One town's impressive fundraising built its community center; they have a podcast to help others learn how

Photo from Cedar River Complex website

Like many rural towns, Osage, Iowa, had a wish list: getting the pool repaired, plans for community theater and fair space for the agriculture society. "There were many needs for new facilities," Andrew McCrea of Farm Journal reports. Steve Cooper, mayor of Osage, told McCrea: "The groups knew they couldn't all get what they wanted immediately. There were simply too many needs and not enough private funds to go around. Someone suggested they band together and perhaps create a facility with everything they needed. An architect was hired to design a plan. . . . He came up with a cost of around $12.5 million, and when that figure surfaced, I thought, 'Well, it was a good try."

Osage's population was around 3,000, and the community leaders were skeptical that millions could be raised. McCrea writes, "The local Osage Education Foundation heard about the plan and the price tag. Perhaps they should share the story with those at the alumni banquet since it attracts people from near and far. The message resonated, and Cooper was amazed by the giving, which came in at $7.5 million. Cooper told her: "We have a list of people who were donors to this, and some of them gave as little as ten dollars, but it seemed like everyone wanted to be a part of this."

The residents' rally added up to Osage building the Cedar River Complex. "It includes an indoor pool, fitness center, walking track, basketball courts, 600-seat theatre, museum and more," McCrea reports. "About 2,400 people have memberships for the pool and fitness center. The 600-seat theatre, which is part of the same complex, is also quite a draw. . . . The four Broadway-style shows produced each year bring people from across the country. Perhaps the biggest impact is what the CRC has done for the present and future of this community." Cooper told McCrea: "This has not been a burden on anybody's taxes. This facility has not only been able to get built but has been able to maintain sustainability on its own. . . . I hear from people that say they moved back–not just because of the CRC, but just because of the attitude of the community and wanting to be in their hometown."

Osage may seems like a "one-off" to some people, but its residents don't think so. They encourage other communities to band together "to make [their town] a great place to call home," McCrea reports. To that end, they've created a podcast, "Farming the Countryside," which shares insights and how-tos for other rural towns looking for guidance and encouragement.