Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

Yellow Wood brings a special combination of content and process expertise to our work.

We invite you to explore our work.  Recent projects and presentations are listed below.  You can explore additional work using the various tags in the right hand column.

2015 ACHI National Conference: Building the Next Generation of Healthy Communities, "Effective Collaboration to Increase Community Health Impact"

Melissa Levy presented "Increasing Your Impact through Collaboration" at the 2015 ACHI National Conference in Dallas, Texas on March 5, 2015, as part of a workshop session on Effective Collaboration to Increase Community Health Impact. Collaboration…

Regards to Rural 2015 Conference: Keynote, "Navigating the Rivers of Change: Rural Communities in Transition"

Shanna Ratner presented the closing keynote at the 2015 Regards to Rural Conference in Bend, Oregon. Her presentation shared perspectives on what it looks like to do economic development differently, drawing on her experience with the WealthWorks framework…

Regards to Rural 2015 Conference: Pre-Session, "WealthWorks Northwest"

Shanna Ratner was the featured presenter at the Regards to Rural 2015 Conference Pre-Session, “WealthWorks Northwest,” consisting of three workshops introducing WealthWorks. The first workshop, “WealthWorks Northwest! Building Rural Wealth,” focused…

ActionAid, Developing a Handbook for a Gender Sensitive Framework for Access to Market and Value Chains

Shanna Ratner worked with Barbara Wyckoff of Dynamica Consulting to develop a handbook for ActionAid.  This work built off of the framework developed in the Kathmandu workshop on Gender Sensitive Access to Market and Value Chains. Topics addressed…

Becoming a Measurement Guide Training, April 2015

Participants in the April 2015 Becoming a Measurement Guide Training joined us from the 1772 Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Yellow Wood Associates.  Yellow Wood has been offering professionals with facilitation skills…

CODESPA, Design of a Profit Sharing and Co-ownership Model; Its Strategies, Procedures and Implementation for Small Holder Farmers for Opportunity International

Opportunity International was interested in developing an agricultural model for sharing economic benefits and applying this model to a plant operated by Opportunity International in Nicaragua.  The CODESPA Foundation was selected to complete this…

Land Trust Alliance, Assistance with Metrics for Community Conservation

The Land Trust Alliance (Alliance) is a national conservation organization that works to save the places people love. Most recently, the Alliance has begun to focus on Community Conservation, listening to and engaging people from all walks of life…

Rural Health Network Rural Broome Counts

The Rural Health Network of South Central New York is working on a collaborative assessment project, Rural Broome Counts, that will provide organizational leaders, decision makers, policy makers, service providers and funders with a comprehensive report…

Rutland Area Farm and Food Link Measures

The Rutland Area Farm and Food Link received a 2014 partnership grant from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (NESARE).  Rutland Area Farm and Food Link’s (RAFFL) programs link small-scale, diversified, and local farms with new…

Renewable Energy Vermont Strategic Planning

Renewable Energy Vermont is a Vermont-based non-profit focused on reducing the state’s dependence on fossil fuels and expanding the use of renewable energy across the state and the region. Yellow Wood is working with Renewable Energy Vermont on a three-part…

Verde River Valley Nature Organization, Strategic Planning, Measurement, and Coaching

Yellow Wood is working with the Verde River Valley Nature Organization (VRVNO) as they transition from a volunteer-led nonprofit organization to an executive director-led nonprofit. We will be facilitating an on-site strategic planning workshop with…

Walton Family Foundation, Private Coaching, Meeting Facilitation and Value Chain Coordination for Nature-Based Tourism Grantees in the Lower Mississippi River Region

Yellow Wood Associates is working with place-based grantees of the Walton Family Foundation in the Lower Mississippi River Region.  This work is focused around nature-based tourism.  Coaching work includes calls with grantees and group calls to support…

Wealth Creation in Rural Communities - Building Sustainable Livelihoods (WealthWorks)

Yellow Wood Associates is the managing grantee and thought leader for Wealth Creation in Rural Communities - Building Sustainable Livelihoods (now WealthWorks), an initiative of the Ford Foundation that seeks to improve rural livelihoods with a systems…

