February 24, 2023 Here Are Four Major National Funders Supporting Rural America February 24, 2023/ Martha Ramirez Rural communities are chronically overlooked by large national funders, with most rural grantmaking coming from place-based or regional givers. It’s a short list, but here are a few bigger names to note.Read More
November 16, 2022 For MacKenzie Scott, Health Foundations Offer a Path to Advancing Equity in Rural America November 16, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen In her latest round of funding, MacKenzie Scott backed several health conversion foundations in rural communities. The support could go a long way in areas that rarely see an influx of high-dollar philanthropy.Read More
October 06, 2022 How Philanthropy Can Help Connect Rural Communities to Federal Infrastructure Funds October 06, 2022/ Jerry Neal Kenney, Guest Contributor With unprecedented federal infrastructure investments beginning to reach communities, guest author Jerry Neal Kenney offers a framework philanthropy can use to help underserved rural areas absorb much-needed funds.Read More
June 07, 2022 How One Nonprofit Is Pooling Public and Private Funds to Support Students in Rural America June 07, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Formerly an initiative of Berea College focused on Appalachian Kentucky, Partners for Rural Impact is now a standalone nonprofit, pulling together federal grants and private funding to improve education in rural areas. Read More
April 20, 2022 How the Family Behind a Sportswear Behemoth Is Expanding Its Philanthropy for Rural Communities April 20, 2022/ Ade Adeniji The Roundhouse Foundation, based in the small town of Sisters, Oregon, was founded with support from outdoor gear giant Columbia Sportswear. The foundation is expanding rapidly, serving rural communities across the state.Read More
January 05, 2022 Why Philanthropy Continues to Underfund Rural America—and What Grantmakers Can Do January 05, 2022/ Martha Ramirez For years, rural organizations have been sounding the alarm about philanthropic neglect. Here’s a look at why funders often ignore rural areas and what interested philanthropists can do to change that.Read More
October 15, 2020 How the Boettcher Foundation Invests in the State of Colorado October 15, 2020/ Alyssa Ochs The Boettcher Foundation has been on the Colorado grantmaking scene since 1937 and is worth getting to know for organizations operating in the Mountain States region.Read More
October 15, 2019 A Study Drilled Deep Into Rural Philanthropy in Washington State. Here's What it Found October 15, 2019/ Laura Dorwart The Rural Philanthropic Analysis Project is exploring the challenges of grantmaking in remote parts of the United States—including Eastern Washington State. Its case study of that region offers valuable insights to other rural funders.Read More
July 23, 2019 Far Too Few Rural Americans Attend College. These Funders Want to Change That July 23, 2019/ Mike Scutari Despite higher ed funders’ surging interest in equity and access, rural students are often overlooked. But thanks to several factors, including engaged donors, universities are stepping up their efforts to recruit and support such students. Read More
April 18, 2019 The Progressive Funders Looking to Build Power Across Divides in the American Heartland April 18, 2019/ Tate Williams The 2016 election was a reckoning moment for a philanthropy sector long disconnected from rural America. A new funding initiative is looking to remedy that by supporting organizing and movement-building in neglected regions, focusing on the Midwest.Read More
December 11, 2018 Unusual Suspects: Two Big Funders Move Off the Beaten Path to Boost Community Development December 11, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly More anti-poverty funders are looking beyond major cities to struggling rural communities. The latest example of grantmakers casting a wider net is the Communities Thrive Challenge, from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Rockefeller Foundation. Read More
December 04, 2018 Will These Big New Foundations Pay Attention to Rural America? December 04, 2018/ Allen Smart, Guest Contributor Health conversion foundations play a growing role in helping communities that are off the beaten path. Now, as three new such foundations get ready to give away $300 million annually, advocates for rural America hope that more support is set to flow. Read More
September 10, 2018 When Seconds Count: One Funder's Work to Improve Stroke Outcomes in Rural America September 10, 2018/ Alice Dickow The Helmsley Charitable Trust continues to address key healthcare challenges faced by rural residents. We look at the latest big grant by this national funder working off the beaten trail on matters of life and death. Read More
August 06, 2018 A Mental Health Funder Looks to Rural Texas as It Shifts Upstream August 06, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly The Hogg Foundation, one of the few stalwart backers of mental health, is looking to better address the underlying factors that determine well-being. We hear how the new strategy came about and why rural areas will get more attention. Read More
June 26, 2018 Myths and Opportunities: What's Happening in Rural Philanthropy? June 26, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly Experts and top funders in rural America say there’s far more activity and sophistication in this corner of philanthropy than most people realize. But also some challenging issues, especially for newcomers to the field. Read More
May 22, 2018 Better Rural Mobility Through Technology: The Role for Philanthropy May 22, 2018/ John Feather, Guest Contributor A lack of transportation is among the biggest problems facing rural areas, affecting millions of low-income and older Americans. But new technology offers solutions and grantmakers can help speed along innovation. Read More
January 25, 2018 The Regional Funders Backing Early Childhood Learning—With a Twist January 25, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly Early childhood learning is emerging as a promising field within education philanthropy, but funds tend to flow toward urban centers and often ignore childcare entirely. Here's an exception.Read More
December 10, 2016 Here’s an Oklahoma Funder Committed to Rural Public Schools December 10, 2016/ Alyssa Ochs OCCF has quite a few affiliate foundations, and today we’re taking a look at one of them called the Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation. Read More
December 02, 2016 Who's Looking Out for LGBT People in Rural America? December 02, 2016/ Alyssa Ochs It can be tough living in a rural area as an LGBT person, and all the more so if you're getting old. Which grantmakers are paying attention to this unique set of challenges?Read More