rural development

Small but mighty, rural-serving organizations work in concert with local people, firms and governments to fill gaps and adapt to do whatever it is communities need done.

This report focuses on the role — and aggregates the wisdom — of a specific set of intermediaries that are doing development differentl

Knowing what is true about rural places and people is a challenge. Too often, people lump all of rural America into one “flyover-country” stereotype. But saying that all of rural America is the same is like saying Detroit and San Francisco are the same, or Birmingham and Boston. This brief shares a few truths worth knowing about rural America.

Data drives policy development. But many datasets fall short in representing rural realities. Given the increasing attention to rural areas in public policy and popular discourse, along with notable trends disadvantaging rural places—persistent poverty and global economic shifts—this search for “good” rural data is timely.

Thrive Rural will work closely with community and economic development, health and civic engagement experts across the nation to create a shared vision and understanding about what it will take to create dynamic, sustainable rural communities where all people can realize their full potential and live healthy lives.