Connecticut Land Conservation Council Retreat Facilitation

The Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) works to increase the pace, quality and scale of land conservation in Connecticut while assuring the perpetual, high quality stewardship of conserved lands in the state. The council is in a growth stage,…

Land Trust Alliance Rally 2014, Board Summit: “Increasing Your Land Trust’s Impact through Collaboration”

Melissa Levy presented the Board Member Summit, “Increasing Your Land Trust’s Impact through Collaboration” with Judy Anderson, Principal of Community Consultants. The session shared examples of how land trusts have collaborated and conserved more…

Wallace Center, Nourishing Networks: Capacity Building for Food Hubs and Regional Food Systems Project

In connection with our work on the Wallace Center Nourishing Networks – Improving the Food Environment Project, Yellow Wood provided consulting services to Wallace under the Nourishing Networks: Capacity Building for Food Hubs and Regional Food Systems…

Rural Health Network AmeriCorps Program Evaluation and Technical Assistance

The Rural Health Network of South Central New York continued their work with Yellow Wood Associates, selecting Yellow Wood to provide their Rural Health Service Corps AmeriCorps program evaluation for the 2013-2014 program year. In addition, the Rural…

Strategic Thinking with the Local Economies Project of the New World Foundation

The Local Economies Project of the New World Foundation is focused on strengthening the food system of the Hudson Valley Region through four primary areas of focus: 1) The Hudson Valley Farm Hub; 2) A Food Hub Portfolio; 3) Education; and 4) A financing…

Strategic Thinking, Workshop Facilitation and Follow-up for the Local Economies Project of the New World Foundation

Continuing their work with the Local Economies Project (LEP) of the New World Foundation, Yellow Wood designed and facilitated a full-day, on-site workshop to review the findings from the first workshop, align current and planned activities in relation…

2014 Connecticut Land Conservation Conference Workshop: Strategic Planning, Measurement and Evaluation Using “You Get What You Measure®”

Melissa Levy presented a workshop titled Strategic Planning, Measurement and Evaluation Using “You Get What You Measure®” at the 2014 Connecticut Land Conservation Conference. You Get What You Measure® is a facilitated, values-based strategic planning…

Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center Learning Journey

Yellow Wood worked with the Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center to plan and facilitate a learning journey around arts tourism. Representatives from the Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center traveled to Western North Carolina for an itinerary…

Land Trust Alliance Northeast Farmland Preservation Grantee Meeting Facilitation

Yellow Wood worked with the Land Trust Alliance Northeast Region and the 1772 Foundation to plan and facilitate a meeting of farmland preservation grantees.  The Land Trust Alliance Northeast Region has a collaborative relationship with the 1772 Foundation…

21st Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, 2014: Moving Forward- Revitalizing Communities and Forging Opportunities

Shanna Ratner presented on “Creating and Retaining Wealth: Connecting Assets with Market Demand for Lasting Livelihoods” at the 21st Annual Conference on the Adirondacks.  Her presentation was titled…

Profit Squared and Heifer International, Development of Heifer Nepal Case Study

Profit Squared sought Yellow Wood’s assistance in developing a case study of a goat meat value chain project supported by Heifer International in Nepal, for use in training Heifer International staff on a wealth creation approach to development. Yellow…

2014 NCRC Annual Conference - A Just Economy: Ideas, Action, Impact

Shanna Ratner was a panelist on the panel "Innovative Strategies that Support Rural Communities." This panel featured organizations that build local value chains in sectors such as food and agriculture, green affordable housing, energy efficiency,…

Measurement Workshop, Raleigh, NC, March 2014

Shanna Ratner and Jackie LeBlanc co-presented a half-day public workshop on the You Get What You Measure® process in Raleigh, NC.  Attendees came from the Research Triangle Foundaton, Hudson Varick Resources, and the North Carolina Fourth Sector Resource…

Measurement Workshop, Ithaca, NY, May 2014

Shanna Ratner presented a half-day public workshop on the You Get What You Measure® process in Ithaca, NY.  The workshop was part of the Human Services Coalition workshop series. Attendees came from Alternatives Federal…

Measurement Workshop, Baltimore, MD, May 2014

Melissa Levy and Samantha Dunn co-presented a half-day public workshop on the You Get What You Measure® process in Baltimore, MD.  Attendees came from the Farmers Market Coalition and the University of Maryland.

