SERVICES: Economic Development Capacity Building

SDS assists government entities, economic development institutions, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders with building their region´s or their own economic development capacity. SDS leverages its expertise in economic development and in-depth knowledge of community and economic development funding sources to help clients make strategic decisions in addressing the needs of their organization and community. SDS helps clients: (1) identify their financing and technical assistance needs, (2) develop strategic, long-term plans to address a region´s or organization´s needs, and (3) assess and secure needed funding.

MARKET ASSESSMENT: ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

• Undertake economic development and community needs assessments
• Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats facing a region
• Understand the financing and technical assistance needs of a region
• Assess economic development institutions and their tools and capacity
• Incorporate ´Best Practices´ and innovative tools and programs
• Make recommendations on how to address economic development needs and augment capacity
• Propose and design an institutional framework to address economic development needs

ORGANIZATIONAL PLANNING

• Business planning
• Strategic planning
• Financial sustainability planning
• Program development and implementation

FUNDRAISING

• Identify public, private, and foundation funding opportunities
• Prepare grant applications and outcomes reports
• Develop market-based revenue generation strategies
• Develop targeted outreach documents