Keynote Address: Why Go Rural?

Marion Kane shared her top-ten list for why rural development philanthropy matters and how it can challenge, reward and change your organization and community. Currently Executive Director of the Barr Foundation in Boston, Marion led the Maine Community Foundation for 17 years and initiated Maine's County Fund Program, which since 1986 has raised and granted millions of dollars in Maine's most rural and economically challenged regions.

• Why Go Rural? (PDF)

Introduction:
Structures for Covering Rural Territory

This was the framework for the workshop, setting in motion a shared understanding of the types of affiliate and alternative structures being applied and adapted by community foundations to serve expansive rural territory. It was organized around two primary documents:

• Rural Service Structure and Characteristics: Six Community Foundation Models for Covering Rural Territory (online version)—The RDP Learning Network developed this comparative matrix to help community foundations explore a range of rural coverage structures and their implications for broader rural development philanthropy issues. (Also available as a PDF, for printing entire document at once.)
• Rural Service Catalysts At a Glance (PDF)—This chart details several different initiators or "starting" points for why a community foundation is motivated to "go rural"—each of which may affect the rural service structure chosen.

Rural Service Structure Case Studies:
Models in Action

Using Six Models and Rural Service Catalysts At a Glance as guides, five current and former community foundation leaders explained their structures and told their stories—why they use that model of coverage in their local context, how it works, and what they have learned about using it.

• Case Studies: Session Outline and Design (PDF)—This provides the question-outline for each case study presented. Coupled with Rural Service Structures and Characteristics, these questions may help your staff and/or board discuss and assess the local pros and cons of choosing particular rural service structures.
• Consolidated Service Case study: Greater New Orleans Foundation (PDF)—presented by Gregory Ben Johnson, President and CEO, Greater New Orleans Foundation
• Area Funds Case study: Maine Community Foundation (PDF)—presented by Elizabeth Myrick, Former Program Director, Maine Community Foundation
• Federation Case study: New Hampshire Charitable Trust (PDF)—presented by Pat Vasbinder, Former Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
• Service Bureau Case study: Nebraska Community Foundation (PDF)—presented by Jeff Yost, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Nebraska Community Foundation
• Incubator Case study: Humboldt Area Foundation—presented by Peter Pennekamp, Executive Director, Humboldt (CA) Area Foundation

In the next session—Go Deep...with Case Presenters—participants moved into break-out sessions to explore a particular structure model more deeply with its case presenter.

Strategic Issue Break-Outs

Over the two days, each participant attended two of four peer-discussion groups on topics that get to the heart of implementing a rural coverage strategy. To review presenter guidelines for this session, follow the links for the files associated with each session.

1. Roles & Rules: Developing Rural Service Operating Guidelines and Principles—How and why does a community foundation establish a set of operating principles, guidelines and rules for how the central foundation and its local/rural divisions or funds relate to each other—operationally, culturally, legally—so each feels it is part of the same foundation "community"?

• Session outline and design
• Case study 1—New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: Governing Its Regional Structure/Operating Guidelines and Principles(PDF)—presented by Pat Vasbinder, former Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
• Case study 2—Montana Community Foundation: Affiliate Operating Guidelines and Principles (PDF)—presented by Bill Pratt, Program Director, Montana Community Foundation

2. Paying for It: The Costs and Benefits of Serving Rural Communities—What kinds and amounts of financial and staff resources does it take for a community foundation to serve underserved rural areas? What ways do community foundations and rural donors and funds manage to generate or raise revenues, endowed funds or other donor resources to support the expense of covering rural areas?

• Session outline and design
• Case study 1—The Costs and Benefits of Serving Rural Communities—presented by Madeleine McGee, President, The Community Foundation Serving Coastal South Carolina
• Case study 2—Paying For It: Arizona Community Foundation Statewide Affiliate System (PDF)—presented by Carla Roberts, Vice President of Affiliates, Arizona Community Foundation

3. Identifying and Working With Local Leaders, Volunteers and Advisory Boards—How does a community foundation find and work with local leaders in rural areas so as to help establish donor and advisor connections, area funds or affiliate relationships to the central foundation? In addition, what techniques and support is offered to train, sustain and effectively renew rural leadership and advisory bodies connected to the foundation?

• Session outline and design
• Case study 1—East Tennessee Foundation: Working With Rural Leaders (PDF)—presented by Terry Holley, Vice President for Programs and Rural Development, East Tennessee Foundation
• Case study 2—Arkansas Community Foundation: Identifying and Working with Local Leaders, Volunteers and Advisory Boards (PDF)—presented by Heather Larkin Eason, Vice President, Development, Arkansas Community Foundation

4. Spreading the Word: Rural Marketing and Publicity —How do community foundations market and publicize the central community foundation and the community foundation concept to rural leaders in remote and underserved rural areas to increase rural awareness and involvement in community foundation activities?

• Session outline and design
• Case study 1—Spreading the Word: A Survey of Marketing and Branding Among Rural Community Foundations (PDF)—presented by Elizabeth Banwell, former Director of Marketing and Communications, Maine Community Foundation
• Case study 2—Spreading the Word: Rural Marketing and Publicity in Nebraska (PDF)—presented by Jeff Yost, Executive Vice President and COO, Nebraska Community Foundation

Peer Advice Sessions

Participants presented their own Covering Rural Territory challenge to a small group of peers for feedback, advice and encouragement.

• Session outline, design & assignments (PDF)

Implications for Us, RDP and the Field:
A Panel Discussion

The workshop concluded with a moderated panel discussion to explore the implications of covering rural territory for the broader community foundation and philanthropic fields. Panelists included Leslie Lilly, President and CEO of The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio; Ann Hansen, Board Member of the East Tennessee Foundation; Gregory Ben Johnson, President and CEOof the Greater New Orleans Foundation; and Pat Vasbinder, Consultant and former Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

• Session questions and summary notes (PDF)

Rural Development Philanthropy Learning Learning Network
The Aspen Institute
One Dupont Circle NWSuite 700Washington DC 20036
Ph. 202.736.5804Fx. 202.293.0525
rdpinfo@aspencsg.orgwww.aspencsg.org/rdp