A technology business incubator in Hartsville? Most Certainly is our reply!

Hartsville, South Carolina is the site of the newest Technology Business Incubator in the State. Hartsville is the regional hub of this Clemson-pushed initiative to find innovative ways of bring new jobs and new opportunities to SC as technology opens doors never before imagined.

Why Hartsville?  That is an interesting question. One answer is because we have some leaders with a vision to point out that Hartsville would be an excellent location for such a venture to see how a smaller, more rural area might foster business innovation. Another answer is that the vision had support from others who believe it is important to "try new new things" that have a good chance of being the next major successful initiative. The list of people speaking at the Ribbon Cutting showed some of the talent behind the philosophy. Senator Gerald Malloy laid down the challenge of "the next step."  Speaker Pro Tem Jay Lucas highlighted the strength of cooperative efforts underlining the work of the city and the initial funders and founders of the program -- Duke Energy, The Byerly Foundation and Clemson University.  Mayor Pennington pointed out the importance of the City Council to go out on the limb to support such a new venture and he spoke of the efforts of city leaders to work toward maximum success as Hartsville serves as the regional hub of this initiative.

Cooperation, Collaboration, Cash, are all elements that a community does require to continue becoming an even better place.  Barbara Steadman, who serves as a member of the Foundation for a Better Hartsville, which took this project as one of its first has an interesting blog post on the effort.

Why Hartsivlle? Because Hartsville is a can-do, will do community that will put in the effort to make new things work. Ben Chastain, a 2010 graduate of Coker College, is the executive director and his energy will power the initial effort of idea searching and idea hatching. This is an exciting opportunity for all of us in this community and in the Pee Dee Region. Now, help make the next thing happen!! Share your thoughts with Ben Chastain and see if you are not ready for the next Genentec.

Byerly Foundation seeking grant-concept letters from now until September 16

As the executive director of The Byerly Foundation in Hartsville, SC, I wanted to ensure that I put the notice of the opening of the 2012/13 grant cycle on my blog. The Foundation only funds projects having direct impact on the greater Hartsville, S.C. area and with this mission we are striving for high impact.  Here is the news release that went out in early July:

July 1, 2013

Hartsville, S.C. -- The Byerly Foundation will be accepting grant-concept letters from now through September 16, 2013 for the 2013/2014 grant year.

The fundamental mission of The Byerly Foundation is to help the Hartsville, South Carolina area become one of the best places in the world in which to live. All of the grants approved by the Board must have a direct impact on the immediate Hartsville, SC, community. The Foundation has focused its grant making on education, economic development and quality of life projects.

Grant making process begins with Concept Letter

The Foundation's grant making process generally begins with a concept letter of one to three pages. The Foundation funds grants to non-profit 501(C)-3 organizations, schools, colleges, and government-sponsored community projects. Grant making for private foundations is regulated by the U. S. Tax Code. Persons with questions about eligibility should call the Foundation (383-2400).

Concept letters are requested because the Foundation Board desires to minimize the investment of time and resources for organizations to request grant funding. The Board does not require a fully developed grant request but does need certain specific information. The concept letter must include:

• Name of organization and stated proof of eligibility
• A description of the project envisioned by the organization
• The outcome(s) that will result from the implementation of the grant project
• The amount of funding being requested from the Foundation
• The total cost of the planned project and the sources of other funding
• The list of officers and board members of the organization
• An explanation of how the project will make Hartsville a stronger community

The executive director of The Byerly Foundation, Richard Puffer, is available to help answer questions and provide any other guidance that organizations may need as they think about applying for grants. The Foundation's email is byerlyfdn@yahoo.com.

The concept letters may be sent to The Foundation at P.O. Box 1925, Hartsville, SC 29551 or dropped off at the office at 101 North Second Street. They may also be submitted as attachments to an email message.

Grant making timeline

1. The announcement of the grant-making cycle will be in July.
2. Concept letters will be accepted through September 16.
3. The Board will begin reviewing grant requests in October.
4. Organizations being considered for funding will be notified in November.
5. Often, organizations in consideration are asked for additional information.
6. Final grant decisions are generally made prior to December 31.

