OUR EXPERTISE

COMMUNITY STRATEGIES GROUP

Since 1985, the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group (Aspen CSG) has been committed to equitable rural prosperity. We work towards a future where communities and Native nations across the rural United States are healthy places where each and every person belongs, lives with dignity, and thrives.

OUR Work

Thrive Rural

Rural Equity, Opportunity, Health, and Prosperity

Imagine a future where communities and Native nations across the rural United States are healthy places where each and every person belongs, lives with dignity, and thrives.

Man in a t-shirt with the word "Dad"smiling standing on ladder
Regional and Rural Development

Advancing the principles and practices of regional wealth-building as the means to better economic development policy and practice in the United States.

People smiling at the table with notepads and pens
Community Development Philanthropy

Building the number and capacity of community and region-focused foundations that are taking leadership on – and making a significant difference in – improving the economy and livelihoods in their places.

Family of four smiling and sitting together on the couch
Whole Family Prosperity

Building the capacity of practitioners and policymakers to help families on the economic margins earn more, keep more of what they earn, and grow what they keep into assets for themselves and their communities.

Field with trees and people walking

What’s Happening at CSG?


publication
Through Natural Disaster to Prosperity: A Call to Action — Executive Summary

Executive Summary document for Through Natural Disaster to Prosperity: A Call to Action. Get quick takeaways and recommendations for action.

blog
A summer street festival, with vendors under canopies on a hot day.
Recent Learnings from (and for) the Rural Field

New opportunities with value to rural and Native nation communities are being generated across fields, from public health to environmental justice and beyond. Check out a few ideas and opportunities to help spur equitable rural prosperity in your community.

publication
Communicating for Connection: West Virginia Community Development Hub

This short case study has insight and tips on how communities that have been historically and systematically excluded can develop authentic and effective leadership that builds power to challenge the status quo.

blog
Five high school students sit around a table in the library
Advancing the Next Generation of Rural and Indigenous Leaders

Insights and tips to identify, establish, and sustain youth leadership in rural and Indigenous communities.

Recent and Upcoming Events
event
Advancing the Next Generation of Rural and Indigenous Leaders

Feb. 10th, 2023, 1PM

How is your community thinking and acting on the issue of next generation leadership?

event
Ensuring Rural Communities Welcome Everyone

Dec. 9th, 2022, 1PM

How can we work to ensure that each and every person is welcomed to the community, feels connected, and is able to exercise and influence power in community decision-making?

event
ADDRESSING THE NEWS: INFORMATION GAP IN RURAL AMERICA

Oct. 7th, 2022, 1PM

How is your community thinking and acting on the issue of access to quality news coverage in rural communities and Native nations, as well as building trust and accurate rural narratives through national media?

event
This Is What Capacity Looks Like: Building Development Muscle in Rural and Native Nation Communities

Nov. 30th, 2021, 3PM

It is often said that rural and tribal communities and organizations need more capacity to fully engage or solve problems in their regions. But what, exactly, equals “capacity”?

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