Money follows vision. Without a strong voice to carry your vision, though, the money might not find you. This thought hit home for me and many others attending the panel on closing the philanthropic gap at this year’s Rural Assembly. With only 5.5% of large foundation grants going to rural communities, I, alongside three other rural …
This morning, Blandin Foundation president Kathy Annette participated in a Rural Assembly panel entitled, “Closing the Philanthropy Gap. She, along with Justin Maxom of the Mary Reynolds Babock Foundation, Jamie Bennett of ArtPlace America, Heetan Kalan of the New World Foundation, provided their expertise and insight to answer the question: What is the role of …
If you know what it feels like to step into a buzzing small town cafe, bursting with happy chatter and hugs, then you have a taste of what it was like to attend the rural philanthropy gathering at this year’s Council on Foundation’s (COF) annual conference. Coming together like long-lost friends, nearly 30 philanthropic professionals from rural …
Last month, The Daily Yonder reported on a new USDA study that looks at the distribution of grant dollars between urban and rural. The results looked at all types of funding (not just development) and was based on data from the nation’s 1,200 to 1,400 largest foundations. What did they find out? Here are some highlights …
The power of community leadership took center stage in President Obama’s preview of his appearance yesterday in Cedar Falls, IA, where he talked about his plan to increase access to affordable, high-speed broadband in rural and urban communities across the country. The President featured Cedar Falls, or Iowa’s first “Gigabit City,” in the preview, comparing …
Around our office, you often hear – “If you’ve been to one rural community, you’ve been to one rural community.” Understanding that every rural community is unique and has its own challenges and opportunities is central to our work. Sometimes, though, a challenge is so pervasive that it does impact all rural communities. Philanthropy in …
If you threw a dart at a map of the United States, it might get stuck in a canyon in the Southwest, perch on the peak of a prodigious mountain in the Northwest or skim swaying wheat fields of the Midwest. Regardless of where you land, it’s likely to be in rural territory. An astounding 72 …
In many conversations about rural broadband, speed and distance take center stage: uploads, downloads, middle-mile, last-mile, how technology “deletes the distance barrier” for folks who choose rural. Today, the conversation is face-to-face on the national stage. Blandin Foundation has the privilege to bring insights about rural broadband to Congress — specifically to a hearing of …
Today’s youth are eager to contribute to the vibrancy of their rural community. They are positive about the future and ready to act. But are they being asked to? This summer’s Center for Rural Affairs poll found that youth are more positive than their elder counterparts when it comes to the future of their community. …
How would you describe where you live? Daily Yonder takes a look at this question through the lens of the recent Center for Rural Affairs poll. The poll found that forty-two percent of Americans classify themselves as “rural,” while 45 percent say they’re from a “small town.” Armed with this knowledge, does there need to …