Funding Rural

Narrative plays a critical role in what funders support, and unexamined narratives can create unintended consequences. We often hear about the brain drain in communities as young talent leaves, but Rural Sociologist Ben Winchester offers facts around an alternative narrative—the brain gain— a demographic that is moving back into rural communities. Ben works in the Department of Community Development at the University of Minnesota Extension and he's fascinated by all things rural.

Across vast stretches of rural America and particularly in the West, emergency care—or even basic routine healthcare—can be hard to come by. People drive hours for eye exams, to give birth, have their teeth cleaned, or get therapy. Robert Duehmig, director for the Oregon Office of Rural Health, works towards solutions that fit rural and remote communities in Oregon. He discusses what's working, what needs work, and how philanthropy can support healthcare in these communities.

The Children's Museum of Southern Oregon in Medford, which operates a dynamic museum and expansive preschool program, is a beacon of connection for children and families. They are scaling up their museum and preschool operations and expanding to another rural Southern Oregon community. Executive director Sunny Spicer speaks to the value of these ‘third spaces' in a community, places curating connections like schools, museums, and libraries, and how philanthropy can best support them.

Bobbie Conner is a cultural leader and enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). For nearly 30 years, she has been the director of the Tamaslikt Cultural Institute on the Umatilla Reservation in Eastern Oregon. She works to preserve the languages and rich cultural heritage of the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Nez Perce and other Indigenous nations from this region of the west. She offers funders insights into funding Native American causes and projects—spoiler alert—casino income isn't making these tribes wealthy.

When we talk about pathways to success for young people in rural and Indigenous communities, what does that look like? Dreama Gentry of Partners for Rural Impact shares that it can look many different ways. Dreama grew up in Appalachian Kentucky and has had a long career working with young people. Today, her organization works to empower and uplift young people across several regions of the US.

The Smithsonian Institution has a long history as an iconic museum and hub of research, knowledge, and history in our Nation's Capital and beyond. Nowadays, the Smithsonian has grown to encompass 21 museums, 40 research centers and the National Zoo. It's the world's largest education and research community - and now they are working with communities across the country, collaborating with rural America, and giving back.  Andy Mink is their first director of rural initiatives and he joins the show to share his vision of showcasing storytelling, belonging insecurity, and mutual respect.

There are food deserts and childcare deserts throughout America—places where services are few and far between and in much of rural America, there are similar gaps with philanthropy. With so few philanthropic organizations based in rural parts of the country the geographic responsibility for each organization can be vast. Gina Zittola of Humboldt Area Foundation and the Wild Rivers Community Foundation knows this space well. Her regional footprint stretches broad areas of rural southern Oregon into northern California. She's a natural networker, a connector, who has done amazing things by bringing non-rural philanthropic organizations into the places she cares about, and helps them see the great things that can happen when they expand their horizons.

In recent decades, we've seen a steep drop off of young people going into the trades, but that trend has started to reverse. Lee Kounovsky has played a big role in steering young people in Oregon toward meaningful and lucrative careers in tradework - from construction to electrical work and beyond. He is the Lane County Construction Trades Specialist, working with students at the community college, high school and middle school levels. After the devastating wildfires of 2020, he inspired students—who had lost everything—to rebuild for others through a program called Sheds of Hope. That program has grown into a statewide initiative called Constructing a Brighter Future, impacting close to 4,000 students last year.  These types of programs illuminate the need to reduce barriers to career technical education — for as Lee points out, these students are learning more than job readiness.

There's a stereotype these days that young people don't get involved and serve their communities—that they're not volunteering; they're on their phones or computers all the time instead. If you talk to Greg Weatherford, that stigma couldn't be further from the truth. Greg started his first nonprofit when he was just 12 years old, and it was that work that inspired his career in philanthropy.  He is now the Managing Director of the AllState Foundation Social Impact Team and oversees their philanthropic work across the country, including their work in youth empowerment.

When artists and scientists put their minds together, novel things can happen. Participants in these gatherings benefit from a heightened sense of curiosity — a trait that can spark innovation in communities. Recognizing the combined potential of the arts and sciences, neuroscience professor Bill Griesar, PhD and his colleague, artist Jeff Leake, formed an all-volunteer run nonprofit twelve years ago called Northwest Noggin'. Griesar offers ideas on how philanthropists can get more curious and support regional innovation by bringing more diverse people together for impactful conversations.

Community colleges are meeting a growing set of needs: boosting economic development, providing education equity, and training skilled workers. Kate Kinder, executive director at the National Council for Workforce Education, discusses how community colleges reflect and amplify the economies where they're located with programs designed to support the needs of local industries. They play a critical role in sustaining communities through education efforts that reflect the economies of the regions they serve; but are philanthropic organizations catching on and throwing their weight behind community colleges?

Indigenous artist and educator, Shirod Younker, reminds philanthropists that investing in art is much more than art for art's sake. Younker is a traditional carver and sculptor originally from Coos Bay, Oregon and is an enrolled member of the Coquille Indian Tribe. He's an asset to Indigenous Youth, offering programs through universities as well as the Changing Currents Tribal Water Leadership Program. His work illuminates the interconnectedness of art, environment and community.

