FUNDING
Cost Estimates
Fundraising

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Cost Estimates
The cost of heritage area management plans vary widely, as does the scope and quality of the product itself. They run anywhere from $100,000 on the low end to $700,000 on the high end. Obviously, the goal here would be to produce a comprehensive high-quality management plan, and one could reasonably expect this to cost in the neighborhood of $350,000.

The cost of staffing the Alliance could also vary significantly, depending on the number of staff members and the depth of experience sought in staff members. For example, whereas a highly-experienced Executive Director/CEO might receive upwards of $150,000 in annual salary and benefits, someone with more limited experience in heritage area management might be paid considerably less.


Fundraising
The Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance will work with its partners to pursue funding from a broad range of sources, including:

*Federal Government: U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, USDA Rural Development, U.S. Economic Development Administration, etc.

*State Government: Mississippi Development Authority, Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Mississippi Arts Commission, etc.

*private foundations;

*corporations;

*small businesses, individuals; and

*involved counties and communities.

Fundraising will obviously be a key task for the Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance. The Heritage Area Alliance will also generate revenue through its own entrepreneurial activities, which will be defined during the development of the management plan. The goal is to put in place a long-term organizational resource that can assist the communities of the region.