The Thrive Rural Framework is a new tool to help you take stock, target action, and gauge progress on rural prosperity. We invite everyone involved in rural development — from local leaders to investors and philanthropists to state and national policymakers — to use this tool to spark new ways of thinking and acting to move communities, regions, and systems toward producing more widespread and equitable rural prosperity, health, and well-being.
The Foundational Element of the framework requires identifying and dismantling historical and ongoing discriminatory practices that disadvantage rural people and places. For each Building Block, at both the Local and Systems Levels, we ask:
- In our community, region, or system, how are people and places participating differently or experiencing worse or better results based on race, place, and class?
- What historical or existing exclusion is at work in policy, practices, leadership, or behaviors that is causing or perpetuating each of these differences?
- What is the change that is needed? What will it take in individual, organizational, or collaborative action to influence or make that change?
