IS 565 Group 3
Final Project-Group Log
Part 1 Community Analysis
Target Audience and Community Analysis: Midwest Region USA
Target Audience:
The Midwest United States Great Plains rural communities are the targeted audience for the Center for Rural Affairs. Most of these communities include agricultural based economies, but the CFRA is supportive of the “entire rural community” (CFRA History).
Many of the rural communities in the Great Plains are typical of Lyons, Nebraska where the CFRA is based. States involved in the CFRA’s “Great Plains and beyond” influence include rural communities in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin & Wyoming.
Brief History of CFRA:
The Center for Rural Affairs began as a nonprofit organization aiming to protect and provide support for small rural farms in Northeastern Nebraska. Founded in Walthill, Nebraska in 1973, they moved their center to Lyons, Nebraska in 2003. They quickly became an organization not only involved in supporting rural farms but also about supporting “farming practices, environmental issues, and rural development” (Ralston).
By 2004 the CFRA began its “Great Plains and Beyond Program” to support rural communities in the midwest United States region. The focus by 2005 included petitioning the Nebraska Legislature for support for rural communities with success evidenced by “ doubling (the) funding for microenterprise development, creating the nation’s first microenterprise tax credit, gaining $850,000 for value added agriculture grants that increase self employment, and winning grants to communities for entrepreneurial development’ (CFRA History). Today CFRA provides support for rural communities across the entire midwest region.
Geography:
The Midwest region of the United States is defined by the US Census Department as including the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The lands of this region are predominantly flat with small rolling hills varying from “a few hundred feet above sea level to a thousand or more” (Garland 5). The Central Lowlands comprise the central area of this region bordered by the Great Lakes to the north, the Great Plains to the West, the Ozark Plateau to the South and the Appalachians to the East. The soil in the US Midwest, most notably in the Central Lowlands, is among the richest soil worldwide due to decayed plant material deposits and the breaking down of rocks by glaciers. The Midwest is also notable for the sources of coal and iron which supply half or more of US consumption (Garland 6-8). Water resources are abundant in the Midwest, including the Mississippi River and Great Lakes,with more availability and drainage capabilities throughout the region than anywhere else on the Earth (Garland 9). Moist humid summers followed by deep freezing winters, which halt the erosive effects of the plentiful Spring and Summer rainfalls, provide the ideal climate for the “multi-billion-bushel corn crops which in turn makes possible the multitude of industry and services” (Garland 10). The freezing winter temperatures also keep insects and crop pests to a minimum further establishing this area as the most ideal farming region in the world.
^ Total Land Area: Midwest United States 776,000 approximate square miles
^ Land Area: Midwest United States 712,000 approximate square miles
^ Water Area: Midwest United States 60,700 approximate square miles
DEMOGRAPHICS: MIDWEST REGION, UNITED STATES
People
Population: 66.8 Million
Population Density: 981 (approximate)
Distribution by Gender: 32,927,580 Male
33,999,441 Female
Sex Ration: 96.8%
Distribution by Age: 16,128,108 Under 18 (24.1%)
23,722,312 18-44 Years (35.4%)
18,054,247 45-64 Years (27%)
9,022,344 65+ Years (13.5%)
Population Changes: 3.8 % (Total US 9.1%)
Median Age: 37.7 Years
Households: 25.9 Million
Household Size: 2.5 People
Household Demographics: 49% Married Couples
34% Non Families
10% Other Families
7% Female Householder
Ethnicity: 79% White/Non Hispanic
10% Black/African American
7% Hispanic
2% Asian
.5% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
1% American Indian/Alaska Native
Economy
Median Household Income: $48,384
Households below $15,000: 15%
Households above $150,000: 6%
Households below Poverty: 10%
Costs of Living:
Housing Affordability Index: 198.4
Personal Income Per Capita: $38,941 (-1% to -4.4%)
Median Income: $26,282 (-6.8%)
Labor Force Participation Rate: 59.8-72.9% (Varies by State)
Employed 16 and over: 60 %
Unemployed 16 and over: 33 %
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%
Employment by Industry: 2.0% Agriculture
5.8% Construction
14.3% Manufacturing
2.9% Wholesale Trade
11.6% Retail Trade
5.0% Transportation, Warehouse, Utilities
2.0% Information
6.7% Finance, Insurance, Real Estate
9.0% Professional, Scientific, Waste Management
23.5% Educational Services, Health Care, Social Services
8.8% Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Food Services
4.7% Other Services, except Public Administration
3.9% Public Administration
Recent Job Growth: +12,200 to 55,400 (Agriculture & Manufacturing-Varies by State)
Future Job Growth: +10,246,000 Region Wide- Across Industries
Postsecondary Job Growth: 6,302,000
High School Graduate Job Growth: 3,209,000
High School Dropouts Job Growth:: 884,000
Government
Voting Rate: 60.5% to 75% (Varies by State)
Republicans (Of National Percentages):
Staunch Conservatives: 26%
Main Street Republicans: 27%
Democrats (Of National Percentages):
New Coalition 18%
Hard Pressed 23%
Solid Liberal 21%
Conservatives: 36.9% to 45.9% (Varies by State)
Liberals 14.3% to 21.9% (Varies by State)
Education
High School Graduates: 31%
College Graduates: 26%
Non Graduates/Dropouts: . 12%
Preschool/Kindergarten Enrollment: 2 Million
Elementary-High School Enrollment: 10.8 Million
College Enrollment: 5.0 Million
Public School Students: 487,559 to 2,119,707 # by State
Public Schools: 1490 to 4402 # by State
Private Schools: 242 to 1924 # by State
Charter Schools: 70 to 373 # by State
Per Pupil Expenditures: $9000-$13000 Per Pupil Per Capita
State & Local Revenue: $8347-$10893 Per Pupil Per Capita
Infrastructure
Energy:
The Midwestern Governors Association, consisting of governors from all Midwest states, initiated an Energy Infrastructure in 2009 to secure energy initiatives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase job growth. This was planned to be developed through investing in low-carbon energy alternatives and in developing technology in manufacturing by:
- Expansion of electric transmission capacity in support of renewable energy development and distributed generation;
- Adoption of smart grid technologies and capabilities;
- Commercial build-out of carbon capture and storage (CCS); and
- Deployment of refueling systems for biofuels and other advanced low-carbon transportation fuels.
