Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

Custom Facilitation

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.

DASH-NY Coalition Conference: Keep the Good Work Going, "Increasing Your Organization's Impact Through Collaboration"

Melissa Levy presented a workshop, “Increasing Your Organization’s Impact through Collaboration,” as part of the DASH-NY Coalition Conference on March 19, 2015 in Albany, NY. This workshop on collaboration was an interactive, highly participatory workshop,…

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…

Cornell University, Strengthening Rural-Urban Linkages to Support Rural Economic Development

Yellow Wood Associates is working with Cornell University to facilitate working sessions with their research and extension advisory teams to systemically apply the WealthWorks theory of how wealth is created and retained in rural areas to the rural-urban…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Ohio University, Session on Participatory Research with the Community Based Participatory Research Group

Yellow Wood facilitated a session on Participatory Research with Ohio University's Community Based Participatory Research Group. This three and one half hour facilitated workshop on participatory research provided participants with a highly interactive…

Expanding Sustainable and Community-based Food Systems Project Strategic Planning

Yellow Wood worked with the National Good Food Network leadership in designing, executing, and following up on a strategic planning meeting. Yellow Wood assisted with the follow up process, development of an action plan, and evaluation planning.

Maine Low Impact Forestry Project

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. facilitated a series of focus groups on starting a value-adding forest landowners cooperative to be coordinated by the Maine Low Impact Forestry Project of the Hancock County Planning Commission. Participants included approximately…

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Social Capital

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. worked with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation on the integration of social capital into their grant-making process. The work involved facilitating the Social Capital Multiplier Group, researching social capital applications…

USDA Rural Development Best Practices Net Meeting Facilitation

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. facilitated nine net meetings with USDA State Rural Development staff to share stories about projects/activities that have contributed to community capacity building, leveraging, and partnerships, and that represent a new…

St. Lawrence County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Planning Workshop

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. designed, facilitated and transcribed the results of a one-day visioning workshop as part of the St. Lawrence County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Planning process.

 

 

Study Tour of the Adirondacks for Madagascar Protected Area Management Specialists

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. and the Madagascar Collaborative Program of the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development provided an administrative framework for a six-day, five-night Adirondack study tour that provided exposure…

Town of Cambridge, Vermont Planning Commission

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. assisted the Town of Cambridge, Vermont Planning Commission in designing and implementing a process to engage local residents and landowners in a dialogue about guiding future growth in the town. Specifically, the dialogue…

Aspen Institute, Community Foundation Learning Cluster Retreat

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. served as a resource for the Aspen Institute’s Community Foundation Learning Cluster retreat in Polson, Montana. The purpose of the retreat was to provide a mid-course correction for the foundation. Yellow Wood Associates,…

North Country Food First

Potsdam College retained Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. as a technical consultant to the North Country Food First program. Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. prepared a quarterly newsletter, assisted in workshop development for buyers and growers, presented…

Strategy Development, Maine Food Strategy Steering Committee

The Maine Food Strategy Steering Committee is a diverse group of stakeholders from around the state. Initiated in December of 2013, the Steering Committee is responsible for guiding the direction of the Maine…