Thrive Rural Open Field Session
Thursday, April 11, 2 – 3:30 pm ET
Our discussion questions: Respectful engagement with rural communities and Native nations on their own terms is essential to just and equitable funding. Fair treatment and meaningful involvement require agencies and funders to shift thinking away from national models and language and meet communities where they are. What does it take to make this shift so that communities are treated fairly and meaningfully involved in the funding process?
The challenge: When people and organizations in underinvested communities seek funding for their work, they are often required to learn and use specific language, processes, practices, and measures of success to conform to funder expectations. This funding process can be intimidating and frustrating — and it requires community members to adopt strategies and success metrics that don’t always match what the community values.
The opportunity: Recognizing this, some funders are starting to learn communities’ language, processes, and practices, enabling more equitable partnerships and impactful projects that meet community needs. Philanthropic funders, especially, are well-positioned to experiment with new models that can then be adopted and adapted by larger institutions like federal agencies.
We want you to join the discussion! This conversation will be enriched by people interested in sharing or learning about innovative and more equitable funding techniques. Please think about a success story or experience you’d like to share.
This is an open discussion, not a presentation. The gathering will be moderated by Chris Estes, Aspen CSG’s Co-Executive Director. You don’t have to share your voice to participate in the event; we encourage you to send insights in the chat or listen. All are welcome.
related publications
Building Funder Capacity to Work with Communities: A Rural Environmental Justice Case Study
This short case study has insights and tips on how funders are shifting gears to learn communities’ processes and practices, enabling more equitable partnerships and impactful projects that meet community needs.
Measure Up: A Call to Action
Today, we have a generational opportunity to strengthen prosperity and equity in communities and Native nations across the rural United…
Measure Up: A Call to Action — Executive Summary
This is the Executive Summary for Measure Up: A Call to Action. It highlights six principles for measuring rural development progress to…
Commentary: Challenging Everything We Know about Funding as a Path to Thriving Rural Communities
In an op-ed for Daily Yonder, Bonita Robertson-Hardy of the Community Strategies Group writes on how rural communities, funders, and other stakeholders’ approach to economic development can mean the difference between success and stagnation.
