Transforming Rural Communities: An Asset-based Research Agenda from the “Lived Experiences”

1. Transforming Rural Communities: An Asset-based Research Agenda from the “Lived Experiences” of Rural Communities of Poverty Western Rural Poverty Research Conference Utah State University, Logan, Utah April 7 – 8, 2005 James A. Richardson Jr., Executive Director National Rural Funders Collaborative NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

2. National Rural Funders Collaborative: Its History and Mission NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

3. National Rural Funders Collaborative (NRFC) -- established in 2001 “to expand resources for rural families and communities facing persistent poverty.” NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

4. NRFC Partners Sustaining Funders (12)Strategic Allies (3) Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation (R)Appalachian Regional Commission Otto Bremer Foundation (R)U. S. Department of Agriculture The California Endowment (R) U. S. Department of Health & Calvert Social Investment Foundation (N)Human Services Annie E. Casey Foundation (N) The Ford Foundation (N)Practitioner Partners (5) William Randolph Hearst Foundation (N)Alaska Rural Community Health & F. B. Heron Foundation (N)Economic Strategies William & Flora Hewlett Foundation (R) Appalachian Ohio Regional W. K. Kellogg Foundation (N) Investment Coalition Lumina Foundation for Education (N)Central Valley Partnership Northwest Area Foundation (R) for Citizenship New Mexico Rural Livelihoods Initiative South Carolina CED Public PolicyCollaborative R=Regional Funder; N = National Funder NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

5. Defining the Problem:Persistent Rural Poverty Root Causes = Decades or generations of … Environmental & Economic Disinvestment Cultural & Social Isolation Barriers of Race & Class NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

6. Theory of Change“Rural Community Transformation” Build capacity of rural leaders & organizations to… Create Wealth Increase Family Self-Sufficiency Transform Leadership NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

7. Leverage & Investment Strategy 3-year Strategic Investments1- & 2-year Recognition Grants Alaska Rural CommunityBlack Family Land Trust Health Economic StrategiesCentral Valley Partnership Appalachian Ohio Regional Community Alliance for Investment Coalition Interdependent AgriCulture Central Valley Partnership Deep South Delta Consortium for Citizenship Delta Tax and Fairness Initiative New Mexico Rural Livelihoods Hope Unity Fund/Alabama State Initiative Association for CDCs South Carolina Association of Montana American Indian Task Community Development Corps Force for Home Ownership Nebraska Hometown Competitiveness Rural Community College Initiative Southern Good Faith Mid South Workforce and Assets Initiative Western Maine Sustainable Development Coalition NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

8. NRFC’s Twofold Capacity-Building Approach NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

9. Achieve Impact through Outcome PerformanceIncrease Sustainability through Building the Field NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

10. Achieving Impact through Asset Development & Outcome Targeting NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

11. Achieving Impact:Increasing Wealth through Community Entrepreneurship NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

12. Achieving Impact:Increasing Wealth through Community Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship Facilitation (Appalachia Ohio) • Leadership Transformation: One-on-one Facilitation of Emerging Entrepreneurs • Creating Wealth:Development of Placed-Based Networks and Community Assets – Birding Trails, Heritage Fesitvals, Crafts • Family Self-Sufficiency:Increased Employment/ Stronger Local Economies = Livable Wage Jobs, Stronger Support Networks & Services NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

13. Achieving Impact:Creating Wealth through Asset- and Community-Development NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

14. Achieving Impact:Creating Wealth through Asset- and Community-Development Asset Accumulation (South Carolina) • Creating Wealth:Support and Strengthen Community Development Corporations • Leadership Transformation: Building Capacity of Emerging CDCs/ Grassroots Leaders • Family Self-Sufficiency:Increase Supports and Access to Services NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

15. Achieving Impact:Increasing Community Wealth through Cultivating Rural Livelihoods NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

16. Achieving Impact:Increasing Community Wealth through Cultivating Rural Livelihoods Culture-based Capacity-building (New Mexico) • Creating Wealth:Culturally Based Opportunities for Low-wealth Families • Leadership Transformation: Skills Competence Leads to Greater Civic Participation • Family Self-Sufficiency:Revitalized Local Economies through Entrepreneurship NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