The Byerly Foundation Makes Grants for Hartsville-area projects

The Byerly Foundation was established in 1995 with the sale of The Byerly Hospital to Hospital Management Associates. The proceeds of that sale were put into a private foundation managed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Foundation has been making grants for the Hartsville area since 1998. Richard Puffer is the executive director of The Foundation and the Chairman of the Board of Directors is Charles J. Hupfer. Other members of the Board include: David Blackmon, Jerry Cheatham, Rob Tiede, Steve Avant, Monty Bell, Brianna Douglas, Johnna Shirley, Barry Saunders, Alvin Heatley and Todd Shifflet.

For more information, contact: Richard Puffer. He can be reached at 843-383-2400 or by email at dpuffer@gmail.com.

Libraries - have role as community conectors and community builders

The Hartsville Memorial Library is reaching beyond its normal services to add some gaming opportunities for teenagers -- whose major complain is often "there is nothing to do."  Here is something to do:

Saturday, July 20th

Hartsville Memorial Library
Teens in Hartsville will meet from 10:30am - 1:30pm for X-Box and Wii games. Ages 12-19
FREE Pizza!For more information call 332-5115 and ask for Lori Strickland.

CONGRATULATIONS  to the library for this idea.

Urge teens to attend. After all, this is something many of them like to do. I remember last August when I was at Coker on a Friday night about 8 p.m. and started hearing students coming into the Science Building. They were there to play some computer games -- sponsored by the Math Club but focused on Call of Duty. They were still there when I left about 9:30 - so this sounds like a great idea and a great way for the library to exert community leadership and expand connections.  

No such thing as "free money" -- Thinking about Grant Making and Grant Writing

Are there some things people should be thinking about when it comes to seeking grants for their programs and projects? Okay, that might be a dumb question. A better way to start the blog post might be to state emphatically that THERE ARE THINGS people need to think about when embarking on a grant-seeking mission.  We have not held a grant preparation workshop in several years but here are some ideas we might be sharing in such a session...


1 -- There is no such thing as free money
   
Most philanthropic organizations are not in the change-giving (money giving) business. These groups are in the change-making business. Foundations have missions they are working to accomplish. Most of the time they do not have the infrastructure to achieve the missions on their own so they work with groups who are in the same change-making business to make things happen.

Lesson 1 -- If you are seeking grants to help make change happen be certain that the organization you are asking for financial assistance has some of the same mission you do. For example, The Byerly Foundation has to reject a great many grant requests for really solid programs because they do not serve Hartsville, S.C.

Lesson 2 -- You need to be specific in what you plan to use the funds from the grant to accomplish. Then, if you get a grant you MUST use the funds for that stated purpose. The organization considered the purpose of the funds as well as the credibility of the organization in determining the approval. Unless funds were requested for "general use" grant funds are to be used to implement the specific request. If changes are required they must be discussed with the granting organization.

Lesson 3 -- Have some specific ideas about how you are measuring success of the grant. Granting organizations may come back with some ideas too but nearly every grant maker wants to know what the grantee organization views as success. Sometimes you even have to include funds in the request that go toward helping measure the success of the programs. While it is cliche', the idea of 'bang for the buck' is as important in the non-profit field as it is in the for-profit arena.

2 -- Foundations are in the change-making business, not the change-giving business

The Byerly Foundation Soliciting Grant-Concept Letters

The Byerly Foundation is soliciting grant-concept letters from now through September 16.

The Byerly Foundation has a mission that is hyper local. It is the goal of The Foundation to help others in the area make Hartsville one of the best places in the world to live. The Foundation can be a catalyst in this work with strategic grantmaking. The Foundation can also be an assistant in this work with partnership grantmaking. Since it began making grants in 1998, The Foundation has combined grantmaking tactics to help in the continuing construction of the community we call Hartsville, SC.

Following is the news release announcing the grant cycle. This release can also be found on the web site:

July 1, 2013

BYERLY FOUNDATION WILL BE ACCEPTING GRANT CONCEPT LETTERS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 16

                Hartsville, SC – The Byerly Foundation will be accepting grant-concept letters from now through September 16, 2013 for the 2013/2014 grant year.

