Building Rural Capacity That Lasts

Rural and Indigenous communities are dealing with a lot at once. Economic change. Workforce shifts. Climate impacts. Shaken trust between communities and the government. Funding systems that keep evolving.

In the midst of all this, Rural Development Hubs serve as trusted regional organizations that bring partners together, align resources, and support locally driven efforts that strengthen communities over time.

For example, in Minnesota, groups like the Region Five Development Commission and the Minnesota Initiative Foundations are showing how trusted regional organizations can respond to immediate challenges while continuing to build long-term capacity.

What We’ll Dig Into:

• What helps regional organizations, like Rural Development Hubs, grow and sustain momentum

• Strategies to support locally-driven, inclusive wealth creation in rural and Indigenous places

• Real examples of what’s working, what’s hard, and what’s still unresolved in helping rural regions stay connected, coordinated, and moving forward

We welcome stories of what has worked, what has been difficult, and what remains unresolved. We encourage you to share, listen, or jump in through the chat.

Whether your organization identifies as a Rural Development Hub or engages in another area of rural or Indigenous development, your perspective will add value. Practitioners, funders, and policymakers are all encouraged to join.

Moderated by Bonita Robertson-Hardy, Executive Director of Aspen CSG.

Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group