Oregon Institute of Technology student Uriel AguilarTorres has his sights set on starting a managed service provider that serves small-to-medium rural agribusinesses. In high school, Uriel was selected as an Oregon FFA state sentinel—a state officer for the program formerly known as (and what many people remember as) the Future Farmers of America. That experience gave him skills such as public speaking, leading mixed-aged groups, and competition experience that most future business leaders learn much later in their career.

Stephanie Chase is the Executive Director of nonprofit Libraries of Eastern Oregon, which serves and supports 39 public libraries in rural Oregon. She also serves on the executive board of the American Library Association and has spent years learning about community programming and library systems. She recognizes the critical role a library plays in its community by curating informed citizens, providing a place to gather, and offering much more than books on the shelves.

In the world of philanthropy and sustainability, the Aspen Institute has been a thought-leader for decades. Chris Estes, co-executive director of the Community Strategies Group at the Aspen Institute, shares his background in housing and how he's worked to elevate rural people and places. He and several others helped to develop the Thrive Rural Framework: a tool for communities to support their own equitable rural prosperity. 

Less than 1% of national philanthropic dollars go to Indigenous communities, programs and projects in the United States. How can philanthropy show up for these communities in a manner that is meaningful, lasting, and respectful? Casey Pearlman, the new executive director of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians - Economic Development Corporation, shares her experience making connections with Tribal leaders, and offers advice on honoring cultural protocols and leveraging more philanthropic tools in Native spaces.

Allison Myers, PhD leads the community health program at Oregon State University Extension based in Corvallis, but her work takes her across the state. Allison has a Masters in Public Health and a PhD in Health Behavior - and is passionate about serving people and bringing health knowledge to rural, underserved communities.  This episode delves into mental health topics and suicide prevention. If you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of suicide, call or text the national helpline at 988. Folks in agriculture or forestry who need help, can call the Agristress Helpline at 833-897-2474.

One of the key vital signs of any community is its local journalism, but as we have all heard, the newspaper industry has consolidated and retreated from much of rural America. Journalists and news outlets are now mainly concentrated in urban places. That has led to so many downstream effects - division, mistrust, and lack of accountability at the level of local leadership. In this episode, Tim Marema, founding editor of the Daily Yonder discusses the news site which focuses on the people, places and policies that matter for communities that are outside larger urban areas.

When we close our eyes and envision ‘rural' often-times we think of an idyllic setting with a cute downtown or an open field with a tractor.  With that, there can be a misconception that rural America looks a certain way - namely that it's predominantly white. That's certainly not the case in many rural communities. In this episode, Jaime Arredondo speaks about the work his organization, CAPACES, is doing to reconnect LatinX folks in Oregon with their traditional foods and culture while building community and supporting them with training and other services.

We're back with season 2 of Funding Rural. Your host and guide on this crazy journey is Erin Borla, executive director of the Roundhouse Foundation, which is based on a ranch in rural Sisters, Oregon. Erin started this show because she was curious about how philanthropy could better serve rural and Indigenous communities to spark systemic change. Turns out, there are a lot of folks out there who have been thinking about this, too. And with every great conversation she had last season, she got ideas for more questions and issues to explore with you all. Join us for Funding Rural Season 2, launching September 17, 2024.

Erik Brodt, MD (Ojibwe) knows that there are experts all around us — many of whom go unrecognized. As a Native American Healthcare provider he works to ensure that American Indian/Alaska Native Youth know they have a place in health care. He challenges philanthropy to look beyond the typical expert, to ask questions differently, and to spend time getting to know the impact of programming —what and whom — thinking beyond the traditional model of scalability.

Jamie Bennett is a force to be reckoned with in the art world. He is currently co-CEO of Americans for the Arts and has served at the helm of ArtPlace America, United States Artists, and National Endowment for the Arts. All of these opportunities have helped him understand and encourage the importance of artists and culture bearers in all communities. Creatives are leaders, problem solvers, and models for improving relationships with one self and the community at large —— which boosts mental health and prosperity. Yet so few Americans identify as an artist that Jamie asks the question – who gets to call themselves an artist?

Torsten Kjellstrand, a Swedish immigrant, has always looked for the stories of the underrepresented. Now as a Professor of Practice at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, Kjellstrand uses his background in rural journalism to teach the next generation of media about authenticity and care for the stories that are told because as he says, ‘storytelling can be dangerous.'

Philanthropy talks about collaboration regularly - Brenda Smith with High Desert Partnership lives it every day.  She and her colleagues work to build common ground and relationships between seemingly disparate stakeholders in rural Harney County, Oregon.  Collaboration is fostered and supported from the ground up; and comes from all sides. This was especially evident in the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in 2016.  The narrative of that event as well as the story about rural Harney County and it's residents, was told in mainstream media, yet the local perspective was not included.