 The fundamental mission of The Byerly Foundation is to help the Hartsville, South Carolina area become one of the best places in the world in which to live. All of the grants approved by the Board must have a direct impact on the immediate Hartsville, SC, community. The Foundation has focused its grant making on education, economic development and quality of life projects.

Grant making process begins with Concept Letter

The Foundation’s grant making process generally begins with a concept letter of one to three pages. The Foundation funds grants to non-profit 501(C)-3 organizations, schools, colleges, and government-sponsored community projects. Grant making for private foundations is regulated by the U. S. Tax Code. Persons with questions about eligibility should call the Foundation (383-2400).

Concept letters are requested because the Foundation Board desires to minimize the investment of time and resources for organizations to request grant funding. The Board does not require a fully developed grant request but does need certain specific information. The concept letter must include:

·         Name of organization and stated proof of eligibility

·         A description of the project envisioned by the organization

·        The outcome(s) that will result from the implementation of the grant project

·         The amount of funding being requested from the Foundation

·        The total cost of the planned project and the sources of other funding

·         The list of officers and board members of the organization

·         An explanation of how the project will make Hartsville a stronger community

The executive director of The Byerly Foundation, Richard Puffer, is available to help answer questions and provide any other guidance that organizations may need as they think about applying for grants. The Foundation’s  email is byerlyfdn@yahoo.com.

The concept letters may be sent to The Foundation at P.O. Box 1925, Hartsville, SC 29551 or dropped off at the office at 101 North Second Street. They may also be submitted as attachments to an email message.                                                                            

Grant making timeline

1.       The announcement of the grant-making cycle will be in July.

2.       Concept letters will be accepted through September 16.

3.       The Board will begin reviewing grant requests in October.

4.       Organizations being considered for funding will be notified in November.

5.       Often, organizations in consideration are asked for additional information.

6.       Final grant decisions are generally made prior to December 31.

The Byerly Foundation Makes Grants for Hartsville-area projects

The Byerly Foundation was established in 1995 with the sale of The Byerly Hospital to Hospital Management Associates. The proceeds of that sale were put into a private foundation managed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Foundation has been making grants for the Hartsville area since 1998. Richard Puffer is the executive director of The Foundation and the Chairman of the Board of Directors is Charles J. Hupfer. Other members of the Board include: David Blackmon,  Jerry Cheatham, Rob Tiede, Steve Avant, Monty Bell, Brianna Douglas, Johnna Shirley, Barry Saunders, Alvin Heatley and Todd Shifflet.

                                                                                     ###

Values involved in community building as part of THE WORK OF HOPE

In Chapter Three of THE WORK OF HOPE by Rich Harwood, there is a discussion focused around what the research team discovered as key values across our country.  Those key values include: Compassion; Children & Families; Simpler Living; Openess and Humility; and the Common Good.

The common good, for example, seems to have some very real meaning to some folks while being a bit more of a strange concept to others, who are involved in just meeting their own needs. if you explore the Harwood book, you will find many observations highlighting the values mentioned above.

In this weekend of thinking about the freedom we enjoy as Americans, it is important, I THINK, to also consider the work that is involved in ensuring this freedow and this way of life is perpetuated through the bad times as well as good. And, this particular weekend in 2013, the issue is even greater as we hear how the people in Egypt determined, with the military's assistance, that maybe democracy is not always the way to go.  For me, that is scary and one reason for these blog posts about Hope and community building.

Compassion and Community Building - according to Rich Harwood

Rich Harwood has put some of the major concerns he has heard from people across the nation into a new book to spark conversations on what we need to accomplish to rebuild stronger communities, stronger connections among people and new ways forward in what I might call here the American Dream.

Rich has written THE WORK OF HOPE with funding from the Kettering Foundaiton, which has funded much of the work that has built to this current reflection of thinking of people across America. In getting into his book, I have been using Facebook and this forum to share some ideas hoping others will go to the book to see how what Harwood is reflecting compares to their own thoughts and feelings.

In the third chapter he discusses some of the key values noted in the community discussions and he starts with the idea of Compassion. This is one snippet from the chapter:

What does it mean to be compassionate and for compassion to en-

gender a sense of hope among people? The answer, is that more people

must be willing to step forward and be in relationship with others—to see

and hear one another, to acknowledge each other’s pain and aspirations,

to know that we cannot go it alone in life. Then compassion can be a

guiding force for the nation and produce the hope people yearn for. 

