Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

increased their personal wealth by opening individualdevelopment accounts (IDAs) and 73 used themoney to purchase their first homes, according to thelatest evaluation of the Initiative.The Regional Leadership Initiative previouslymentioned was launched in 2003 and is known asthe Mid South Delta Leaders Program. This programrepresents a tri-state collaboration of Delta StateUniversity in Mississippi, Arkansas State University,and Grambling State University in Louisiana. Theprogram will offer three 18-month classes for 45Delta residents of diverse backgrounds, 15 per state,in order to nurture and encourage a new cadre ofleaders that are able to analyze systems, understandnational and global trends, and formulate policies.youth involvement, 20 young people participated ina 2003 symposium to develop a YouthEmpowerment Summit in Coahoma County, Miss.Working in parallel, the Emerging MarketsPartnership has been instrumental in achievingeconomic development results. The Partnership is acomprehensive economic development effortmanaged by Enterprise Corporation of the Delta, aleading community development financialinstitution, underwritten by the W.K. KelloggFoundation and the Fannie Mae Foundation. Itfocuses on three areas: enterprise development,workforce development, and communityinfrastructure (such as child care, health care, andhousing). Organizations involved in the Partnershipinclude Good Faith Fund (which works to increasethe incomes and assets of low-skilled and low-incomeindividuals in Arkansas and Mississippi), as well asMid South Delta LISC (which provides training,technical assistance, and financial resources tocommunity development corporations (CDCs) inthe Delta), and the Foundation for the Mid South (anonprofit organization working to enhance thequality of life in the Delta).Katherine Crump from Mississippi and Joe Guy from Arkansas collaborateduring a diversity prioritization exercise at a Mid South Delta Leadersretreat focusing on the role of diversity in leadership. (Source: Mid SouthDelta Initiative).Working to empower youth and begin honing solidand relevant skills, youth representatives from over adozen MSDI partner communities participated in a2003 retreat where they learned new concepts, skillsand methods of promoting economic and socialdevelopment. 52 Participants identified needs in theircommunities and developed projects to respond tothese needs. Planning grants were issued to eachgroup at the retreat to develop proposals to fundtheir projects through a Mid South Delta YouthInitiative (MSDYI). In January 2004, MSDIofficially launched its new MSDYI by funding itsfirst youth-led, community building projects inArkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The YouthInitiative reaches out to individuals between the agesof 15 and 30 and engages them in the regional andlocal change process. This program encourages youngpeople to develop leadership skills and allows for reallife application of their newly acquired skills byplacing them in key roles. In one local example ofDorothy Gilbert established Big Momma’s Fine Food, a restaurant inMonroe, La., with loans and business assistance from EnterpriseCorporation of the Delta. (Source: Mid South Delta Initiative).Recognizing that economic development isnegatively impacted by inadequate infrastructure andaccess hurdles, one MSDI community has worked tosolve transportation access problems. Thecommunity’s efforts have contributed to thedevelopment of a successful transportation programin Washington County, Miss., that addresses accesslimitations for residents who previously had difficultygetting to jobs, schools, and health care facilities.52“Ripples of Change in the Delta 2003-2004,” available atwww.msdi.org/documents/ripplesofchange.pdf.REGIONAL OPPORTUNITYPart III: Section 3: Connecting to Regional Opportunity 112