The long-awaited nonprofit focused on regional development has finally gotten a name: LORE.
Leaders for Ozarks Region Evolvement, or LORE, has begun forming and an initial membership of regional business leaders should be announced sometime between May and June 2024, said Dean Thompson, executive director of regionalism and economic development at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
LORE is culmination of regional-defining efforts of the last few years by a multitude of Springfield stakeholders, including government entities like the Chamber and Springfield City Utilities, as well as nonprofits like the Hatch Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO).
“That's really the goal for LORE, is to be able to collaborate with both the private and public leaders within the region as a whole,” said Erin Danastasio, executive director of the Hatch Foundation. “To be the catalyst for the transformation that's going to allow us ... to really be writing the story of the future for multiple generations to come.”
The name of the nonprofit and its initial branding effort were announced today, April 3, at Biz 417's Think Summit 2024 at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall.
Timeline for the regionalism nonprofit
Late last year, Hatch and CFO funded a study that examined ideas for regional development. The main takeaway of the study called for the creation of a nonprofit aimed at developing ideas for enhanced collaboration among a 10-county region. The report said the nonprofit should focus on workforce attraction, improving regional quality of life and branding.
“It's about talent attraction and retention, that's the why of branding,” Thompson said.
Starting in early 2024, Thompson endeavored to meet with executives of regional businesses to discuss the formation of the nonprofit and their interest in taking a role. Thompson said he has enough commitments from area executives to move forward with the creation of the nonprofit.
The regionalism study recommended that business leaders commit $25,000 per year for three years to be a member of the organization. Thompson said he has a healthy bank of commitments from area executives, but the amounts vary. He is still determining how the oranization's leadership should be organized.
“It’s exciting because we have enough commitments where we can move forward and that will be the discussion of what the board will look like and the [nonprofit] designation,” Thompson said.
Thompson plans on holding a meeting with the area executives that have shown interest in the nonprofit at some point in May. That meeting will determine which businesses move forward in the next steps of LORE.
“Our next step is to get that group of willing-CEOs that want to be part of the effort together in one room,” Thompson said.
It's not all about the funding, but making sure the original membership of the nonprofit is right, Thompson said. Member executives will include a wide variety of business sectors.
“If this is only about money and resources it's going to fail,” Thompson said. “You have to have the right people at the table.”
Next steps
LORE will focus on regional branding, workforce attraction and quality of life, according to the company website. After announcing its initial CEO-led membership by June, the organization will take the steps toward filing for nonprofit status, Thompson said.
“We have organizations already looking at some” of the issues LORE plans to focus on, Thompson said. “I think it's an opportunity to accelerate or bridge some of the gaps.”
Thompson said LORE will be unlike anything the region has seen before, while noting that the goal of LORE is not to take resources away from other organizations.
“We're talking about strategic leadership,” Thompson said. “We're talking about bridging those gaps. We're talking about. . .aligning our messaging and efforts for our community.”
Initially, the nonprofit will be housed inside another Springfield organization, likely either Hatch or CFO, Danastasio said. LORE will not be beholden to that organization, rather, it will use donated office space and resources.
A survey for public input
On LORE's website, a link to a survey is available. The survey is aimed at gathering public input on the formation of the nonprofit and asks questions concerning the vision of the region. The survey should stay live on the website for about a month, Danastasio said.
Danastasio and Thompson are hoping for all the public input they can get. They will take that information to the meeting of the CEOs, likely to occur in May.
