Rural Technical Assistance Pilot Project

Project Date: 2001 to 2003
Project Manager: Thea Agnew Bemben
Client: The Foraker Group
Locations: Togiak, Old Harbor, Emmonak, Fort Yukon

Thea Agnew Bemben has been integral to the planning and development of the Rural Technical Assistance Pilot Project since its inception in 2001. Funded by the Denali Commission, the Rasmuson Foundation and the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, the pilot project works with four rural villages to develop capacity within community organizations. The objectives of the pilot project are to provide hands-on training and technical assistance to:

• Plan for community needs and desired community responses,
• Successfully obtain required funding to meet identified needs,
• Implement effective local programs and services, and
• Maintain effective grants administration systems and relationships with funding sources.

Agnew::Beck has provided intensive services to Old Harbor, Emmonak and Togiak over the course of the pilot project. Examples of types of assistance provided include:

• Facilitating community planning sessions in Old Harbor;
• Assisting with funding requests for capital and program needs in Togiak;
• Assisting with board training for community organizations;
• Providing technical assistance on grants management;
• Creating strategies for diversifying funding and maximizing sustainability;
• Assisting with evaluation for the pilot project and plans for replication.