BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.
Issue link: https://bbcmag.epubxp.com/i/565727
44 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 COMMUNITY BROADBAND a logical fundraising game plan. Columbus has been executing its broadband plan in stages since 2008. Suppose a city has a large Hispanic population that is not currently using the Internet in large numbers. One approach might be for it to formulate a fve-year research trial to defnitively demonstrate that high-tech adoption afects employment in Hispanic populations. It could include in the proposal a budget for building a network that covers the Hispanic population and a control group and then present this research proposal to foundations that focus on advancing employment for Hispanic youth. Getting the grant funded will enable the city to pay for a portion of its network and may make additional grant funds easier to obtain. Financial institutions, too, are more inclined to make loans when recipients have several sources, such as the foundations, to bring to the table. Te needs assessment process helps cities identify groups of constituents that want or need a product or service and determine how many of them there are and where they are located. To build a network or another mechanism for delivering services, a community must raise its own funds, fnd lenders, fnd investors or use some combination thereof. Te fundraising game plan is about fnding the lenders and investors. First, the needs assessment. EXECUTING A GOOD NEEDS ASSESSMENT If you are reading this article, chances are that informal groups and individuals in your community are already expressing the need for a broadband network. A needs assessment moves this process from informal discussions to a collection of statements and questions from various parts of the community that express specifc needs and expected benefts for a high-speed network. To set the stage for a broad-based information-gathering phase, a self- described local broadband champion or a city-appointed leader of the efort should conduct telephone and in- person interviews with leaders from key stakeholder groups. Tis should include people who have a vested interest in the success of a broadband network, such as • Managers of the city and county economic development agencies • A senior member of the chamber of commerce • Leaders (CEO, COO) of two or three of the largest companies • Commercial real estate agents • Local government ofcials and administrators • A representative from a medical facility or health care agency • An administrator from the school district. Te interviewer should schedule enough time to ask questions that will develop the initial sketch of the state of broadband in the community. Tis can be flled in later with a more detailed portrait of the town and how it will be transformed by meeting its needs. Tis is the time to begin building a database of potential lenders and investors. As the interviewer starts to gather information on community needs, the extent of the network and the type of technology required begin to become clear, as does the amount of funding needed. Te community leaders interviewed should be able to suggest entities that could be targeted for fundraising eforts. Next comes the efort to fll in the sketch by gathering as much useful data from as many constituents as possible. Te primary questions are 1 What kind of broadband service is currently available to them? 2 Are these services meeting their needs? 3 What would they do with better broadband? 4 What are their expected broadband needs in the next three to fve years? Every meeting should end with a question about which entity or individual could potentially make funds available to help build the network. A great idea could spring from anyone. Tis research is vital to building the case for any funding entities the community plans to approach. Potential funders want to know whom the network will beneft, how broadband will beneft them, what will happen to constituents if the network isn't built, how much the network will cost and how much other people and entities are investing. It's good to have as much quantitative and qualitative data and as many impact statements as possible. THE FUNDRAISING GAME PLAN Once the needs assessment is complete, a much clearer picture of how to improve the community, as well as a clearer understanding of the cost, should emerge. In addition to data on constituents' needs, an assessment report should contain details on infrastructure, technology and policy recommendations. Tough funders may be nontechnical, they rely on techie friends for advice. Tey want assurances that the proposed technologies are sufcient to address the community's current and future needs. Lenders, in particular, want to feel comfortable that the estimated infrastructure buildout costs are accurate and that the business model is built on reality. All potential funders want to have confdence that the project team, partners and vendors are competent. Now it's time to let the creative juices fow. I tell audiences that the logical business case for "broadband Assessing the need for broadband in a community will lay the groundwork for a fundraising plan.