Origins of the Learning Network
Rural development philanthropy (RDP) as a special practice emerged from the Rural Development and Community Foundations Initiative (RDCFI). RDCFI, which was funded by the Ford Foundation and managed by the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, extended from 1993-1999.
RDCFI challenged nine statewide or regional community foundations to design rural grantmaking or community economic development programs while raising endowments from and for rural communities. Each participating community foundation broke new rural program development, endowment-building, administrative and governance ground, while participating in Learning Cluster institutes and advising each other every six months.
The original RDCFI participants included:
RDCFI Learning Cluster Round 1: 1993-96
- East Tennessee Foundation
- Montana Community Foundation
- New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
- New Mexico Community Foundation
- Kenya Community Development Foundation (1995-6)
RDCFI Learning Cluster Round 2: 1996-99
- Arizona Community Foundation
- Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina
- Maine Community Foundation
- The Greater New Orleans Foundation
- Kenya Community Development Foundation
Click here for a brochure describing the RDCFI's rationale, design and early lessons.
Related early efforts
The Kenya Community Development Foundation's peer-learning experience in RDCFI during its formative years led to the establishment of the original Africa Foundations Learning Group (AFLG). From 1997 to 2000, the AFLG convened organizations from [six] African nations or regions that were seeking to start community foundations or to add an endowment-building component to their community-building work. Aspen CSG and RDCFI participants helped facilitate and served as advisors for many AFLG sessions and site visits.
Aspen CSG also utilized convening ideas and methods developed through RDCFI to manage the peer-learning component of the Social Capital Community Benchmark Initiative (SCCBI) in 2000-01. In SCCBI, three dozen community foundations, other funders, and the Saguaro Seminar of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government joined together to develop and measure social capital in the largest-ever survey (30,000 people) on the civic engagement of Americans.
On to the Learning Network
In late 2000, the Community Strategies Group launched the Learning Network as a strategy to expand RDP learning and practice beyond the initial Rural Development and Community Foundations Initiative participants.
In its first two years, the Ford Foundation supported the development of the Network and its services, plus participation costs for some Network members. Since then, CSG has supported Network core services through a combination of its program savings, and a range of project funding from community and private foundations, regional associations of grantmakers, and nonprofit organization partners.
Rural Development Philanthropy Learning Learning Network
The Aspen Institute
One Dupont Circle NW
Suite 700Washington DC 20036
Ph. 202.736.5804Fx. 202.293.0525
rdpinfo@aspencsg.orgwww.aspencsg.org/rdp