Rural

Philanthropy Missouri continues to expand our network of Member-grantmakers located throughout the state as we focus on creating a thriving and equitable Missouri.

Many of our Members are interested in fostering impact in more rural areas of the state, where they have deep roots and insights into community needs. Other Members live in suburban and urban areas and have an interest in learning from, partnering with, and giving alongside their rural peers, whose proximity and expertise make for informed and transformative grantmaking practices. Philanthropy Missouri is committed to serving as a connector and convener to help amplify the opportunities for collaboration.

Share your knowledge: We will continue to build out this space as a resource for grantmakers across the state who have an interest in rural funding practices. Please share any suggested additions with amy@philmo.org.

The following philanthropic sector organizations may be helpful for grantmakers who are interested in learning more about the rural funding landscape in the United States:

• PhilanthropywoRx
• Aspen Institute: Community Development Philanthropy
  • Federal Resources for Rural America
• Neighborhood Funders Group: Integrated Rural Strategies Group

Recent resources about rural philanthropy:

• "Rural Capacity-Building Tips From and For Funders," Aspen Institute's Community Strategies Group, May 2022
• Investing in Rural Prosperity, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2021 with chapter 38, "Rural Rebound Redux" by PhilMO Member Brian Fogle, President & CEO of Community Foundation of the Ozarks
• Rural America: Philanthropy's Misunderstood Opportunity for Impact, FSG (Consulting Firm), 2021
• "Three Simple Ways for Funders to Make Their Rural Work Authentic," National Center for Family Philanthropy Blog, July 2021
• "The Rural and Small Town Philanthropic Gap Involves Us All," New Profit, May 2021
• "The Urban and Rural Divide," Stanford Social Innovation Review, Spring 2021
• "The Role of Collaboration in Effective Rural Philanthropy," The Center for Effective Philanthropy, February 2021 / Referenced Report: "Rural Foundation Collaboration: 'Houston we have a problem'," International Journal of Community Well Being, October 2020
• "Five Lessons for Successful Place-Based Philanthropy in Rural Communities," American Enterprise Institute, February 2021
• "How Philanthropy Can Shift Power and Ignite Change in Rural Communities," National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, February 2021
• "How Philanthropy Can Strengthen Rural Communities," Arabella Advisors (Consulting Firm), 2021
• "The Rural Philanthropic Analysis Project 2017-2019," Campbell University, 2020
• "Family Funders - Always Important in Rural Communities," National Center for Family Philanthropy, May 2019
• "Pushing Aside the Rural-Urban Divide," Healthy Places by Design, April 2019
• "Buildling a Field of Rural Philanthropy: The Case for Building a Rural Philanthropy Network," PhilanthropywoRx, 2018
• "What Rural America Can Teach Us About Civil Society," Stanford Social Innovation Review, August 2018
• "Equity: It's Not Just an Urban Issue," Exponent Philanthropy, May 2018
• "Building Communities - and Working for Change - in America's Heartland," Arabella Advisors (Consulting Firm), 2018

Rural Data, Reports, and Needs Assessments (National and State):

• Rural America at a Glance, 2021 Edition, USDA Economic Research Service, 2021
• Rural Health Information Hub
• Rural Health and Well-Being in America, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Spiking Demand, Growing Barriers: The Trends Shaping Afterschool and Summer Learning in Rural Communities, Afterschool Alliance, 2021
  • Missouri data: Afterschool in Missouri, This is Afterschool in Missouri (Fact Sheet), Missouri After 3PM - Summer Report
• Fifty Years After The People Left Behind: the Unfinished Challenge of Reducing Rural Poverty, Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2018
• Rural Capacity Map, Headwaters Economics
• Reenvisioning Rural America: How to Invest in the Strengths and Potential of Rural Communities - Data Tool, Urban Institute 
• RSI (Rural-Serving Postsecondary Institutions) Data Tool, Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges
• Rural Broadband, allconnect (Provider), 2023

Rural Networks and Collaboratives:

• Aspen Institute: Thrive Rural Framework
  • "Better Results: What Does It Take to Build Better Capacity in Rural and Native Nations Communities," May 2022
  • "Stewardship + Equity: Rooting a New Rural Legacy," May 2022
  • "Principal Ideas: How Can We Secure Enduring Capital for Equitable Rural Prosperity?," December 2021
  • "Native Nation Building: It Helps Rural America Thrive," November 2021
  • "Rural Development and Rural Health Practices: Trends and Opportunities for Alignment," October 2021
• USDA Rural Development: Rural Workforce Innovation Network
• Center on Rural Innovation (CORI): Rural Innovation Network
• Rural LISC