During times of crisis, we often see the disparities in community resources, especially in rural and remote communities. Cari Cullen from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy offers ways philanthropy can and should be showing up in the communities we serve during and after disasters. Cari reminds philanthropists it's not ‘if', but ‘when', with disasters. Funders need to plan ahead, in partnership with government agencies and community stakeholders. And perhaps most importantly, we need to be listening for what the communities actually need.  

Over the past few years federal funds have increased to rural communities, but how are they actually getting to those communities? Tony Pipa, a Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, shares programs, leads the Reimagining Federal Rural Policy Initiative and hosts the Reimagine Rural podcast. In this episode, he demystifies the federal government and its resources, and talks about the need for a rural renaissance to ensure the available funding for rural and remote communities makes it to those on the ground doing the work across rural America.

Belinda Brown has spent over 30 years providing leadership, developing programs, and facilitating community development in Indian Country. She has expertise in intergovernmental affairs coordination with Tribes, communities, and collaboratives. An enrolled member of the Pit River Tribe, Belinda's varied experience links back to a consistent theme: supporting young people. Her current role with Lomakatsi Restoration Project helps to align young Indigenous and rural youth with workforce training related to cultural practices —and just at the right time.

Margaret “Margi” Hoffman is a woman of action – not something commonly thought of when talking about Government officials – and yet she now serves as the Oregon State Director for Rural Development of the USDA.  She is looking creatively at ways her role can support the state of Oregon and its rural communities to access capital from federal partners, even as small pilot projects, bringing together the “coalition of the willing” to get dollars on the ground.

Barton Robison of Willamette Partnership tackles what he calls ‘weird projects': those things that are hard to manage or hard to fund – because rural capacity is limited in city and county governments. With his lighthearted approach, Barton makes it seem easy.  But in reality there are many ways grant processes can be improved, starting with happy hour.

Lesli Allison cut her teeth on a 50,000 acre ranch in Southeastern Colorado—a massive land management experience that taught her the importance of private lands and their role in the conservation conversation. On episode 8 of the Funding Rural podcast, Lesli shares how ranchers and farmers are leading the way on innovative climate and environmental projects, and the challenges of accessing resources including research. She touches on the importance of showing up to better understand the challenges facing communities and discusses how conservation projects require on-the-ground collaborations because they have a long runway, and can require multi-year funding. Lesli reminds us that it's important to direct funding to those organizations within the community where the issues are happening—not just the national groups—in order to ensure project sustainability.

Allen Smart has years of experience working with philanthropic families and health conversion foundations across the east coast and southeast.  His reputation as a leader in rural philanthropy as a consultant is strong.  Join Allen as he shares some of the lessons he learned throughout his tenure as a consultant – and how philanthropic organizations can make real impact building relationships in smaller communities.

C'Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser is an advocate for social impact and racial justice work. In episode six, CC shares her experiences as a Black woman working in philanthropy after George Floyd's murder and she talks about the historical precedence of double standards in the workforce. She also covers her current work on reparations. CC and host Erin Borla got to know each other while serving as Fellows for the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and they often noted how challenges in inner-city communities echoed challenges in rural and remote communities. In both spaces, the ways funders show up often determines their impact.

Zavier ‘Zavi' Borja discusses his upbringing in rural Central Oregon as the son of a Mexican immigrant family — chasing agricultural work juxtaposed with his nonprofit experience in outdoor recreation. He shares his journey working with kids of color and how his past impacts his newest adventure, working for Oregon's Governor.

Julie Garreau (enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) embodies servant-leadership as the founder and executive director of the Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte, SD. She talks about engaging young people – and how a grassroots organization needs investment to support community. Where many only hear stories of challenges and despair, Garreau elevates the stories of resilience.

In a society that often places people into boxes based on one or two factors, Children's Institute Leader, Kali Thorne Ladd, distinguishes herself as an advocate for children and families — and she reminds us to recognize the humanity in each other. C.I. is a good example of an organization who recognizes the throughlines discovered between rural and urban communities. By showing up and listening, we can better understand and truly see each other for who we are — human to human.

Wynn Rosser, PhD is a place-based rural funder. His work at T.L.L. Temple Foundation focuses on 22 counties in rural east Texas and he brings with him Texas-sized empathy. Rosser shares concrete examples of the interconnectedness between funding in urban and rural communities. Rosser also touches on the value of working at a strategy and policy level for larger impact and what can happen if philanthropy turns a blind eye to policy and legislation.

Linguistic anthropologist Elizabeth Marino, PhD talks about the language barrier that exists between urban and rural communities in America and how it impacts philanthropists, who are traditionally based in urban wealth and power centers. Marino leads the Laboratory for The American Conversation at Oregon State University-Cascades.

Funding Rural: A podcast that explores how philanthropy can better serve rural and Indigenous communities. Join host Erin Borla, Executive Director of the Roundhouse Foundation in Sisters, Oregon, as she engages with folks on all sides of philanthropy to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing funders and the folks they hope to serve and support.