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Funding & Resources.

Field writing from SourceLink practitioners on Funding & Resources.

Economic Development

Resiliency Is a System, Not a Moment

A disaster preparedness platform built mid-storm in Hawaii. A dashboard with roots in a group chat in Puerto Rico. A statewide operations center shaped by Katrina and Rita. Three different approaches engaged the same four concrete steps any community can take to formalize disaster readiness—starting now. Alyssa Gossley's team was partway through launching Stay Open...

Rob Williams Nov 02, 2026
Uncategorized

No Wrong Door: How Scott Asmus Is Building Nebraska’s Entrepreneurial Navigation System

Scott Asmus did not come to entrepreneurship with a traditional playbook. He came with an outsider’s eye, a deep belief in putting people first, and a determination to make Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem easier to navigate. Through SourceLink Nebraska, he is helping turn a maze of resources into a connected system built around real people, real needs, and real movement.

Rob Williams Sep 17, 2026
Economic Development

Be Prepared So Your Community Can Count on You

Financial disruption, cyberattacks, and infrastructure failures require the same planning as natural disasters. Water rescues on a flooded Main Street. Sandbags and boarded up storefronts on a Gulf coastline. Merchants sifting through shingles and plywood in the aftermath of 125-mile-per-hour tornadic winds. These are the media images we’re accustomed to seeing when natural disasters strike...

Rob Williams Aug 23, 2026
Funding & Resources

Beyond the Grant: How Entrepreneurship-led Ecosystem Builders Fund for Resilience

Many of us feel like we have been playing financial Jenga the last couple of years. When a federal grant is pulled here or a state allocation is pulled there, an organization’s entire funding tower could end up on shaky ground, especially if it was the largest or sole source of funding. The question isn't...

Rob Williams Aug 03, 2026
Economic Development

Building Momentum: 15 Years in the Making

Detroit’s recently launched MI Small Business Helper platform took years of persistent development to become a national model. Here’s what ecosystem builders can learn from their experience. Detroit is a city that’s shown it can take a punch. It’s also shown it can build something that lands. After years of building the foundation, pushing through...

Rob Williams May 28, 2026
Economic Development

Understanding Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Measurement Part 4: Strategic Reporting

This four-part series addresses why tracking and measuring the activity of your entrepreneurial ecosystem is crucial to its long-term sustainability and the economic success of your community. Part 1 of this series covers why measurement is important, Part 2 discusses what to measure, Part 3 provided insights into how to measure, and Part 4 delves...

Rob Williams Feb 24, 2024
Funding & Resources

Register Now: EDA American Rescue Plan Funding Opportunities

Last week, EDA announced six programs to equitably invest $3 billion allocated under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. (Click here to read the press release) The EDA will be holding “EDA 101 and American Rescue Plan Overview” webinars this week at 3 p.m. ET on July 27 and 3 p.m. ET on July 29. The...

Dara Macan Jul 26, 2021
Funding & Resources

Latest Update on the SBA Community Navigator Funding Opportunity

The SourceLink team has kept a close eye out for updates since the U.S. Small Business Administration first released the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Community Navigator Pilot Program.  The program aims to place significant financial resources into organizations that wish to be hubs or spokes of entrepreneurship support and ecosystem-building efforts in their communities—particularly those organizations with...

Dara Macan Jun 08, 2021
Funding & Resources

SBA Announces Community Navigator Model and Funding Opportunity

The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the creation of a new Community Navigator Pilot Program to place significant financial resources into organizations that wish to be hubs of entrepreneurship support and ecosystem-building efforts in their communities—particularly those organizations with deep roots in targeting underserved business communities. While it appears the SBA will be applying...

Dara Macan Mar 29, 2021
Funding & Resources

Show Me the Money: How to Fund Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building Initiatives

SourceLink insights on how to fund inclusive entrepreneurial support networks and entrepreneurship ecosystem building projects. Webinar was held 11/18/20 as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Rob Williams Nov 18, 2020
Funding & Resources

Which Private Foundations Are Funding Entrepreneurship?

A growing trend in entrepreneur ecosystem development has been an increase in the number of foundations that not only recognize the vital role entrepreneurs play in building communities, but that are also willing to fund entrepreneur ecosystem development.

Dara Macan Oct 09, 2020
Funding & Resources

Foundations: A Growing Source of Entrepreneurship Funding

Dozens of private foundations are allocating dollars to programs and entrepreneur support organizations. Are you creating relationships with them?

Dara Macan Jun 24, 2020