Becoming a Measurement Guide Training, April 2014

Participants in the April 2014 Becoming a Measurement Guide Training joined us from the Virgin Islands Developmental Disabilities Council and the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link.  Yellow Wood has been offering professionals with facilitation skills…

NGFN Food Hub Collaboration Spring 2014 Conference: "Finding Common Measures," "Measures that Matter"

Shanna Ratner and Jackie LeBlanc presented two sessions at the NGFN Food Hub Collaboration Spring 2014 Conference in Raleigh, NC: “Finding Common Measures for the Nation’s Food Hubs” and “Measures that Matter.” In “Finding Common Measures,” Yellow…

The Nature Conservancy, Adirondack Park Invasive Species Economic Assessment

Yellow Wood Associates designed and implemented a study for the Nature Conservancy on the economic impacts of invasive species on a variety of economic sectors in the Adirondack Park. This study provided a preliminary assessment of the present day…

National Advisory Board, Food Hub Management Program

Shanna Ratner was invited to serve on the National Advisory Board of the Food Hub Management Program, an innovative higher education program focused on food hub management.  Shanna is collaborating with thought leaders, practitioners, funders, and…

Ecological Services Research Coordination for the Audubon Society

Yellow Wood worked with the National Audubon Society to coordinate research work related to the demand for and economic impact of ecological services. Yellow Wood’s role included conducting coaching calls related to demand studies, participating on…

Morse Marketing Connections, Evaluation for a Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program Educational Enhancement Team

Morse Marketing, a consulting firm working in multi-sector partnerships across a variety of food-related initiatives, turned to Yellow Wood to provide guidance in evaluating the effectiveness of a Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program Educational…

Natural Capital Investment Fund, NCIF Rural Jobs Accelerator Measurement

Yellow Wood Associates is working with the Natural Capital Investment Fund and partners to develop outcome measures for the Rural Jobs Accelerator that capture effects on the seven forms of wealth as well as on jobs and income. We will work with NCIF…

Wallace Center, Nourishing Networks – Improving the Food Environment Project

Yellow Wood Associates worked for the Wallace Center at Winrock International on the Nourishing Networks – Improving the Food Environment project, funded by The Kresge Foundation. Yellow Wood served on the Food Hub Collaboration Core Team; provided…

Walton Family Foundation, Verde River Valley Nature Organization Value Chain Facilitation

Yellow Wood Associates worked with the Verde River Valley Nature Organization (VRVNO), a Walton Family Foundation grantee.  Yellow Wood provided VRVNO with coaching and analysis to review their birding value chain, identify metrics/measurement that…

ActionAid Workshop on Gender Sensitive Access to Market and Value Chain, Thamel, Kathmandu

Shanna Ratner and Barbara Wyckoff were invited by ActionAid to co-facilitate a five day workshop in Nepal. The participants included partners and ActionAid staff from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Senegal together with two women community…

Community Indicators Consortium Impact Summit 2013, “Measuring Impact Using a WealthWorks Approach.”

Melissa Levy presented “Measuring Impact Using a WealthWorks Approach” on Thursday, October 17th, 2013, at the Community Indicators Consortium Impact Summit.  Her presentation was made as part of a session titled “Building Data, Gauging…

Becoming a Measurement Guide Coaching, Molly Anderson, Farm to Institution New England

Shanna Ratner provided coaching and mentoring to 2007 Measurement Guide Molly Anderson, Partridge Chair in Food & Sustainable Agriculture Systems, College of the Atlantic, during a You Get What You Measure® in Use session with Farm to Institution New…

Becoming a Measurement Guide Coaching, Karen Lehman, Fresh Taste

Melissa Levy provided measurement coaching to 2013 Measurement Guide Karen Lehman, Director of Fresh Taste. Melissa Levy assisted Karen Lehman and Fresh Taste with facilitation of a workshop with representatives of the Illinois Farmers Market Association.…

New Venture Fund, Fresh Taste Workshop with the Illinois Farmers Market Association

