The State of Rural Philanthropy

As rural America struggles through our current affordability crises, communities and organizations are also struggling to identify new sources of community investments.  Of course, philanthropy is a primary potential investment sources, yet new USDA-backed research paints a sobering picture of the state of rural philanthropy.  The project also includes a useful story map that highlights the current state of rural philanthropy.

Rural America’s Philanthropic Sector identifies major gaps and challenges for rural foundations. Of the US’s 75,000 grantmaking organizations, only 8% are based in rural locations, and their investments for only 3% of total US grantmaking between 2014 and 2021.  Moreover, around 1/3 of rural counties have no local grant-making organizations.

While community commitment and grit can make up for some capital gaps, big community challenges require significant funds to address and resolve.  Finding investment capital is always hard, and a mix of local investment pools can make a real difference–especially when many federal funding streams are being cut.  Rural regions, and their support partners, are starting to address these gaps, but the pace is slower than many of us would like. This report will help shed light on the issues and hopefully further advance our ongoing progress.