 

The ebook is a great resource and one that will allow a quick read and much more time for consideration of the content.

July 3 -- An important day to ponder patriotism, freedom, responsibility and #beinganAmerican

Hard to believe that something happening 44 years ago would still have so much resonance today. Semper Fi - Marines

Which makes me think, to whom do we owe our freedom? Who are the patriots?

Patriots are not just the warriors.... 

We do not only owe the freedom we celebrate tomorrow to warriors past and present. We owe OUR freedom to patriots who had the courage to stand for elections and engage in the daily battles for the policies that have shaped and reshaped our lives; we owe our freedom to women who braved ridicule to demand the vote -- for decades before they got it; we owe our freedom to those who act to show what it means that "all men are created equally."

Patriots exercise their freedoms...

We owe our freedom to those who exercise their freedom by being in church on Sunday or Wednesday or any day they feel like it (and to those who do not attend a church -- that is their right); we owe our freedom to those who understand that building a country and keeping it Great requires sometimes not getting only what you think you want but also helping others get what they think they need.

Patriots balance rights and responsibilities...

Our freedom is not free -- it comes with responsibility -- and let's be thankful for those who throughout our history have understood the balance of rights and responsibility. That is the only thing that makes the lives lost in all those battles have any meaning.

It is FOURTH OF JULY week -- celebrate/remember/recommit

Our communities will be sustained by the young - are we ready to bring them in?

Tim Elmore, who has a calling for young people, had an interesting blog post today about the entry of what he calls the iY generation into the work force.  Last evening students of the Class of 2013 of Hartsville High School made their commencement into the new chapter of their lives -- as adults. I enjoyed Tim Elmore's concept of the "iY" generation and thought it might be interesting to share that as we think about this part of the Millenial generation (those born after 1990 taking their place as our colleagues, coworkers, friends and fellow community builders.  Here is what Tim Elmore wrote for June 6, 2013:

Employers:

 Ready or Not, Here Comes Generation iY

It’s June and millions of high school and college students will soon be graduating, nationwide. Today’s grads are part of the Millennial Generation. They represent the second half of this generation, and I call them Generation iY, because they grew up influenced by the “i” world, iPods, iTunes, iPhones, iChat, iPads…you get the point.
These grads from Generation iY (the kids born since 1990) are now job hunting. Business media is inspecting them like scouts hunt gifted athletes. About 10,000 of these kids turn 21 every day. Their generation is 80 million strong and growing. Their presence in the workplace is already causing a splash because they are…well, different. While the media describes them as “entitled” or as MTV’s “no collar workforce,” I think if we understand them, we can make the most of their gifts. Based on stats from Pew and Mediapost.com, let me de-code them a bit below.
1. They appear “choosy” or picky…but they want work to have meaning.
These students are primed to “give it their all” but only if they find jobs that offer meaning, mentors and merit. They want their job to matter, they want to grow and they love being “heard” by supervisors even though they’re young and have no experience. The desire to make a difference is a core Millennial trait.
2. Their work ethic appears low…but they want to connect socially.
The average adolescent is disconnected from others only one hour a day, out of 24 hours. They sleep and often shower with their cell phone. The quest for meaningful work and relationships seem odd to elder employers. “Loving what I do” outranked a big salary or a bonus, according to Pew Research. 89% agree it’s important to be “constantly growing at my job.” 
71% want coworkers to be like a second family.
3. They want to belong…before they believe or behave.
To understand the “cart” and the “horse” in a Gen iY kid’s life, it’s important to know that they’ll work till midnight on work projects, but only if they’ve been given a sense of “ownership” and have been listened to by colleagues. 50% of them would rather have no job, than have a job they hate. 95% are motivated to work hard if they know where their work is heading. We will get the conduct we want if we first connect the mundane task they perform with the big picture.
4. They appear to be cocky…but they believe they offer something valuable.
Raised by “peer-ants,” (parents are like peers), they’ve always had a say. 76% of them believe “my boss could learn a lot from me.” 
65% say “I should be mentoring older coworkers when it comes to tech and getting things done.”
 This doesn’t mean they don’t think they have a lot to learn from a boss. It’s a sense that learning is a two-way street, regardless of seniority.
5. They want to apply themselves…but they don’t separate work from play.
In one study of Baby boomers and Millennials, they were asked to anonymously send postcards in which they explained what it would take for a
 company to get them to do the best work possible. A typical Boomer response was: “Give me my objectives and get out of my way.” A typical Millennial response: “I need flexibility, respect… and snacks.” According to Generation iY, work should be fun.
6. They appear to be insubordinate…but they just want to create their job.
These conforming non-conformists are a paradox. They want to invent their job, then add value. 66% of them agree they want to invent their own position at work. 60% agree “if I can’t find a job I like, I will try and figure out a way to create my own job.” 83% of Generation iY is “looking for a job where my creativity is valued.”
7. They appear to be different…but actually want to be part of the big picture.
A full 70% of Millennials say they need “me time” at work, almost twice as many as Baby boomers.
 93% said they want to be themselves, yet they do want to blend and be part of something bigger than themselves. 75% of Gen iY want a mentor, or as one participant said “I don’t so much want a boss; more of a Yoda.” Bottom line? If we will invest in them—they will invest in the work and furnish a huge ROI.