Melissa Levy assisted Karen Lehman and Fresh Taste with facilitation of a workshop with representatives of the Illinois Farmers Market Association. Using You Get What You Measure®, the workshop was meant to help the Illinois Farmers Market Association…

Wallace Center, Increasing Farmer Success in Local Food Markets in Mississippi and Alabama Project

In connection with our work on the Wallace Center Nourishing Networks – Improving the Food Environment Project, Yellow Wood provided consulting services to Wallace under the Increasing Farmer Success in Local Food Markets in Mississippi and Alabama…

Vermont Nonprofit Conference 2013, “Measuring Impact to Build Locally Controlled Wealth”

Melissa Levy presented, “Wealth Creation in Rural Communities: Measuring Impact to Build Locally Controlled Wealth” at the Vermont Nonprofit Conference in Fairlee, Vermont in March 2013. The Ford Foundation’s Wealth Creation in Rural Communities initiative…

ReGeneration Resources, Commute Green New Hampshire Strategic Planning

Yellow Wood provided consulting services to ReGeneration Resources in support of their strategic planning work with Commute Green New Hampshire (CGNH), a partnership of businesses, schools, transit agencies, regional planning commissions, rideshare…

Farm to Institution New England (FINE) Planning Retreat

FINE is a network of organizations working to strengthen farm to institution connections throughout New England. Yellow Wood worked with FINE using You Get What You Measure® to engage multiple stakeholders in clarifying its external goals, creating…

Walton Family Foundation, Meeting Facilitation and Integration of Demand Research for Nature-Based Tourism Grantees

Beginning in fall 2011, Yellow Wood Associates has worked with four Walton Family Foundation grantees along the Lower Mississippi River around nature based tourism. Focus areas for this group have included paddling tourism, non-consumptive wildlife…

12th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy, Equitable, and Prosperous Communities Conference, February 8, 2013, Kansas City Convention Center, Missouri

Melissa Levy, Senior Associate at Yellow Wood Associates, co-presented a session with Euneika Rogers-Sipp, Chief Regenerative Officer of Sustainable Rural Regenerative Enterprises for Families. The session was titled "Building Rural Wealth Based on…

Evaluation Assessment for the Farm to Plate Technical Assistance for Producers and Processors Working Group

Yellow Wood designed and administered a survey on evaluation metrics for the Farm to Plate Network Technical Assistance for Producers and Processors Working Group, which is facilitated by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. The need for improved program…

National Rural Electric Cooperative 2013 CEO Close-Up Conference

Shanna Ratner participated on the panel "Quality of Life: How Can Co-ops Make a Difference?" along with representatives from NRECA, CoBank, and the US Department of Agriculture. Changing demographics and an economy in transition present challenges…

Blood, Muscle, Bone: A Story of Wealth and Poverty

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Liz Lerman invited Shanna Ratner to join them as a special guest for a conversation about wealth and poverty in America at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan. The conversation took place as part of "Blood, Muscle, Bone:…

Vermont Environmental Consortium Green Careers Website Research

Yellow Wood was contracted by the Vermont Environmental Consortium to produce content for a Vermont-focused “green careers” website, as part of a Vermont Department of Labor deliverable to Vermont Technical College.  The content that was researched…

Rural Health Network AmeriCorps Evaluation

The Rural Health Network of South Central New York sought consulting services to evaluate their Rural Health Service Corps (RHSC) AmeriCorps program from the period of September 1, 2012 through November 30, 2013.  Yellow Wood evaluated the data reported…

Measurement Workshop, Saratoga Springs, New York, October 2013

Melissa Levy and Samantha Dunn co-presented a half-day public workshop on the You Get What You Measure® process in Saratoga Springs, NY. Attendees came from the Land Trust Alliance, Ma'yan, the New World Foundation, the New York Farm Viability Institute,…

Becoming a Measurement Guide Training, November 2012

Members of the November 2012 Measurement Guide class included Jeff Farbman, Wallace Center at Winrock International, Virginia; Katie Enterline, Wallace Center at Winrock International, Virginia; Stacia Kiraly, Wallace Center at Winrock International,…

Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Feasibility Study for Blueberry East Food Ventures

