Rural Philanthropy

In the heart of West Plains, Missouri, marked by its segregation-era past, stands a forgotten schoolhouse, the Lincoln School, that was once reserved for Black children. Today a community-driven effort is breathing new life into its weathered walls. Meanwhile, the emergence of the Springfield Daily…

When tackling issues around health care, education, infrastructure, or anything else, philanthropy is often perceived as narrowly focusing on the most immediate causes rather than tackling structural or root causes.   But the reality is that philanthropy's role is much more expansive,…

Editor's Note: As a part of our Inclusive Economic Prosperity in the Midwest convening, we're highlighting stories from the region. This article was originally published in bMag, a publication by the Bush Foundation. Pakou Hang (BF’11) and her six siblings spent much of their childhood rising…

Editor's Note: This is part of our series focusing on the winners of the 2018 Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.  The Creekview Plaza housing development in Anchorage, Alaska For a decade Rasmuson Foundation has worked alongside…

The Council on Foundations and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have partnered the past six years on the Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships. The award emphasizes cross-sector partnerships between the philanthropic and public…

Strengthening Local Communities to Achieve Global Goals Overview There are significant challenges facing communities in the Southwest, including racial inequality in education, economic opportunities and health outcomes. The Council on Foundations, Philanthropy Southwest, and Albuquerque…

Role of community foundations and free resources to help Broadband is essential for communities – it can mean more robust economic development, more access to health care, stronger and more diverse educational options, and enhanced public safety. Because every community has different needs and…

Finding New Narratives for Rural America: A Concert of Ideas This event is a preconference session at the 2017 Annual Conference. Achieving shared prosperity for all Americans is the signal challenge of our time. The Council on Foundations is staging an immersive, pre-conference experience…

News from the Hill New Tax Leadership for Senate Finance Democrats On Tuesday, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced a new tax leadership team for Senate Finance Committee Democrats. Victor Fleisher, of the University of San Diego, and Tiffany Smith, currently on staff…

Download the Presentation Slides Connectivity is a path to greater opportunity. In today's world, having access to broadband and fluency with technology fuel economic growth, provides access to the better paying jobs, promotes skill development, and builds stronger and more connected communities.…

The Great Recession hurt many Americans, and rural communities across the US have had to continue fighting to provide residents with facilities to educate their children, businesses that offer goods and employment, and other institutions to meet residents’ needs. In rural communities, it’s not…

Friends and Colleagues, Last December, I spoke of 2014 as a Year of Action, and it was! We began putting into place the programs, services, and staff we knew would provide value to our members. In 2015, we’ve begun to see these foundational investments pay off, and I hope you’ve begun to see how…

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. See where it all began at our Fall…

This post is part of the #CF100 Series of blog posts. The Council on Foundations is marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, by highlighting the roles of community foundations with this series. See where it all began at our Fall…

2025 HUD Award Applications Now Open Foundations are invited to apply for the 2025 Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships! The award recognizes outstanding partnerships between philanthropic organizations and the public sector that have led to measurable benefits in housing…

Lessons Learned Julie Leeth, Executive Vice President for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks says many lessons emerged from the effort to develop and sustain the Rural Schools Partnership. Here are some of her takeaways about how to get strong alignment and support behind a major…