University of Wisconsin-Madison
Community Development has continued building relationships with organizations throughout Fond du Lac County to better understand community needs and identify opportunities for collaboration. Recent conversations with Holy Land Food Pantry explored ways to reach residents who face barriers to accessing food assistance, particularly homebound individuals and those with limited transportation, as well as to provide […]
This month, Community Development Educator Andy Wilson has focused heavily on strengthening understanding of Fond du Lac County’s nonprofit sector, particularly the smaller organizations that often operate with limited staff, funding, and administrative capacity. In partnership with Sophia Partners and the Fond du Lac Area Foundation, a new nonprofit needs survey was recently launched to […]
Community Development has continued strengthening the information available to support community development efforts across Fond du Lac County. Current work includes refining a countywide inventory of nonprofit and community-serving organizations, verifying records, improving service classifications, and mapping organizations geographically. Community Development is also exploring how Census data can be used alongside this resource to identify […]
Building on the asset mapping and research from last month, June and July focused on turning those findings into practical tools and stronger local connections. To help our nonprofit partners act on shared priorities without administrative burnout, I helped design a streamlined messaging, database, and document repository system. This new system simplifies communication workflows and […]
A major focus of Extension’s community development work in Fond du Lac County has been developing an asset mapping and gap analysis process to better understand where community resources exist, where access may be limited, and where additional conversations are needed. This work includes compiling information about local organizations, services, partnerships, and geographic service areas, […]
Over the past three weeks, Fond du Lac Extension’s new Community Development Educator Andy Wilson has focused on meeting with local organizations, community leaders, and partners to better understand current initiatives, needs, and opportunities across the county. As part of this work, Extension has begun developing a community asset mapping project using a customized visualization […]
Andrew “Andy” Wilson recently joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension as the Community Development Educator serving Fond du Lac County. Andy brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, community engagement, partnership development, and capacity building across both domestic and international settings. Prior to joining Extension, Andy worked in community development […]
Please join us in congratulating Noah as she has accepted an offer to become the next Extension Community Development Educator in Dane County. Her last day in Fond du Lac County is January 24th, but you may still contact her after that date at noah.reif@wisc.edu. Thank you Noah for your commitment to the Fond du […]
Nonprofits across Wisconsin are doing critical work every day to build communities where everyone can thrive, but fundraising can feel like an obstacle for many organizations and leaders. Join Extension’s educators who work with community nonprofits for a five session series tailored to the needs of new nonprofits, small nonprofits, and people new to nonprofit […]
Nonprofits throughout Wisconsin rely on volunteers both to expand their offerings and to stretch their resources. Organizations that recognize the unique nature of volunteers and make strategic use of them expand their capacity and multiply their community reach. But working with volunteers is fundamentally different from managing employees and if misunderstood, can do more harm […]
