Funding Rural

Glen Galaich challenges the rules, systems, and frameworks in which foundations operate, and while it’s not always a welcome perspective for philanthropists, his commentary could be the breath of fresh air that philanthropy needs. American philanthropic organizations have amassed more than 2 Trillion dollars, and if you ask Galaich, that’s a lot of money just… sitting. He is the head of the Stupski Foundation in San Francisco and was named one of TIME100’s most influential people in philanthropy. Galaich co-hosts the Break Fake Rules podcast  and authored the non-fiction book, Control: Why Big Giving Falls Short. He has worked for over two decades in partnership with philanthropists, policymakers, and community leaders in an effort to advance social change.

Erin Nunes is a Battalion Chief with the Lebanon Fire District, which covers a 450 square mile area south of Salem, Oregon. Women like Erin make up just 5 percent of paid firefighters in the country. Erin started the Young Women’s Fire Academy which brings girls together to build confidence and learn about fighting fire and all the career opportunities that can come with those skills. Rural fire districts face a unique set of challenges, with a stagnant tax system and rising equipment and personnel costs.

Savannah Barrett’s deep Kentucky roots have guided her entire career. She’s the Exchange Director for Art of the Rural, a nonprofit that uses creative connection and storytelling to build relationships and bridge divides between urban and rural communities. She co-founded the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange and she’s joined together with others from her community to buy a historic property, the Grayson Springs Inn, and restore it as a cherished community space.

More than 95 percent of American beef cattle spend the end of their lives eating grain in feed lots. It’s an easy way to get them fat faster. However, a growing number of ranchers like Eastern Oregonian Cory Carman, of Carman Ranch and Carman Ranch Provisions, are finding alternatives. She is a fourth generation rancher who is thinking differently about the animals she raises, the products she distributes and how that impacts the community she lives in. Cory is working to uplift the region and industry she’s in—noting that rural places are willing to take risks and be creative.  But those risks take investment, and often from out of the area. Cory encourages philanthropy to come alongside ranchers to help further inspire that innovation.

Governor Tom Vilsack started out as a small-town lawyer, then mayor, and went on to serve as governor of Iowa for 8 years. He ran the US Department of Agriculture under President Obama and President Biden. Gov. Vilsack is now the CEO of the World Food Prize, which presents an annual award of $500,000 to individuals who have increased the quality, quantity and availability of food in the world. During his time as Secretary of the USDA, he called on the philanthropic community to step up to the plate and provide more funding for rural communities.

Rhodes Scholar, lifelong Portlander, and community visionary JT Flowers draws the parallels between urban and rural communities. Born and raised in NE Portland’s historic Black neighborhood, the Albina District, Flowers recently served as Senior Advisor and Director of Government Affairs at Albina Vision Trust, the largest community-led redevelopment effort in America. The Trust was created to buy back land, rebuild community, and reestablish a prosperous Black neighborhood in the heart of Portland’s central city.

Mel Butterfield asks, ‘if adults aren’t modeling healthy behaviors, why does it surprise us when youth behavior suffers?’ She is a fourth-generation Central Oregonian and the director of Central Oregon YouthLine, a peer-to-peer crisis, help and support line nationally available. Young people don’t always want to talk to adults when it comes to their mental health, so YouthLine is staffed by young people who have gone through training to support their peers. They say “It’s OK to not be OK” - because we all need to talk about mental health more. Youth experiencing a crisis can call 877-968-8491 or text "teen2teen" to 83983.

Rev. Dr. Ryan M. Eller is a ninth-generation Appalachian who deeply understands his region—and where generations of their wealth went. As Executive Director of Appalachia Funders Network, Eller leads a coalition of more than 80 funders who are committed to socio-economic transition in Central Appalachia. Eller began his career in community organizing and wishes more funders had that valuable experience, which taught him that thoughtful action is the oxygen needed to effect change and help remedy longstanding issues.

We're back with a new season of Funding Rural! This fall, we bring you more fresh, heartfelt conversations about philanthropy and how it can better serve rural and Indigenous communities. The folks you'll hear this season will showcase the power of local work and investing in the grassroots organizations that are making systemic change from the ground up. 

When people don’t know where to begin when it comes to funding rural America, collaborative funds are a great way to start. Charlie Brown is the executive director of the Trust for Civic Life, which is an example of one of those funds. They’re made up of 20 different funders from across the country all working together to empower people to get involved in shaping the future of their communities and everyday democracy. They prioritize listening and learning instead of coming in with a top-down approach.