Yellow Wood worked with the Blueberry East Food Ventures (BEFV), a cooperative of blueberry growers in Maine, to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a fruit processing facility for conventional and organic blueberries in Washington County, Maine.…

Community Action 2012: Working for Opportunity and Economic Security in America, Wealth Creation in Rural Communities Presentation

Melissa Levy presented an overview of the Ford Foundation’s Wealth Creation in Rural Communities initiative, which uses a systems approach to wealth creation, linking together the whole system of assets, producers and consumers in ways that benefit…

Growing Health 2012

Shanna Ratner gave a plenary presentation on “Your Role in Healthy Food Systems” at the Growing Health 2012 conference, highlighting how healthy food systems contribute to multiple forms of wealth in the community, and workshopping ways in which members…

NADO National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference, April 2012, Burlington, VT

Melissa Levy co-presented a workshop session titled "Visioning and Beyond: Developing Plans and Measuring Implementation" with Peggy Reichert of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The workshop walked participants through the process of connecting…

Walton Family Foundation, Coaching and Demand-Side Research Services to Nature-Based Tourism Grantees in the Lower Mississippi Delta.

Yellow Wood provided coaching in wealth creation value chain development and conducting demand-related research for four nature-based tourism pilot projects in the Lower Mississippi Delta. We also provided coaching services for a team working with…

Walton Family Foundation, Wealth Creation and Measurement Workshops for Grantees in the Verde Valley, Arizona.

Yellow Wood worked with twelve Walton Family Foundation grantees in the Verde Valley area of Arizona. The intent of this work was to introduce the wealth creation approach as a way to strengthen the individual projects and begin thinking about the…

National Cooperative Business Association, Conference Planning

Yellow Wood was invited to collaborate with the National Cooperative Business Association to develop the introductory workshop and framework for subsequent workshops in a conference track for community economic development practitioners. The initial…

Suri Paco, LLC, Industry Feasibility Study

Yellow Wood worked with Suri Paco to evaluate the costs and benefits of an expanded wholesale production program, including demand, supply and processing of domestic alpaca fiber for a range of value-added products, including bales, non-woven felt,…

NGFN Food Hub Collaboration, Spring 2012 Conference

Shanna Ratner facilitated the NGFN Food Hub Collaboration Spring 2012 Conference. During the conference, she moderated a panel on "Supply Side Success: Logistics for Quality and Consistency;" facilitated region-based breakout groups and developed an…

Wallace Center, National Good Food Network Food Hub Collaboration

The Wallace Center invited Yellow Wood to participate as evaluator and core team member in the National Good Food Network Food Hub Collaboration, an initiative funded by the Kresge Foundation to strengthen regional food hubs and their contributions…

National Cooperative Business Association Wealth Creation Pilot Project

Yellow Wood worked with the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) to conduct a pilot study on the unique contribution cooperatives make to the creation and retention of wealth in the communities and regions in which they operate. We worked…

NADO Economic Development Finance Service Peer Networking Conference

Melissa Levy spoke about Wealth Creation in Rural Communities during a session titled "Working Lunch: Rural Wealth Creation."

ActionAid, The Wealth Creation Framework & International Values Chains Work: An International Workshop

ActionAid is an international organization, working with over 15 million people in 45 countries for a world free from poverty and injustice. After hearing about the wealth creation approach, ActionAid approached the Ford Foundation to learn more. In…

NADO Rural Sustainable Development Workshop, April 26-27, 2012, Burlington VT

Melissa Levy facilitated "Social Equity in Rural Communities: Setting Goals and Tracking Progress" with Wayne Fawbush of the Ford Foundation and Noah Dorius of HUD Region 1.

