Strengthen ND Information

Strengthen ND’s staff encompasses more than 75 years of experience in rural capacity building, planning, development, and placemaking. Through their experience, candor, and “let’s get it done” attitude, Strengthen ND’s 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. In short, our experience has shaped our values and approach – the actual HOW of Strengthen ND’s work. The way in which we approach our mission is in line with our organizational values: Meeting Communities & People Where They Are We believe that every community is different, every organization is different, and every individual is different; therefore, a blanket approach does not best support ND. We “meet them where they are” in terms of attitudes, beliefs, skills, capacity, and available resources Deploying a Pragmatic Approach Our approach to supporting communities, organizations, and leaders focuses on inspiring them to think bigger and differently, while also cheerleading small, incremental victories achieved through practical tools and strategies. Being Resourceful Strengthen ND’s resources are limited. We must be resourceful and leverage all of the other great service providers and assets within ND to create a web of resources and providers that can support organizations and communities to deepen the level of impact made.