CCD Business Development Corporation

“Working with Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation has really opened our eyes to understanding how natural resources impact economic development. I mean, it's common sense when you start putting all the pieces together. But if you're not actively thinking about it, then you're not actively working on it. And so our mindset completely changed when we received this grant, because although the work is still part of community infrastructure, we geared it more toward source water protection.”

—Lehi Dowell, Community and Economic Development Director, CCD Business Development Corporation

CCD Business Development Corporation is one of Oregon’s 12 federally designated economic development districts, serving Coos, Curry and Douglas counties. CCD partners with small-business owners to provide capital for business launches and expansions while also connecting them to communication networks and training opportunities. During the pandemic, CCD was a lifeline for small businesses on the South Coast, distributing roughly $11 million across nine funding sources. Beyond business development, CCD drives community growth by championing infrastructure projects and offering technical assistance to local and regional governments.

“It’s about getting funding to upgrade wastewater treatment plants, modernize clean water treatment facilities and get pipes in the ground,” says Lehi Dowell. CCD’s community and economic development director. “Cities, municipalities and special districts may have the desire to apply for grants, but they often aren’t prepared to navigate the process. That’s where we come in: We provide the capacity they need to apply for and administer grants, from writing the application to ensuring compliance with state and federal labor standards and environmental reviews. It’s what we excel at; in the past three years, we’ve secured $25 million for our region’s infrastructure needs.”

Remarkably, CCD manages this complex, high-stakes work with a dedicated team of just four people. “It’s a small nonprofit in rural Oregon,” Lehi laughs. “Everyone wears multiple hats, right?”

With encouragement from BDCF, CCD recently expanded its focus to include source water protection. In 2024, CCD secured nearly $1 million in funding for regional source water protection projects, with an additional $3.3 million contingent on the successful completion of planning grant phases.

“We’ve always thought about pipes in the ground,” Lehi notes. “But we hadn’t given as much thought to where our water comes from, whether that means protecting watersheds or moving a water intake three miles upriver to prevent saltwater infiltration.”

Lehi emphasizes that resilient and adaptable infrastructure is a multigenerational investment: “Most of our infrastructure was built with timber money back in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Those systems were designed with a 50-year lifespan, and now we’re seeing the consequences of aging infrastructure. We need to approach these updates with the next 50 years in mind.”

The value of CCD’s forward-thinking approach to coastal infrastructure is especially clear in a changing climate. "I want this conversation to be at the forefront of every single grant we apply for," Lehi says. "Climate change will impact our industries, agriculture and tourism. If we’re not addressing it in our grant applications, we risk losing the foresight it takes to mitigate those challenges."

Working at the intersection of economic vitality, infrastructure and climate change may seem overwhelming, but Lehi sees the interconnectedness of small coastal communities—including partnerships between funders like BDCF and CCD—as an advantage urban areas often lack. “We have this incredible networking ability because that’s just how rural America works,” he explains. “Decision-makers are our neighbors. It’s part of our culture, it’s part of what we’re proud of, and—if you think about it—it’s how America was built back in the day. That’s why CCD is so successful at moving projects forward.”