Ely for Ely Update - September 2026
Looking Back:
The seed of Ely for Ely was planted during a coffee date at Northern Grounds in August 2023. By November 2024 a volunteer planning committee hosted a workshop that convened 75 community members with the goal of getting to know each other and our work better, strengthening our social fabric and increasing capacity along the way. Since that time, Boundary Waters Connect has hosted over 20 Ely for Ely events dedicated to serving local business owners and nonprofit leaders.
The 2024 workshop was fundamentally about introducing ourselves and expanding our networks. In 2025 our Ely for Ely programming involved a monthly series of educational presentations and mini-workshops for professional development. For example, we hosted a “Fundraising 101” info session for small nonprofits, as well as a program on Ely-specific marketing tactics. While these gatherings were beneficial, the planning committee felt compelled to invest in a more strategic approach to making a positive contribution to our community and economy. It was with that desire in mind that we reached out to University of Minnesota Extension.
We kicked off our collaboration with UMN Extension with the 2025 workshop at which over 100 attendees were introduced to the three tracks we identified for 2026:
Community leadership,
Business succession, and
Wealth transfer.
Our goal was to spend 2026 answering the question, “What should the 3-5 year Boundary Waters Connect work plan look like to best support nonprofit organizations and local businesses?”
Our monthly gatherings this year followed a template: three consecutive meetings to discuss each track. We used the time to explore local issues related to the track, consider insights provided by UMN Extension professionals who work with these topics across the region, and develop proposals for how to proceed.
Current Status:
In light of the July 2026 lightning incident, BWC pivoted our previously scheduled August wealth transfer themed programming to instead host a listening session about wildfire impacts. Additionally, we applied our partnerships with UMN Extension and the UMD Bureau of Business and Economic Research to contribute to a better understanding of the economic impact of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closures.
Results from the wildfire economic impact survey and a paper analyzing tourism traffic impacts are forthcoming.
We are cancelling our September gathering to give our UMN Extension collaborators time and space to focus on compiling survey results. We anticipate they will host a webinar in October to present the findings.
We will host an Ely for Ely gathering on Tuesday, October 20. The content of the program will be related to economic impact and community resilience in the context of the wildfires. Mark your calendars for 7:30am to 10:00am on Tuesday, October 20 at the Ely Community Center.
Looking Ahead:
We look forward to returning to wealth transfer programming in 2027. Please follow Boundary Waters Connect emails and social media for updates.
As a result of our community leadership track, Boundary Waters Connect will develop volunteerism “on-ramp” resources. Our community is home to roughly 100 nonprofits organizations, clubs, and associations – each of which could benefit from additional support. Meanwhile we have friends and neighbors with talents and the will to contribute; the challenge is in how to connect the individuals to the organizations. After making sense of themes and trends in local volunteer needs, we will create a suite of resources (including digital and programmatic) for making these connections. These activities are in our 2027 and 2028 work plan.
Following the business succession track, we humbly acknowledge the need to continue investigating current business owners’ needs, particularly in light of wildfire economic impacts. Boundary Waters Connect is developing a work plan to meet business owners where they are, and continue to collect information about what kinds of programming would be most beneficial to the most people.
It continues to be an honor to facilitate this work to serve our community. Thank you for following along and participating!
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