Recommendations / Entrepreneurship / Big Idea #1: Small Town, Changing the World

Big Idea #1: Small Town, Changing the World

Part of the "Community Story / Rural Identity" initiative

EntrepreneurshipAmericus/SumterNot specified

Overview

Build a unified narrative around Americus/Sumter County as a small town with global impact through nonprofit organizations, mission-driven businesses, social entrepreneurs, and start-ups. The report highlights Habitat for Humanity, Fuller Center for Housing, Café Campesino, and other people and organizations that have changed lives from Americus.

Action plan

Short-term
Develop a cohesive story around Americus/Sumter County’s nonprofit, business, and social impact legacy; identify resources that can help tell the story; begin positioning Americus as a place for mission-driven organizations and entrepreneurs.
Medium-term
Provide resources for nonprofits and businesses to launch and/or locate in Americus/Sumter County; connect emerging entrepreneurs with financial and administrative assets.
Long-term
Establish a mentor program where emerging entrepreneurs learn from experienced professionals whose ideas have had an impact on a global scale.

Expected impact

Financial and Administrative Asset AccessOperational

Tracks access to financial and administrative assets for nonprofits and businesses.

Mentor Program CreatedEducational

Tracks creation of a mentor program for emerging entrepreneurs.

Projected: 1 Mentor program
Fair-Trade Business Legacy AssetEconomic

Tracks Café Campesino as a business example tied to Americus’s global story.

Projected: 1 Business example
Unified Community NarrativeCommunity

Tracks creation of a single cohesive Americus/Sumter County story from multiple community stories.

Projected: 1 Unified narrative · Timeframe: Medium-term
Positive Community Direction PerceptionCommunity

Tracks share of respondents who believed Americus/Sumter County was headed in the right direction.

Projected: 21 Percent yes
Community Story Survey ParticipationCommunity

Tracks survey participation used to define Americus/Sumter County’s community story.

Projected: 68 Residents surveyed
Negative Community Direction PerceptionCommunity

Tracks negative community perception about direction.

Projected: 39 Percent no
Small Town Global Impact IdentityCommunity

Tracks positioning Americus as a small town with global impact.

Timeframe: Medium-term
Nonprofit and Business AttractionEconomic

Tracks attraction of nonprofit organizations and businesses to launch or locate in Americus/Sumter County.

Timeframe: Medium-term
Uncertain Community Direction PerceptionCommunity

Tracks uncertain community perception about direction.

Projected: 39 Percent maybe
Resource Organizations IdentifiedSustainability

Tracks visible resources to help tell the Americus story and support nonprofit/start-up work.

Projected: 5 Resource organizations
Global Nonprofit Legacy AssetsCommunity

Tracks major nonprofit examples used to support Americus’s global-impact story.

Projected: 2 Major nonprofit examples · Timeframe: Medium-term
Social Entrepreneurship SupportEconomic

Tracks support for social entrepreneurship and game-changing start-ups.

Key stakeholders

Americus and Sumter County communityNonprofit organizationsBusinessesSocial entrepreneursStart-upsHabitat for Humanity InternationalFuller Center for HousingCafé CampesinoFarmer cooperativesEmerging entrepreneursExperienced professionalsNational Business Incubator AssociationGeorgia Department of Economic DevelopmentGeorgia Center for Non-ProfitsMattie H. Marshall FoundationWoodruff Foundation

Estimated budget

No specific budget visible in the provided pages.