The Columbia Basin Trust has recently updated their management plan, which details how it plans to support Basin residents and communities from 2016 to 2020.
The Trust plans to continue to use their three main strategies in supporting communities, including investing and generating financial returns, offering responsive grant programs and curating long-term initiatives that address issues specific to the Basin area.
““All of our activities are driven by responding to the priorities and needs of Basin residents,” said Greg Deck, Columbia Basin Trust Chair on their Board of Directors in a press release. “Through extensive discussions, we have heard how we can best support the region and the issues we should focus on, and are now moving ahead with these ideas.”
Along with continuing their main strategies, the Basin also plans ton implementing a new method of support, where it will invest in opportunities where financial return and profit is secondary to other positive community impacts.
“Residents told us that we often make the best use of our resources when we support initiatives that are common across a larger region, such as our affordable housing or broadband initiatives,” said Neil Muth, Columbia Basin Trust President and Chief Executive Officer. “Economic development, for instance, was a top priority for most of the region, so we’ll be allocating significant resources to finding ways to make an impact in this area.”
Upon re-evaluation, the Trust has identified 13 strategic priorities, which will receive efforts over the next five years. Some of the priorities include First Nations relationships, economic development and alternative energy source, among others.
The priorities and main support methods have been formalized. The Columbia Basin Trust Management Plan Strategic Priorities 2016-2020 is a detailed document outlining all of the initiatives to support Basin communities. It can be viewed online at Cbt.org/chmp.