Economic Development

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Growing Rural Equitable Outdoor Recreation Economies

Jun. 9th, 2023, 1PM

How is your community using outdoor recreation to grow sustainable, healthy livelihoods for families and new economic futures for your region?

publications
Using Networks To Build Collaborative And Equitable Food Systems

This brief focuses on local food systems as vehicles for collaboration and racial equity among multiple stakeholders and networks.

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Learning to Seize the Moment with Regional Collaboration

Event recap blog with resources and big-picture insights on working regionally to increase capacity to drawn down federal funding.

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Mapping a New Terrain: Executive Summary

Executive Summary document for Mapping a New Terrain: A Call to Action. Get quick takeaways and recommendations for action on equitable outdoor recreation development.

publications
Mapping a New Terrain: Call to Action

As new rural outdoor recreation economies take root, we can meet this moment by improving how we do outdoor recreation development to better support rural families, businesses, and workers, create more sustainable and equitable economic systems, and improve local health and wellbeing.

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The Rural Data Portal

The Rural Data Portal is a simple, easy-to-use online resource that provides essential information on the social, economic, and housing characteristics of communities in the United States.

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US Capitol building with money image in background
Seizing the Moment: Rural Development Hubs and the Historic Opportunity for Federal Resources

Apr. 12th, 2023, 1PM

Learn how to use federal funding opportunities to build bridges and develop new capacities and the importance of working regionally to maximize community assets. You'll walk away with techniques to prepare your organization for securing and administering federal funds.

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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.

publications
Building Power Together: Sustainable Forestry and African-American Land Retention Network

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.

publications
Smiling colleagues sitting together in a meeting room.
Translating Federal Opportunities into Local Resources: Ada Jobs Foundation

This short case study has insights and tips on how rural communities with limited staffing and resources can understand, prepare for, and compete for finite federal funds.

blog-posts
Image of man selling produce at farmer's market
A Thrive Rural Reflection: Assets at the Local and Systems levels

Many resources center asset-framing as primarily a household-level and local issue. But what is the systems-level responsibility for acting on assets?

blog-posts
Bank on street corner in rural town
Four Learnings to Improve Rural Capital and Credit Access

What are some of the major capital and credit trends right now for rural practitioners?