COMMUNITY DEVELOPMET PRIMER

Part V: “Capital Campaigns: Take the Time to Celebrate Your Success!”
By: Stan Foster, PARC Resources President

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As I have discussed in previous newsletters, successful capital campaigns are generally marked by courage, vision, leadership, a solid plan, endurance, and finally, celebration. Too often, people refuse to celebrate along the way and by the time the project is complete they are so “burned-out” that they simply never experience the renewal and reward which comes from their success. This month’s newsletter features the new City Hall /Library in the City of Umatilla, which is a perfect example of a successful capital campaign. The citizens of Umatilla discussed and debated a new City Hall for years, and several times city leaders fell short of securing an existing building in Umatilla. Through the courage of the City Council and of the City Manager Larry Clucas a vision was developed, a leadership group formed, and a plan was formulated. As a result of the persistent effort of these leaders, this community now stands ready to dedicate a new building by the end of the year.

Humans need positive reinforcement for our efforts and acknowledgement of the progress being made. Small milestones should be relished along with the big successes. People need to understand that progress is incremental and that each achievement is a small step towards the larger goal. Celebrations build community, which is evidenced by the wide range of community events that we take time each year to enjoy. A community development project needs the same kind of nurturing as our summer events. A celebration brings many people together to recognize the accomplishment, and also to prepare the community for fully utilizing this new resource. Often times the biggest opponents to a project will show up for a dedication just to see what has been accomplished. I have attended many ribbon-cuttings over the years and the one thing that they all have in common is that it brings friends and foes together in celebration of this new community resource. This recognition of success will not change everyone’s attitude but it will sure go a long way towards neutralizing residual opposition while giving your hard working volunteers a much needed opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Celebration can not replace the hard work necessary to accomplish these worthwhile community goals, but it can renew your volunteers, announce your success and open the doors of your project to future efforts. Nothing encourages success like success and the communities that take the time to celebrate their accomplishments tend to move from one success to the next. Empowerment is the by-product of a successful project, and nothing empowers your community like getting a project done. So for all you hardworking volunteers, please take the time to celebrate. Doing so will empower your neighbors to understand that they too can do something good for their community today and tomorrow.