Effective Fundraising for Public Spaces | Rural Placemaking Studio Workshop Series

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Bridget Anderson and Meagan Heber hosted a workshop on IHCDA CreatINg Places grant guidelines, best practices, and examples of successful crowdfunding campaigns.

They reviewed real-life, funded project examples and presented their strategy guide, which breaks down some of the different funders working locally in your communities. Special guest Marce King from Owen County also presented on some of her county’s active campaigns and experiences.

Meagan Heber is the placemaking and environmental review manager at the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) and has been with the agency for four years, working on affordable housing, quality of life, and placemaking. In overseeing the CreatINg Places program from the grant-maker’s perspective, Meagan loves helping Indiana communities celebrate their assets, bring people together around common goals, and create welcoming public spaces.

Bridget Anderson (she/her) is the vice president at Patronicity, a crowdfunding platform designed to support creative placemaking projects around the country. Anderson leads the CreatINg Places crowd granting program in Indiana. It is powerful work that empowers hyperlocal community development and investment. Anderson has over six years of experience working with statewide and national non-profits, including civil justice and educational organizations, as well as six years serving elected officials and political campaigns. She graduated from Indiana University with a degree in political science and is inspired by civic engagement as a means to improve lives.

Marce King is a lifelong Owen County resident and an Oklahoma University graduate. She has been the CEO of the Owen County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development for the last six years. Serving her community by helping establish fiber buildouts, workforce housing, and childcare options has led to a direct investment of over $60,000,000 in the last five years. A large growth spurt in rural entrepreneurship led to the Chamber’s design of Owen County’s first center of entrepreneurship called “The Exchange,” recently designated as one of Indiana’s top 25 entrepreneurial ecosystems. Marce also holds a seat as a trustee for South Central Indiana REMC and is the director of La Campagne Ministries, the location for Owen County’s first Boys and Girls Club. She is an avid photographer and mother.