Triangle honored for economic development

A local communications cooperative has received a national award for its work … in economic development.

Foundation for Rural Service selected Triangle Communications as the 2011 recipient of their Community Development Award, representatives of Triangle announced in a press release.

The award comes after four years of a Triangle team — Marketing and Public Relations Manager Christy Keto, Public Relations Specialist Kev Campbell and Economic Development Specialist Anne Boothe — working on Triangle's public relations and economic development program.

"Triangle has always been committed to community development, schools and youth, but a few years ago the board and management took this tradition to a higher level, which resulted in a formal program with budgets and guidelines developed by asking individuals and organizations we serve, " Campbell said in the release. "At first, there was a learning curve, and it took at least the first year to get the word out and for us to tweak budgets and the processes. But now, we are seeing the activity level has risen, and we are busy matching resources with people and needs. "

Triangle announced in its release that its community and economic development financial contributions in 2011 total more than $150,000, with the largest percentage going to the youth throughout its service area.

Triangle's programs have ranged from scholarship awards to sponsorship of programs that pay schools for recycling telephone books; grants from the cooperative; and Triangle sponsoring local groups or agencies apply for loans and grants.

A high-profile effort last year was Triangle successfully securing USDA Rural Economic Development Loans for projects in Chester, $265,000 for the opening of a new Senior Center, and in Big Timber, and $500,000 for the Pioineer Medical Center in Big Timber. The loans are made to Triangle, which passes them on as loans to the applicants.

Triangle also offers technical assistance through Boothe, who provides expertise in the area of economic and community development and helps connect people, groups and organizations with resources to help in their projects.

Boothe herself is an example of a solution to workforce and distance issues in Montana, the release says, as she telecommutes from her home office in Malta, successfully demonstrating that through technology, people no longer have to sit in the headquarters office to be productive.

Triangle also allocates resources to provide interest-free loans and small grants for training or the purchase of start-up equipment and materials for new or expanding businesses.

In 2011, 40 percent of Triangle's donations went to youth programs, including its board in 2011 approving forty $1,000 scholarships.

The cooperative also provides grants, from $300 to $1,000 each, to 25 organizations for programs ranging from preventing bullying to reconstructing park trails damaged by flooding.

The release said the applications and requests for funds or assistance are reviewed monthly, with some going to Triangle's board of directors for review and approval. The process has helped simplify the application process, and focused Triangle's efforts in community and economic development, the release said.

"We purposely created user-friendly guidelines and application forms that are easy to review based on the requests fitting within our company's mission and cooperative values, " Keto said in the release.

That has had a positive impact on the categories the program focuses on: economic development, community infrastructure, customer appreciation, school support and youth support, the release said, adding that the project provides 24 unique programs that are designed to have maximum impact, while using resources most efficiently.

One of those is the telephone-book recycling program. Schools are paid 50 cents for each directory they collect and recycle at a local recycling center. In 2011, more than 36 schools participated, earning $3,500 for their schools and keeping more than 10,000 phonebooks out of landfills, the release said. Harlowton's Hillside Elementary set the record in 2011 for 1,100 directories collected and recycled in one drive.

Many grant recipients use funds received from Triangle as matching funds for loans or grants, thus doubling or tripling the donation, the release adds.