(MGA Energy Infrastructure)
Wireless Network:
New Core Wireless has developed a wireless network across all midwestern states to provide a single network for public safety information and interoperability. The transmission of data among industries will be easily achieved through technology platforms capable of switching 2G (GSM), 3G (UMTS) and 4G (LTE) wireless services, as well as Value Added Services like SMS, MMS, voicemail, prepaid, E911, CALEA and CMAS providing vital industry infrastructure.
SWOT Analysis for the CFRA
The CFRA has many strengths that contribute to the organization’s success. Among these are its long-standing history with the rural community, its focus on high-impact issues like renewable energy and healthcare, and the support of people across the country working in conjunction with the CFRA. The CFRA is in its 40th year of advocating for the rights and interests of rural America. The organization established its core values and has worked to support practices that continue these traits, as opposed to advocating for any one particular group. This has established the organization as a fair and reliable partner to the small farms, rural areas and businesses that the CFRA works to protect. Since its inception in 1973, the CFRA has focused on issues like health care, clean energy, sustainable agriculture and community development (cfra.org/about). While progress has been made in these areas, there is still a long way to go. The CFRA has an established history in fighting for equality and advancement dealing with the issues mentioned above and continue to gain support from its constituents as the problems persist. Finally, the CFRA has the support of 30,000 Americans spread throughout the midwest, who believe in the same values and work to support and further the organization and ensure these values are protected.
Currently, the major weakness of the CFRA is the lack of access that patrons have to archived CFRA materials. Materials are currently spread between two locations: the Lyons, Nebraska headquarters and Iowa State University Library in Ames, Iowa. The majority of the materials are boxed and in storage, not easily accessible to locals and practically impossible to interested parties out of state. This collection includes newsletters, grants, legislation, annual reports, workshops, direct service work and policy documents. These materials are useful resources to the CFRA and its constituents and need to be made readily available.
The CFRA’s biggest opportunity comes directly from its major weakness. The lack of organization and availability of archived materials is limiting the reach of the organization. By organizing and digitizing these materials, the CFRA will be able to provide needed resources to rural areas across the country. This will not only provide useful materials to regions that may not otherwise have access to them, but it will also increase the visibility and viability of the organization.
The threats facing the CFRA are the same as the ones facing other nonprofit organizations and rural communities: the economy and unemployment. The state of the economy affects not only the CFRA, but also the people it is working for. The unemployment rate, cost of gas and inflation all affect family farms and local businesses. The CFRA is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations and the support of its constituents. If these people are hurting, it will in turn hurt the CFRA.
References
Baker, B. D., Sciarra, D. G. & Farrie, D. (2010). Is school funding fair: a national report card.
New Jersey: Education Law Center. Retrieved from http://www.schoolfundingfairness.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013). Regional and state employment and unemployment summary.
Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013). Midwest economy-labor force statistics. Retrieved
Burnett, J. (2011). Per capita personal income. Knowledge Center- The Council of State
Governments. Retrieved from http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/kc/content/
Carnivale, A.P. & Smith, N. ( 2011). The midwest challenge: matching jobs with education in the
post-recession economy. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center on Education and
the Workforce. Retrieved from http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/
Census 2000 Data File. (2000). States ranked by size and population. Retrieved from
Center for Rural Affairs. (2012). History of the center. Retrieved from
DeNavas-Walt, C., Proctor, B. D. & Smith, J. C. (2009). Income, poverty and health insurance
in the united states: 2008. Washington, DC: US Department of Commerce. Retrieved from
File, T. & Crissey, S. (2012). Voting and registration in the election of 2008. Washington, DC:
Garland, J. H. (1955). The north american midwest a regional geography. New York:
Wiley. viii-10. Retrieved from http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001264243
Howden, L. M. & Meyer, J. A. (2011). Age and sex composition: 2010 census briefs.
Washington DC: US Department of Commerce. Retrieved from
Midwestern Governors Association. (2009). Midwestern energy infrastructure accord.
National Association of Realtors. (2013). Housing Affordability Index. Retreived from
Pew Research Center for the People and Press. (2011). Beyond red vs. blue the political
typology: Section 3 Demographics and news sources. Retrieved from
PRWeb. (2013). NewCore wireless chosen by infrastructure networks as exclusive provider
in upper midwest region. Retrieved from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/9/
Ralston, D. & Strange, S. (2012). Our Early History: The Center for Rural Affairs in the First 20 years, a short memoir mostly more or less true. Retrieved from
United States Census Bureau. (2009). American Factfinder: Population and housing
narrative profile: 2009 Retrieved from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/
US Department of Education Regional Advisory Committee (RAC). (2010). Midwest region:
a report identifying and addressing the educational needs. Retrieved from
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