In 2004, the Manistee County Community Foundation (MCCF), in cooperation from a variety of community stakeholders, embarked on a county-wide visioning process, EnVision Manistee County, to provide clear and citizen-led  focus for a variety of community resources and needs in the Manistee County area.. To do so, the MCCF engaged the assistance of the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments to serve as the prime consultants and facilitators to the EnVision Manistee County project.

In the same way that a business evaluates opportunities for change by creating or affirming a strategic plan, the EnVision process did so for the Manistee County area by:

-Identifying community needs and priorities related to various quality of life indicators

-Promoting equitable, democratic access to community participation

-Engaging participants from all stakeholder and interest groups to maximize collaboration

-Collectively recognizing community values & assets

-Augmenting current collaborative efforts through the implementation of community foresight exercises

-Defining choices and shared delivery options for the community

Each of the above activities were done to address a variety of quality of life indicators, which included culture, recreation, economy, employment, education, government, growth/change, health, public safety, social environment, infrastructure, and natural resources/environment.

The EnVision Manistee County process, which began in September 2004 and concluded in May 2006, acted as the impetus for Manistee County to increase cooperation and ownership of the community’s future.   As of 2006, the EnVision Manistee County process leveraged over $400,000 in implementation funds from public and private sources.

The final report for EnVision Manistee County, EnVision the Possibilities can be viewed here.

For more information, contact Matt McCauley (mmccaule@nwm.cog.mi.us) at the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments.