re learning a lot about the need for changing the way we do economic development and conduct business as a community, state and nation.  Some of the changes are technical – a change in policy or procedure in terms of how financial capital flows to good projects and to different parts of the country.  Some needed changes are much more challenging – especially those that are cultural and embedded in old practice, privilege and power.  

This is particularly evident in local downtown development – the very environment within which this $14 million investment will be made.  Optimal development conditions are not those in which you feel compelled to be at every public meeting in case your project is compromised in some way because of opaqueness or individual agendas.  This is not conducive to engendering trust, collaboration and alignment toward a shared vision.  The analogy of a chess game comes to mind. 

We will not realize positive community change with legacy practices and thinking.  Concentrated power and control in the hands of few was a widespread practice of the past century – not just here, but in many places across the country whose economies were anchored in single industries and embedded structures of hierarchy. 

Authentic inclusion of all stakeholders in decision-making, strategy and determining desired outcomes – not just lip service in terms of conducting a nominal survey or a one-time focus group – is one of the most important cultural changes needed in our downtown processes, our broader region and across the nation.

At its core, Tribune is about people.  Putting people back at the center of community.  

And on this measure, Tribune has achieved significant success without the next shovel turned or new window installed.  In a mid-term evaluation report informed by over 225 engaged residents, it is consistently described as ‘hope’ for the future.  “A shining example of inclusion” – where some say they felt truly welcome for the first time.   It is described as an accelerator of new ideas, relationships and networks.  Residents indicate greater desire to support entrepreneurial activities, local business and increased environmental awareness as a result of their participation in the Tribune process.   These are baby steps, but important milestones on the path toward economic growth.  

We – every one of us that calls this place home - can strive to preserve that which is good about our past practice and shape a new future – one that is anchored in trust, transparency, user-centered process and shared power. Stewardship of this place and each other is a defining characteristic of a community that works well for all people. 

Kelly