NADO Sustainable Communities Omaha, Creating and Retaining Wealth: New Ways of Approaching Economic Development in Rural and Small Metro Communities

Melissa Levy presented an interactive demonstration of tools designed to help practitioners identify and measure the impacts of project and policy actions on different forms of community wealth. Participants worked through two exercises to analyze…

Measurement Workshop, Portland, Maine, November 2012

Melissa Levy and Ruth Feldman co-presented a full-day public workshop on the You Get What You Measure® process in Portland, ME. Attendees came from the Maine Association of Nonprofits, the Maine Community Foundation, the University of Southern Maine,…

Measurement Workshop, Montpelier, Vermont, April 2012

Melissa Levy and Jackie LeBlanc co-presented a full-day public workshop on the You Get What You Measure® process in Montpelier, VT. Attendees came from the Orange County Parent and Child Center, the Chittenden Regional Planning Commission, and Skeo…

National Good Food Network Webinar, "Want to Get Results? You Get What You Measure!"

What you measure IS what you get! Melissa Levy presented this webinar to the National Good Food Network on January 20, 2011. The webinar presented a taste of the acclaimed You Get What You Measure® planning process. Participants learned crucial measurement…

Appalachia Funders Network, Pre-Conference Session at the Second Annual Gathering, June 2011

Shanna Ratner presented a pre-conference session on Wealth Creation in Rural Communities at the Appalachia Funders Network's Second Annual Gathering in Charleston, West Virginia.

Becoming a Measurement Guide Training, November 2011

Members of the November 2011 Measurement Guide class included Ann Jones-Weinstock, NRG Systems, Vermont; Deb Markley, Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, North Carolina; and Marilyn Hoke, Community Resource Group, Arkansas. Since 2002, Yellow Wood has…

Becoming a Measurement Guide Training, March 2011

Members of the March 2011 Becoming a Measurement Guide class included Katy Allen, Rural Support Partners, North Carolina; Thomas Watson, Rural Support Partners, North Carolina; Judy Anderson, Community Consultants, New York; Ruth Feldman, Project for…

Appalachian Harvest Think Tank

Shanna Ratner participated in an ad hoc think tank convened by Appalachian Sustainable Development on the role of social enterprises in building and strengthening local food value chains. 25 representatives of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and…

3rd Rural Issues Community Leadership Conference: "Agriculture Is Economic Development"

Shanna Ratner presented the keynote, “Why Does Agriculture Matter and What Can Municipal and Public Officials Do to Grow the Agricultural Economy?” at the Central New York Agricultural Council’s third annual conference in Cooperstown, New York.

Walton Family Foundation, Nature Based Tourism Workshops

Yellow Wood presented two workshops to the Walton Family Foundation Nature-Based Tourism Group of grantees along the lower Mississippi River Delta. The first workshop was around goals, value chains and wealth creation. Participants articulated goals…

Best Practices Research on Food Enterprise Options for Local Food Value Chain Exploration in Northern Mississippi

Yellow Wood Associates worked with One Voice and NAACP Mississippi to identify best practices for developing a food systems value chain with a focus on four models (Institutional Sales through the Farm to School model; Targeted Distribution of Produce…

Opportunity International Nicaragua: A Model for Sharing Economic Benefits of Enterprise Development in Phases

Opportunity International Nicaragua (OIN) is a nonprofit organization working to blend community economic development strategies with microfinance strategies to benefit the poorest of the poor in Nicaragua. As part of their work, OIN has incubated…

Local Economies call series - Fostering Entrepreneurship: Help Your Community Help Itself

Shanna Ratner participated as a speaker/panelist in a call discussing how communities can help to create business opportunities and mentor the entrepreneurs who can help them grow.

Identifying Potential Institutional Buyers of Sustainable Forest Products, Technical Assistance for Rural Action

Yellow Wood was asked to provide technical assistance to the Green Forest Products Collaborative to assess the level of demand opportunity in the region’s institutions and government agencies. Yellow Wood performed a scan of the region and identified…

Cooperatives and the Wealth Creation Approach

Shanna Ratner presented two webinars to interested cooperatives on the Wealth Creation approach in September 2011.

Minnesota Campus Compact Webinar: Supporting Rural Economic Vitality through Campus-Community Partnerships

Melissa Levy gave an overview of the Wealth Creation in Rural Communities approach and discussed how higher education institutions have supported various aspects of local projects. Ms. Levy's presentation was part of a webinar that explored innovative…

Wealth Creation in Rural Communities: 2011 NCBA Annual Meeting and Cooperative Conference

In October 2011, Shanna Ratner made a presentation and delivered a workshop on the Wealth Creation approach at the 2011 National Cooperative Business Association Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN.

