When artists and scientists put their minds together, novel things can happen. Participants in these gatherings benefit from a heightened sense of curiosity — a trait that can spark innovation in communities. Recognizing the combined potential of the arts and sciences, neuroscience professor Bill Griesar, PhD and his colleague, artist Jeff Leake, formed an all-volunteer run nonprofit twelve years ago called Northwest Noggin’. Griesar offers ideas on how philanthropists can get more curious...

Community colleges are meeting a growing set of needs: boosting economic development, providing education equity, and training skilled workers. Kate Kinder, executive director at the National Council for Workforce Education, discusses how community colleges reflect and amplify the economies where they’re located with programs designed to support the needs of local industries. They play a critical role in sustaining communities through education efforts that reflect the economies of the...

Indigenous artist and educator, Shirod Younker, reminds philanthropists that investing in art is much more than art for art’s sake. Younker is a traditional carver and sculptor originally from Coos Bay, Oregon and is an enrolled member of the Coquille Indian Tribe. He’s an asset to Indigenous Youth, offering programs through universities as well as the Changing Currents Tribal Water Leadership Program. His work illuminates the interconnectedness of art, environment and community.

Oregon Institute of Technology student Uriel AguilarTorres has his sights set on starting a managed service provider that serves small-to-medium rural agribusinesses. In high school, Uriel was selected as an Oregon FFA state sentinel—a state officer for the program formerly known as (and what many people remember as) the Future Farmers of America. That experience gave him skills such as public speaking, leading mixed-aged groups, and competition experience that most future business leaders...

Stephanie Chase is the Executive Director of nonprofit Libraries of Eastern Oregon, which serves and supports 39 public libraries in rural Oregon. She also serves on the executive board of the American Library Association and has spent years learning about community programming and library systems. She recognizes the critical role a library plays in its community by curating informed citizens, providing a place to gather, and offering much more than books on the shelves.

In the world of philanthropy and sustainability, the Aspen Institute has been a thought-leader for decades. Chris Estes, co-executive director of the Community Strategies Group at the Aspen Institute, shares his background in housing and how he’s worked to elevate rural people and places. He and several others helped to develop the Thrive Rural Framework: a tool for communities to support their own equitable rural prosperity. 

Less than 1% of national philanthropic dollars go to Indigenous communities, programs and projects in the United States. How can philanthropy show up for these communities in a manner that is meaningful, lasting, and respectful? Casey Pearlman, the new executive director of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians - Economic Development Corporation, shares her experience making connections with Tribal leaders, and offers advice on honoring cultural protocols and leveraging more...

Allison Myers, PhD leads the community health program at Oregon State University Extension based in Corvallis, but her work takes her across the state. Allison has a Masters in Public Health and a PhD in Health Behavior - and is passionate about serving people and bringing health knowledge to rural, underserved communities.  This episode delves into mental health topics and suicide prevention. If you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of suicide, call or text the national helpline...

One of the key vital signs of any community is its local journalism, but as we have all heard, the newspaper industry has consolidated and retreated from much of rural America. Journalists and news outlets are now mainly concentrated in urban places. That has led to so many downstream effects - division, mistrust, and lack of accountability at the level of local leadership. In this episode, Tim Marema, founding editor of the Daily Yonder discusses the news site which focuses on the people,...

When we close our eyes and envision ‘rural’ often-times we think of an idyllic setting with a cute downtown or an open field with a tractor.  With that, there can be a misconception that rural America looks a certain way - namely that it’s predominantly white. That’s certainly not the case in many rural communities. In this episode, Jaime Arredondo speaks about the work his organization, CAPACES, is doing to reconnect LatinX folks in Oregon with their traditional foods and culture while...

We’re back with season 2 of Funding Rural. Your host and guide on this crazy journey is Erin Borla, executive director of the Roundhouse Foundation, which is based on a ranch in rural Sisters, Oregon. Erin started this show because she was curious about how philanthropy could better serve rural and Indigenous communities to spark systemic change. Turns out, there are a lot of folks out there who have been thinking about this, too. And with every great conversation she had last season, she...

Erik Brodt, MD (Ojibwe) knows that there are experts all around us — many of whom go unrecognized. As a Native American Healthcare provider he works to ensure that American Indian/Alaska Native Youth know they have a place in health care. He challenges philanthropy to look beyond the typical expert, to ask questions differently, and to spend time getting to know the impact of programming —what and whom — thinking beyond the traditional model of scalability.

Jamie Bennett is a force to be reckoned with in the art world. He is currently co-CEO of Americans for the Arts and has served at the helm of ArtPlace America, United States Artists, and National Endowment for the Arts. All of these opportunities have helped him understand and encourage the importance of artists and culture bearers in all communities. Creatives are leaders, problem solvers, and models for improving relationships with one self and the community at large —— which boosts mental...

Torsten Kjellstrand, a Swedish immigrant, has always looked for the stories of the underrepresented. Now as a Professor of Practice at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, Kjellstrand uses his background in rural journalism to teach the next generation of media about authenticity and care for the stories that are told because as he says, ‘storytelling can be dangerous.’

Philanthropy talks about collaboration regularly - Brenda Smith with High Desert Partnership lives it every day.  She and her colleagues work to build common ground and relationships between seemingly disparate stakeholders in rural Harney County, Oregon.  Collaboration is fostered and supported from the ground up; and comes from all sides. This was especially evident in the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in 2016.  The narrative of that event as well as the story about rural Harney...

During times of crisis, we often see the disparities in community resources, especially in rural and remote communities. Cari Cullen from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy offers ways philanthropy can and should be showing up in the communities we serve during and after disasters. Cari reminds philanthropists it’s not ‘if’, but ‘when’, with disasters. Funders need to plan ahead, in partnership with government agencies and community stakeholders. And perhaps most importantly, we need to be...

Over the past few years federal funds have increased to rural communities, but how are they actually getting to those communities? Tony Pipa, a Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, shares programs, leads the Reimagining Federal Rural Policy Initiative and hosts the Reimagine Rural podcast. In this episode, he demystifies the federal government and its resources, and talks about the need for a rural renaissance to ensure the available funding for rural and remote...

Belinda Brown has spent over 30 years providing leadership, developing programs, and facilitating community development in Indian Country. She has expertise in intergovernmental affairs coordination with Tribes, communities, and collaboratives. An enrolled member of the Pit River Tribe, Belinda’s varied experience links back to a consistent theme: supporting young people. Her current role with Lomakatsi Restoration Project helps to align young Indigenous and rural youth with workforce...

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...

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...

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.