Rural Funders Salon

Family foundations and other funders and donors focused on serving rural communities face special challenges—lack of infrastructure, lack of partners, and often lack of urgency from state and federal government entities. NCFP is pleased to offer this collaborative space for family foundations and other funders with a rural focus seeking to create connections and share strategies and stories with others across the country.

This follow-up conversation to the initial gathering of this group will be led by Wynn Rosser, president and CEO of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation and Erin Borla, executive director of The Roundhouse Foundation. Attendees will share current strategies and challenges and discuss the potential formation of an ongoing peer community to establish and further partnerships with other rural funders for future investment and impact. Potential topics of discussion include:

• Understanding the different and varying needs of rural and tribal communities
• Collaboration across sectors for rural philanthropy
• Demographics challenges including mental health, high poverty rates, and talent “flight” to urban areas
• Eliminating barriers for outside support/expertise
• Helping national funders build trust, and authentic and non-extractive relationships
• Responding to the effects of the COVID crisis in rural communities

Note: This conversation is open to all funders that currently prioritize rural communities and that are interested in being part of an ongoing conversation on the special challenges of rural funders and communities. If you cannot join the October 18th session but are interested in being part of future discussions, please email jason.born@ncfp.org.