Vermont Community Development Association Annual Meeting, April 2010, "Chart Your Community’s Future: The Role of Planning in the Current Crisis"

At the Vermont Community Development Association’s Annual Meeting in April 2010, Shanna Ratner presented Green Community Technologies® and facilitated exercises in skilled listening, skilled inquiry and skilled advocacy with Vermont planners and U.S.D.A.…

Alliance for Nonprofit Management Annual Conference, 2010, "You Get What You Measure: An Alternative Strategic Planning and Evaluation Tool"

Melissa Levy presented “You Get What You Measure: An Alternative Strategic Planning and Evaluation Tool” at the 2010 Alliance for Nonprofit Management Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Participants received an overview of a strategic planning and…

Results Are In! Vermont Environmental Consortium (VEC) Defines Vermont's Environmental Sector with Green Survey

Samantha Dunn, along with Tom Broido of ATC Associates, a Vermont Environmental Consortium (VEC) board member, presented a webinar to the Vermont Chamber of Commerce on the results of a survey to identify Green Workforce Training Needs and Opportunities…

Becoming a Measurement Guide Training, May 2010

The May 2010 class of Measurement Guides included Jeremy Phillips, Jeremy Phillips Consulting, Massachusetts; Ora Grodsky, Just Works Consulting, Massachusetts; and Samantha Dunn, Yellow Wood Associates. Since 2002, Yellow Wood has been offering professionals…

Community Roadmap to Renewable Woody Biomass Energy

Yellow Wood partnered with the Biomass Energy Resource Center (BERC) to develop the Community Roadmap to Renewable Woody Biomass Energy: A step-by-step decision-making tool for NH communities through a contract…

Dissemination Planning for the Community Roadmap to Renewable Woody Biomass Energy

Yellow Wood assisted the North Country Resource Conservation and Development Area Council and Roadmap development partners in planning for dissemination of the Community Roadmap to Renewable Woody Biomass Energy.

Evaluation, Capacity Building, and Technical Assistance Services for The Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County

Yellow Wood was the local evaluator for Workforce Central, an initiative of the Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County (now Incourage Community Foundation) and its strategic partners funded by the National Workforce Solutions Fund (NWSF).…

Vermont's Environmental Sector: Identifying Green Workforce Training Needs and Opportunities

Yellow Wood was engaged by the Vermont Environmental Consortium (VEC) to define Vermont’s environmental sector, survey the sector to improve the understanding of the workforce education and training needs of these firms and survey schools, organizations…

You Get What You Measure® in Use for the Vermont Community Foundation

Yellow Wood worked with the Vermont Community Foundation and the United Way of Addison County to use You Get What You Measure® with each organization’s grantees, a diverse group of organizations operating in Addison County, Vermont, to learn more about…

Expanding Sustainable and Community-based Food Systems Project Evaluation

Yellow Wood Associates evaluated the second half of the Wallace Center's Expanding Sustainable and Community-based Food Systems project funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The multi-faceted project included regranting to four organizations involved…

Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition 10th Annual Policy Meeting

Shanna Ratner, Principal, presented on "Local Wealth Creation, Diversification and Retention."  This presentation provided an overview of the wealth creation approach to rural development and the Ford Foundation's…

Measurement Workshop, Washington DC, March 2010

Melissa Levy presented a full-day public workshop on the You Get What You Measure® process in Washington, DC. Attendees came from NOAA, the US Forest Service, the US Department of Agriculture, and the US EPA.

9th Annual Catskills Local Government Day, “Community Infrastructure: Is Your Town Ready for Change?”

As part of the 9th Annual Catskills Local Government Day, Samantha Dunn gave an interactive presentation on a unique process for rural municipalities to inventory their infrastructure and evaluate the potential for applying sound alternative…

Becoming a Measurement Guide Training, January 2009

The January 2009 class of Measurement Guides included Peter van Schaick, consultant, Vermont; Rob Petrini, Yellow Wood Associates, Vermont. Since 2002, Yellow Wood has been offering professionals with facilitation skills the opportunity to become Measurement…