Funding Rural

Margaret “Margi” Hoffman is a woman of action – not something commonly thought of when talking about Government officials – and yet she now serves as the Oregon State Director for Rural Development of the USDA.  She is looking creatively at ways her role can support the state of Oregon and its rural communities to access capital from federal partners, even as small pilot projects, bringing together the “coalition of the willing” to get dollars on the ground.

Barton Robison of Willamette Partnership tackles what he calls ‘weird projects’: those things that are hard to manage or hard to fund – because rural capacity is limited in city and county governments. With his lighthearted approach, Barton makes it seem easy.  But in reality there are many ways grant processes can be improved, starting with happy hour.

Lesli Allison cut her teeth on a 50,000 acre ranch in Southeastern Colorado—a massive land management experience that taught her the importance of private lands and their role in the conservation conversation. On episode 8 of the Funding Rural podcast, Lesli shares how ranchers and farmers are leading the way on innovative climate and environmental projects, and the challenges of accessing resources including research. She touches on the importance of showing up to better understand the challenges facing communities and discusses how conservation projects require on-the-ground collaborations because they have a long runway, and can require multi-year funding. Lesli reminds us that it's important to direct funding to those organizations within the community where the issues are happening—not just the national groups—in order to ensure project sustainability.

Allen Smart has years of experience working with philanthropic families and health conversion foundations across the east coast and southeast.  His reputation as a leader in rural philanthropy as a consultant is strong.  Join Allen as he shares some of the lessons he learned throughout his tenure as a consultant – and how philanthropic organizations can make real impact building relationships in smaller communities.

C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser is an advocate for social impact and racial justice work. In episode six, CC shares her experiences as a Black woman working in philanthropy after George Floyd's murder and she talks about the historical precedence of double standards in the workforce. She also covers her current work on reparations. CC and host Erin Borla got to know each other while serving as Fellows for the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and they often noted how challenges in inner-city communities echoed challenges in rural and remote communities. In both spaces, the ways funders show up often determines their impact.

Zavier ‘Zavi’ Borja discusses his upbringing in rural Central Oregon as the son of a Mexican immigrant family — chasing agricultural work juxtaposed with his nonprofit experience in outdoor recreation. He shares his journey working with kids of color and how his past impacts his newest adventure, working for Oregon’s Governor.

Julie Garreau (enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) embodies servant-leadership as the founder and executive director of the Cheyenne River Youth Project in Eagle Butte, SD. She talks about engaging young people – and how a grassroots organization needs investment to support community. Where many only hear stories of challenges and despair, Garreau elevates the stories of resilience.

In a society that often places people into boxes based on one or two factors, Children’s Institute Leader, Kali Thorne Ladd, distinguishes herself as an advocate for children and families — and she reminds us to recognize the humanity in each other. C.I. is a good example of an organization who recognizes the throughlines discovered between rural and urban communities. By showing up and listening, we can better understand and truly see each other for who we are — human to human.

Wynn Rosser, PhD is a place-based rural funder. His work at T.L.L. Temple Foundation focuses on 22 counties in rural east Texas and he brings with him Texas-sized empathy. Rosser shares concrete examples of the interconnectedness between funding in urban and rural communities. Rosser also touches on the value of working at a strategy and policy level for larger impact and what can happen if philanthropy turns a blind eye to policy and legislation.

Linguistic anthropologist Elizabeth Marino, PhD talks about the language barrier that exists between urban and rural communities in America and how it impacts philanthropists, who are traditionally based in urban wealth and power centers. Marino leads the Laboratory for The American Conversation at Oregon State University-Cascades.

Funding Rural: A podcast that explores how philanthropy can better serve rural and Indigenous communities. Join host Erin Borla, Executive Director of the Roundhouse Foundation in Sisters, Oregon, as she engages with folks on all sides of philanthropy to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing funders and the folks they hope to serve and support.