IVCDO
Building A Community Park
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IVCDO Wins 2006 NorthWest Area Foundation Award !
The Illinois Valley Community Development Organization, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, working to improve economic and social conditions in Oregon’s rural southwest through programs designed to enhance the standard of living, create jobs and encourage sustainable community development.
The organization started in the 1970’s as a group of citizens forming a vision for the Illinois Valley, located in southwest Oregon’s Josephine County. With the decline of the timber industry, the area suffers from high unemployment and poverty.
In 1994 rural Josephine County was given enterprise community designation, which qualified it for federal assistance. The organization then incorporated as The Illinois Valley 2010 Community Response Team to administer the use of these funds. The organization used these funds to attract additional public and private monies, on a 7 to 1 ratio. Areas of focus included tourism, infrastructure, education, and quality of life in addition to economic development. Starting in 2005 The Illinois Valley Community Response Team (IVCRT) adopted the dba of The Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCDO) or IVCanDO to better reflect the organizations purpose.
With the Federal funding ending in 2004, the organization looked at other ways to sustain itself. In 2002 the organization entered into an agreement to manage the Chateau at the Oregon Caves National Monument under the name Oregon Caves Outfitters. The management of two forest service campgrounds followed in 2004. Management of the IV visitor center started in 2006.
The organization currently manages several grants for projects in the Illinois Valley. These include a business consulting service to match businesses with education and support from experienced business mentors and educators. We also have a small loan program, which provides financing to individuals and small businesses. Since it’s inception this program has funded 63 loans for a total of $390,000. Working in conjunction with the Illinois Valley Fire District, Josephine County and the Bureau of Land Management we manage several projects to make neighborhoods safe from wildfires, by reducing brush and small diameter trees on private property. To date about 400 acres have been treated. In an effort to help other non-profit organizations, we administer a USDA rural community development initiative grant to help these organizations gain expertise with grant writing, capital and project fund raising, organizational development and other services including professional services for facility construction projects.
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