THE ORGANIZATION
OUR VALUES
Learn more about the values the
organization was built on.
Meeting communities and people where they are.
Strengthen ND’s belief is that every community is different, every organization is different and every individual professional is different; therefore, a blanket approach will not best support ND. We demonstrate this belief by customizing our professional development and coaching to best fit each specific situation so we can “meet them where they are” in terms of available skills, capacity and other resources. Furthermore, “meeting communities and people where they are” translates into a physical approach to our work. Strengthen ND believes it is critical to be invited into and a part of the communities in which we work. This is demonstrated by the amount of time spent out of the office, on-site with organizations and community representatives and the amount of miles driven per year; Strengthen ND traveled over 25,000 miles in 2019 to communities in ND.
Deploying a pragmatic approach.
Strengthen ND approaches supporting communities, organizations and professionals with practical and applicable tools and approaches that can be implemented quickly and efficiently to support long-term successful outcomes.
Being resourceful.
One of our often-utilized mottos is “Bloom where you’re planted.” We utilize this phrase to encourage nonprofit organizations and communities to be the very best them that they can be. This methodology translates into day-to-day work like developing their own fundraising stories, supporting them to lean into their programmatic and organizational strengths to reduce competition fears and to re-utilize vacant spaces or otherwise overlooked assets to support community building and growth.
Rural ND matters. We as farmers feed the world! Caring, compassionate, communityminded. Neighbors = Family
ABOUT US
Our staff encompasses more than 75 years of experience in rural capacity building, planning, community and economic development, and placemaking. Since inception, our most influential teachers have been the members of the communities that we have supported. Through their experience, candor, and “let’s get it done” attitude, our team has had the privilege of learning and exercising the “ND Way” of problem solving. We’ve learned from communities that it is imperative to exercise a bottom-up approach, prioritize listening, facilitate community buy-in, and that nearly every disagreement can be resolved through a robust conversation over a shared plate of hotdish. Contact us today to learn how we may be able to help your community!
Rural life, rural communities are the backbone of North Dakota and strengthen North Dakota’s economy.