Are you ready to lead them?

Rome, New York was the place I grew up...

And I grew up a long time ago.

Essentially, I left Rome, NY in the Fall of 1964 to go to to the State University of New York at Cortland, which I spent the next four years. And from 1968 on I have been in the South of something. The first stop was Quantico, VA for The Basic School and then, after a stint in language school and Psy Op school it was to South Vietnam.

Since 1971 it has been South Carolina. My parents remained in Rome so I did a lot of visiting. Recently, Mike Colangelo, a Roman has started a Facebook group showing lots of old photos of Rome. One of the many visitors to the group just included a blog post from someone who reflected on the growing-up years in Rome. While I am from the more Irish side of the Roman experience (St. Peter's not St. John's) the blog spoke volumes to me. In some ways it may point to why I believe so strongly in the need to continue building your community, wherever

your community might be. If you click the link, I think you might enjoy the visit to one of the city's that was on the front lines of the cold war.

Getting the best from all helps us build community

Seth Godin, a leading thinker of our era, has been pushing the idea of individual art. He has been urging his readers to make their art, ship their art and live their art.  If you read THE ICARIUS DECEPTION, you will get a much better idea of his thinking.  He believes we all have art to provide to make a difference -- for ourselves and for our world.

Today he wrote a blog about how many people only allow that some of us have art. The rest, they lump into the idea of "those people."  That blog encouraged this blog. We know in small communities that if we do not tap into the contributions of all, we are not going to achieve the potential that can be our's. We also know that we are not tapping into that potential because so many of us are like the person Seth quotes, sure that others just are not as capable of making a difference. My reason for today's blog is to wonder how many times I have been guilty of the same hubris.

Here is the blog post from Seth Godin:

Those people

At a recent seminar, a woman who helps run a community college stood up to ask a question.
"Well, the bad news," she said, "is that we have to let everyone in. And the truth is, many of these kids just can't be the leaders you're describing, can't make art. We need people to do manual work, and it's those people."
I couldn't believe it. I was speechless, then heartbroken. All I could think of was these young adults, trusting this woman to lead them, teach them, inspire them and push them, and instead being turned into 'those people.'
You know, the people who will flip burgers or sweep streets or fill out forms all day. The ones who will be brainwashed into going into debt, into buying more than they can afford, to living lives that quietly move from one assigned task or one debt payment to another. If they're lucky.
No, I said to her, trying to control my voice, no these are not those people. Not if you don't want them to be.
Everyone is capable of being generous, at least once. Everyone is capable of being original, inspiring and connected, at least once. And everyone is capable of leading, yes, even more than once.
When those that we've chosen to teach and lead write off people because of what they look like or where they live or who their parents are, it's a tragedy. Worse, we often write people off merely because they've been brainwashed into thinking that they have no ability to do more than they've been assigned. Well, if we brainwashed them into setting limits, I know we can teach them to ignore those limits.