Funding Rural

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...

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 Ame...

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 Founda...

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...

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 i...

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...

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...

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 Pro...

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 spe...

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, pro...

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 ow...

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...

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...

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 Ma...

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,...

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 h...

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...

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 mo...

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 Malh...

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...

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...

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 Lom...

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 togethe...