Learn about community capital funding strategies that can put your community in the driver's seat as you build your outdoor recreation economy. Community capital includes a broad range of tools from crowdsourcing to crowdfunding to community investment funds — all of which put power in the hands of individuals, not institutions, and allow communities to have a bigger say in what the local economy looks like, who and what gets funded, and who benefits. We'll explore how to use community capital strategies to support recreational infrastructure like trails and boat launches, local businesses that are part of the outdoor recreation economy, and housing for locals.

Community capital strategies can be used alone or in combination with other resources and approaches.

This course is for you if you’re out of ideas…can’t stomach writing another grant proposal…have gone as far as you can with what you know…need new approaches…and want to engage your community’s residents and resources, build solutions that work for the long-term, strengthen your community, and make outdoor recreation work for you.

Bring a challenge or project idea for funding to this course. You’ll work through the community capital approaches that best fit your situation and come out with a plan of action and a customized pitch deck that you can use to present your approach, generate support and help your collaborative, organization or company move into action. Ignite your own community’s capital to grow your outdoor recreation economy.

After you register, we’ll ask you some questions about the challenge you’re working on or are interested in addressing, and your project idea, even if it’s in early development or just an idea. This will help us tailor what we cover to your specific needs and hit the ground running to help you make maximum progress.

PLUS ONE-ON-ONE COACHING

Your registration fee includes a post-course one-on-one or team consultation session to address your particular situation and needs.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

Community & economic development organizations and agency staff • Outdoor recreation user groups and organizations • Entrepreneurs and business owners • Chambers of Commerce & business alliances • Parks, trails and other recreational facilities managers • Place-based & conservation organizations • Extension & community development professionals • Downtown & Main Street groups • Other community leaders 

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Kathleen Minogue has been pioneering work in the community capital space for over a decade. As the Founder & CEO of Crowdfund Better, she has guided small businesses, creatives, nonprofits, and communities across the U.S. in unlocking the support of their communities to build, market, fund, and sustain businesses and projects not supported by traditional capital sources. 

Michele Archie is a principal of The Harbinger Consultancy. She brings 30 years of experience with community engagement and community economic development in rural communities across the West and throughout the country to this course.

SESSION DATES AND TIMES

Four, live 1½ hour weekly video conference sessions

Thursdays, March 20 & 27, April 3 & 10, 2025 • 10-11:30 a.m. PT / 1-2:30 p.m. ET

FEES & DETAILS

Every class will be presented live and available for replay in case you need to miss a session or want to review.

$525 regular course fee • $425 early registration discount through January 30, 2025

Discounts for two or more participants from the same organization or community: $375 early registration, $425 regular group rate

Organizational and other special discount codes offer a discount in addition to early registration and group rates.

Contact us for special rates for groups of five or more. We often work with cohorts in our courses, and can create a custom package including group meetings and coaching during and/or after the course.

FREE LEARNING CREDITS

Through a partnership with American Trails, Harbinger is offering free learning credits for this and selected other courses. Credits are available by request, at no charge beyond the course registration fee, contingent on completing the entire course and a brief post-course quiz. American Trails is a certified provider, and you may request credits for:

American Institute of Certified Planners Continuing Maintenance (AICP CM)

Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES PDH)

CEU/PDH equivalency petition for other accepting organizations

This course provides 6.00 CM | 6.00 LA CES NON-HSW | 0.60 CEU/6.00 PDH Equivalency Petition

SESSIONS

Four 1½ hour live webinars. Available for replay in case you miss a session or want to listen again.

Session 1: Community Capital Foundations

• Community capital basics.

• Community capital tools.

• CFour community capital strategies.

• The shared challenges of outdoor recreation communities.

• Your specific challenges and your ideas for addressing them

During the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sessions, we will focus on specific applications of community capital tools in outdoor recreation communities, dig in more deeply to a specific community capital strategy, and work with your community-specific projects. We’ll offer homework suggestions to prepare for each session.

Session 2: Trails, Parks and Other Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure

• Outdoor recreation infrastructure challenges

• Case Study: Donation crowdfunding

• Applying all of this to your community project

Session 3: Entrepreneurs and Local Businesses that Support the Outdoor Rec Economy

• What is the outdoor recreation economy?

• Challenges to supporting and expanding local businesses

• Case Study: Rewards crowdfunding

• Applying all of this to your community project

Session 4: Housing and Commercial Properties for Local Businesses and Workers

• Common challenges in outdoor recreation communities

• Diagnosing your community’s needs and opportunities

• Community capital models that work with real estate

• Case Study: Investment crowdfunding

• Applying all of this to your community project

Good Words From Course Participants

The Outdoor Recreation Roadmap class was really helpful for our informal collaborative. It was great to have access to all the resources presented, and overall the course helped us focus our efforts.

We decided on developing a wayfinding plan first.  We were just notified that we’ll be receiving the USDA Rural Business Development Grant that our little group applied for to get the process rolling.

Louise Bruce, The Wilderness Society, Salmon, Idaho