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The Endowment staff did extensive review of literature related in income disparity by race and issues related to African American forestry.
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During early 2011, the U. S. Endowment held a number of open community meetings to discuss the concept of building a small wood-to-energy plant in Jefferson with the goal of creating family supporting jobs and using profits for social benefit.
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Research papers about Black land loss were produced by Professor Rory Fraser of Alabama A&M and rural development consultant Danyelle O’Hara.
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The Shadefun Website was launched in April. The project was officially open to the public, and the website began to accept grant requests.
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The program concept was presented to the board and a green light was given for further program design and research.
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The board approved the Asset Creation Initiative including the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention project and requested an “Operating Plan.”
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In November 2011, Community Wealth through Forestry (CWF) is established as a subsidiary of the U. S. Endowment to hold and manage any profits coming to the Endowment from North Star Jefferson. Three Endowment board members and two prominent Jefferson County leaders are appointed to the board.
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The board approved the operating plan for Asset Creation and allocated $1 million to the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program.
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The JOE project sponsored three community events to introduce options for building family assets as a way to bring people out of poverty. On the 20th, the City of Wadley and its community housing committee presented a well-attended workshop on the pathway to homeownership.
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The JOE project sponsored three community events to introduce options for building family assets as a way to bring people out of poverty. More than 100 people gathered at the Jefferson High School for a day-long presentation about incentivized savings programs to support those in poverty to attain home ownership, post-secondary education, and small business creation. Additionally, foresters, loggers, and landowners joined a workshop about wealth creation from new wood markets.
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On August 16, 2012, a diverse group of 13 people representing various parts of Jefferson County first convene to advise the U. S. Endowment and Community Wealth through Forestry about the use of profits for social benefit. The purpose of the committee is to listen to the community over nine months of meetings and then synthesize findings from that process.
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In September 2012, the Endowment published the Jefferson Assets Index, a data analysis of the demographics, natural resources, economic assets, and wealth of Jefferson County.
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The Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (NRCS), both agencies of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), commit to providing financial, programatic, and personnel resources to advance the project.
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The Shadefund becomes a constituent of the Conservation Fund, allowing for more resources and greater publicity.
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Sites in Coastal South Carolina and Northeastern North Carolina were selected as the initial pilots sites for the project. The SC pilot site is led by the Center for Heirs Property Preservation, while the NC pilot site is led by The Roanoke Electrical Cooperative.
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USDA Secretary Vilsack highlighted the pilot sites when he was in South Carolina to announce the Department’s expansion of its Strike Force Initiative. North Carolina Congressman Butterfield, Leonard Jordan of NRCS, and Endowment Senior VP, Peter Stangel, announced the NC pilot in a press event.
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The two pilot sites in North Carolina and South Carolina began a 6 month planning and learning period; the project begins to take shape.
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In May 2013, JOE presented 7 college scholarships to graduating Jefferson High School students who wrote exemplary essays about succeeding through creating personal savings and community assets. The community raised $2,250 which was matched 1:1 by the Endowment.
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Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and CoBank made grants to the North Carolina Pilot site project.
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Between September and November 2013, the Listening Committee will meet to synthesize the community response to the JOE outreach process and make recommendations to the Community Wealth through Forestry Board for the use of North Star Jefferson profits for solving poverty in the county.
