Arizona State releases Wellik Foundation's Wickenburg study

By Art Pulis, Sun Business Advocate

Kirah Brown

Through a contract between the Wellik Foundation and the College of Human Services at Arizona State University, an exhaustive study to help understand the unique character of Wickenburg has been made available to the public.

The $30 million Wellik Foundation was funded by the estate of Viola Wellik. Wellik left instructions that grants from the foundation should specifically benefit the Wickenburg community thus making Wickenburg the most heavily endowed municipality in the country when measured on a per-capita basis.

Understanding the need to make good decisions, the foundation sought the assistance of ASU to conduct a study to better understand the community and determine what made it unique in the eyes of its citizens.

A team from ASU, headed up by Associate Dean for Community Initiatives Richard Knopf, conducted several open town meetings along with 21 personal interviews in addition to studying the available demographic, economic, and community statistics.

From this work they produced a 175-page report to the foundation that is available on line through the ASU West Campus College of Human Services Partnership for Community Development.

“Our objective was to drill deep into the community to determine its aspirations, dreams, and visions,” said Knopf. “Clearly Wickenburg is unique, and it was our objective to determine what made it unique so that the foundation would have the opportunity to better use its assets to continue to enhance the greater Wickenburg area.”

“I must admit that prior to this project I saw Wickenburg as a place to pass through on the way to Vegas,” continued Knopf. “What we found was an incredibly diverse community, but one where the people would come together as a tight community especially in times of need or to assist a resident.”

That department's website is http://www.west.asu.edu/chs/partdev/. On that webpage under “news and announcements” is found reference to the study. Clicking the word Wickenburg leads to the report. The specific web address for the report is http://www.west.asu.edu/chs/partdev/Wickenburg%20Community%20Assessment.pdf.

The report clearly spells out the unique elements of community pride that include the small town atmosphere, strong sense of community, natural terrain, and Western heritage. “Community members take pride in the diversity of residents, unique attractions, special events, open space, low density development, history, clean environment, and broad-based civic pride,” reads the report.

The report also points out challenges to the continuance of community, which include growth, change, threats to economic sustainability, challenges in the central business district, an under-funded educational system, lack of affordable housing, drug use, and others.

From the analysis the report developed 14 unique funding priorities to be considered by the foundation including such items as continuation of small town character, historic preservation, youth development, expanded activity programming for all ages, and affordable housing.

For each funding priority it spells out the mission, specific proposals, and examples of fundable proposals. While the foundation board may not react specifically to these proposals and examples, they provide a clear framework for anyone wishing to see where grant requests might be tailored for best response.

Wellik Foundation Board Member James Watt was especially complimentary of the community study.

“The report was of great benefit to me because it collected the data needed to concisely set forth the profile of the Wickenburg community,” said Watt. “This will be helpful when we direct our funds to the areas that best enhance the most positive characteristics of the town. In my opinion we should concentrate on positive attributes of Wickenburg rather than needs.”

“When a foundation concentrates its funding on community needs, there can be a tendency to continue to subsidize the problems which can even replace government's responsibility to work on those problems,” continued Watt. “When we fund projects to enhance the most attractive aspects of a community, we are carrying out the dreams and aspirations of Vi Wellik.”

Clearly, this document readily available to anyone online could be one of the most important items produced for Wickenburg. Like the general plan is an important framework for land use planning, the Wickenburg Community Assessment could prove to be the basis of a community plan helping to determine the future of Wickenburg. Foundation Board members as well as the ASU team hope that interested citizens, public officials, and community leaders will all take the time to download the document and read it.

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