17. Achieving Impact:Increasing Community Well-being through Increasing Access to Health NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

18. Achieving Impact:Increasing Community Well-being through Increasing Access to Health Village-Based Health Aides (Alaska) • Family Self-Sufficiency:Greater, More Affordable Access to Healthcare • Leadership Transformation: Identification/Training of Village-Based “Healers” • Creating Wealth:Career Ladder to Increase Economic Opportunity NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

19. Achieving Impact:Lessons from “Lived Experience” • Focus on Community Assets and Regional Diversity-- Successful strategies for transforming rural areas facing persistent poverty are diverse and context-dependent. Rural communities of poverty must be understood in terms of regional and community assets rather than from a deficit analysis. • Build Capacity for Measuring Opportunity and Success -- Although many on-the-ground coalitions of partners are working regionally, most are not working at a scale or capacity to achieve and measure outcomes beyond the community level and require assistance in utilizing baseline data for measuring their work. New performance measures must be developed to adequately and appropriately measure rural “opportunity” and rural “success.” • Build Capacity for Collaboration and Networking -- While many organizations working in rural areas of poverty are mature, successful & strategic collaborations among them are not. Furthermore, rural collaborative efforts lack supportive networks with the depth and breadth of experience and resources to assist them in reaching scale and maturity. • Focus on Issues of Race, Class and Power – Overcoming rural poverty is not only a matter of addressing economic factors; historic barriers of race, class and power must also be addressed if low-wealth communities and communities of color are to participate in community building efforts.. NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

20. Increasing Sustainability through Building the Field NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

21. Increasing Sustainability:Strengthening Practice through Performance Build Collaborative Capital for Working Together Fund “Strategic Opportunities” for Regional Change Define Outcome Targets/ Milestones for Success Document Best Practices & Peer Learning NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

22. Increasing Sustainability:Expanding Philanthropy & Investment Find Alternative Models for Regional Philanthropy & Investment Foster Engaged Funder-Practitioner Partnerships Form Public - Private Partnerships for Greater Leverage Convene National & Regional Funders to Work Together NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

23. Increasing Sustainability:Advancing Policy at the Grassroots & in the Treetops Build Local &Regional Capacity for Policy Framing Foster Regional Networksfor Greater Influence Connect Public Agenciesto Regional Initiatives Build National Agenda for Regional Responsiveness NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

24. Increasing Sustainability:Lessons from “Lived Experience” Link Community-based Efforts to Regional Institutions and Sectoral Interests – Rural development efforts chronically lack not only from a dearth of resources, but from not being connected to area institutions of strength and major sectoral forces. Extension service, land grant universities and other regional allies can make the difference in long-term success or failure. Identify and Focus on Strategic Models and Pathways for Rural Investment– The case for investment in rural communities is typically an academic exercise in logic frame analysis. Yet effective regional models for successful investment rarely demonstrate clear causal relationships that can be replicated elsewhere. Successful regional strategies for investment are context-dependent on historic development patterns and indigenous assets. Therefore, the best case for rural investment can be made through attention to and analysis of on-the-ground partnerships that are actually achieving success. Build a Public Policy Agenda that Starts at the Ground and Moves Up – Policy is too often set in isolation from what is actually happening in rural regions. As a result, state, regional and federal proposals for influencing change and progress in rural areas usually misses the mark by a wide margin. Create responsive structures for listening to local communities – especially low-wealth communities and communities of color – about their own assessment of what is needed to leverage and sustain regional investment. Also, develop avenues for policymakers at all levels to participate and to see for themselves the challenges and successes of rural areas. NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities

25. Transforming Rural Regions of Poverty:A Seven-Point Research Agenda Focus onCommunity Assets & Regional Diversity, not on Deficits or Needs Build Capacity for Measuring Opportunity & SuccessUsing Data & Indicators Strengthen Collaboration & NetworkingUsing Technology & Lessons Learned Focus onRace, Class and Poweras Potential Inhibitors Link Community Efforts toRegional Institutions and Sectoral Interests Focus onStrategic Models and Pathways for Rural Investment Build aPublic Policy Agenda the Ground Upfrom “Lived Examples” NRFC: Transforming Rural Communities