Measurement

Blog
WealthWorks: A Powerful Tool for Thriving Rural Places

WealthWorks is an approach to doing economic development differently that inspired and continues to inform the Thrive Rural Framework. Learn more about the WealthWorks approach.

Blog
coins over a one dollar bill.
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.

Report
measure up report cover
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...

Report
Annotated List of Resources for Measuring Rural Development Progress Report Cover
Annotated List of Resources for Measuring Rural Development Progress

This Annotated List of Resources for Measuring Rural Development Progress is part of Measure Up: A Call to Action. It was developed and...

Report
measure up report cover
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...

Research Brief
Defining Rural Success Report Cover
What (and Who) Counts? Defining Rural Development Success

There are no easy solutions for the many challenges that rural Americans face, but it’s clear that rural communities themselves...

Blog
Green landscape with icons and designs over it
Better Results: What does it take to build capacity in rural and Native nations communities?

Organizational capacity and technical assistance need to be carefully and intentionally strengthened in rural and Native nation communities to grow...

Report
Coworkers calculating data
In Search of “Good” Rural Data: Measuring Rural Prosperity

Economic and demographic data drive research, policy development, distribution of government resources, and private investment decisions. But many of the...

Tool
Measuring Community Capacity Building Workbook

This is a workbook focuses on improving the ability of individuals, organizations, businesses, and government in their community to come together, learn, make well-reasoned decisions about the community’s present and future, and work together to carry out those decisions.

Research Brief
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Measuring the Cost and Accomplishments of Capital Subsidies: The Case of Rural UDAG Grants

Document provides background into nature of Urban Development Action Grant Program (UDAG), differentiated from other programs in that the grants require letters of commitment from the developer and at least 2.5 dollars of private investment for every dollar of UDAG funds.