To effectively leverage their assets for long-term, shared prosperity, rural communities need robust local capacity that has strong connections at the regional, state, and federal levels. Some rural communities have this strong, connected local capacity while others do not. Unfortunately, the historically challenged rural communities that most need these critical capacities and connections to alter their future trajectories are the least likely to have them.

Given these realities, how can the public, philanthropic, financial, nonprofit, and academic sectors work together to support efforts by these communities to build and maintain the capacities necessary to create shared economic prosperity in the future? This webinar will discuss effective, collaborative rural capacity-building strategies, and policy proposals that can make these practices easier and more widespread.

C-FARE has assembled a panel of experts to discuss their work: 

• John Green, Director, Southern Rural Development Center and Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

• Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

• Holly Frindell, Chief Program Officer, National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB)

• Ivye Allen, President, Foundation for the Mid South

Featuring moderation from Jane Kolodinsky, C-FARE Board Member and Professor at the University of Vermont.

The webinar started with opening remarks from John J. Green. As discussed in previous webinars in this series, the Regional Rural Development Center (RRDC) conducted a rapid response survey in the Fall of 2021 and a series of regional and national virtual listening sessions in the spring of 2022. With the RRDCs celebrating a 50-year history of the Rural Development Act, this contemporary work was intended to help inform future investment priority areas for collaborative partners. This connects with and compliments efforts by C-FARE and other partners such as the Federal Reserve Bank in their initiatives concerning rural prosperity. From the survey and listening sessions, the top priorities were infrastructure, economic development, workforce development and health. Although deemed as important, our stakeholders, including but not limited to research and Extension in the Land-Grant University system, a broad range of nonprofit organizations, local government and businesses also felt like their organizations had limited capacity in these areas. To build on the themes already mentioned, we’re asking how to better connect different people and organizations in working within and between across different sectors to build capacity for local action that will result in regional and national benefits.

Tony Pipa continues the webinar on a discussion on what can enable cross-sector collaboration for capacity at the local level. This starts with ensuring that strategies are place-based, and that the investments are being made into civic infrastructure. Certainly physical infrastructure is focused at the level of place. However, such place-based investments often need to be accompanied by people-based strategies, because collaboration across sectors, even within sectors, requires time, energy and dedicated focus – which means human capital. In some cases, building capacity can be greatly enhanced by simply having more staffing. The impact of expanding human capital can be seen by embedding people directly into communities, especially if they have relevant expertise. A third pillar is also the technical assistance and expertise that is needed to accompany partners as they are working in places to collaborate. This can come from intermediaries and backbone organizations, which are outside groups that may be regionally or nationally focused but understand the local context and politics needed for capacity building. There is a great deal of opportunity through legislation such as the bipartisan infrastructure law, the American Rescue Plan Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and resources from the CHIPS and Science Act that rural communities can access. The challenge will be ensuring that the funds flow to communities that could benefit, as they often have limited experience and capacity in accessing federal resources. This is an important moment for partnerships and intermediaries to play a major role.

Next is a presentation from Ivye Allen introducing the Foundation for the Mid South. Allen opens the discussion by introducing the mission of the Foundation for the Mid South which is to invest in people and strategies that build philanthropy and promote racial, social, and economic equity throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Foundation for the Mid South has four priority areas: education, health and wellness, wealth building and community development. These priorities often overlap and are interrelated but can be individual depending on the project or initiative. Allen continues to define capacity building requirements as clearly state goals, objectives, and intended outcomes by determining a vision, objectives and strategies, metrics and measurements, as well as costs required to achieve the goals and outcomes. The foundation focuses a lot on community planning by looking at a capacity assessment to help accomplish this work. This assessment includes questions like:

• What is collectively known about the issue(s)? 

• Who are the individuals and institutions with experience and passion about the work? 

• Do we know where to get additional information or do we need help finding or creating it? 

• What are the intellectual and financial assets? 

• Where are the opportunities and gaps? 

• What roles will partners’ play?  

The Foundation also draws a lot of emphasis on effective stewardship, on what are clear goals and objectives and how they can be achieved in this specific community. There must be capacity to effectively carry out the work. The foundation seeks to be a partner throughout the entire process by setting these achievable goals and maintaining long-term partnerships.

Closing the webinar is Holly Frindell introducing the National Association for Latino Community Assets Builders (NALCAB). This is a national membership organization with over 200 members working to build assets primarily in Latino and immigrant communities in 46 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. Frindell’s discussion will focus on how NALCAB is able to provide technical assistance. NALCAB is able to support their members through the fours Cs: capital, capacity building, collective voice, and comunidad (community). NALCAB started as a rural serving organization to help ensure capital was truly flowing to Latino communities that are often overlooked. Since 2013, NALCAB is has also been a provider through the HUD Rural Capacity Building Program which enhances the capacity and ability of local governments, Indian tribes, housing development organizations, rural Community Development Corporations (CDCs), and rural Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low- and moderate-income families and persons in rural areas. When working with rural organizations, the capacity needs NALCAB often assists with are planning, training, resource development/access to capital, community engagement and certification. NALCAB offers several different initiatives and assistance for each of these needs but most often helps with strategic planning, community planning, and training staff capacity.

This program is supported in part by the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association and the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, and the National Agricultural Statistics Service. 

Those who register but cannot attend our webinar can always view a recording of it later at the council’s YouTube channel.