Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

Central Appalachian Network, Evaluation and Strategic Planning

Tags: Community Economic Development, Evaluation, Strategic Planning, You Get What You Measure

Client Name: Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, Central Appalachian Network

Client Type: Non-profit, Network/Collaborative

Year: 2008, 2009

Location: Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

The Central Appalachian Network (CAN) is a group of seven nonprofits in the Central Appalachian states of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia focused on transforming Central Appalachia’s economy by creating economic opportunities that are environmentally sustainable, building on their social and natural capital, and meeting the needs of the region’s people. Yellow Wood worked with CAN to develop a strategic plan in an effort to clarify their work for at least the next three years through the use of the You Get What You Measure® (YGWYM) process. This work led to a strengthening of the network and positioned CAN to take advantage of funding from the Ford Foundation to focus on agriculture.