• Engaging Michigan Community Alumni Networks as Catalysts for Development: Leveraging People, Platforms and Places for Michigan's Transformation

    Author(s):
    Elizabeth Garlow, Dayne Walling
    Date:
    2014
    Group(s):
    MSU EDA University Center: Regional Economic Innovation
    Subject(s):
    Economic development, Michigan, Community development, Entrepreneurship, Sustainable development
    Item Type:
    Report
    Tag(s):
    #Equity, #Economic, #Development, #EconomicDevelopment, #EconomicDevelopmentAdministration, #EDA, #Michigan, #CommunityDevelopment
    Permanent URL:
    https://doi.org/10.17613/5hsh-wz02
    Abstract:
    This paper and co-learning plan will explore the potential for economic development through community alumni networks. Michigan has been the birthplace of innovative alumni engagement platforms, ranging from the state’s world-class colleges and universities to organizations such as Flint Club and Michigan Corps, both of which created new opportunities for non-local citizens, alumni and expatriates to contribute to, and share in, the economic revitalization of home communities across the state by partnering alongside Michigan residents, nonprofit organizations, and businesses. Drawing on the combined fifteen years of learning from Michigan Corps, Flint Club, and a critical review of survey and interview data, as well as assessments of related practices and relevant scholarship, this paper will provide recommended strategies for engaging alumni in tangible efforts that support economic progress across Michigan, primarily through opportunities to invest in entrepreneurship and civic and social innovation. This paper aims to outline the best practices and practical steps around: (a) building a community alumni network, (b) alumni investment approaches, (c) reshaping community image. Moreover, there are lessons for the wider field of economic and community development from this cutting-edge work.
    Metadata:
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    6 months ago
    License:
    Attribution
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