2008 Rural Philanthropy Conference

The 2008 Rural Philanthropy conference was hosted September 10-12 by the Nebraska Community Foundation in Nebraska City. More than 200 rural philanthropy practitioners from 29 states, Washington DC and Manitoba, Canada, participated in training sessions focused on tools and techniques for revitalizing communities through innovative philanthropy.

In addition to 58 speakers from community foundations in Nebraska and fifteen other states, the conference featured several champions of rural development philanthropy.

As one of those champions, Linetta Gilbert of the Ford Foundation has first-hand knowledge of how philanthropy is working in rural Nebraska. “I am so impressed with the people of Stuart (Nebr.). This is a group of innovators looking for new ways to create a better community through young people, building houses and encouraging new businesses,” she said.

Issuing the challenge to be “creative thought leaders shaping trends and possibilities,” Linetta Gilbert, urged participants at the 2008 Rural Philanthropy Conference to use philanthropy as a tool to achieve just, equitable and high functioning communities.

“They realized that Stuart and (neighboring) Atkinson are not in competition with each other. They are competing with someone on the other side of the world,” Gilbert said. “You are making the news,” she said. “It’s just not in the papers.”

Steve Gunderson, President and CEO of the Council on Foundations, pointed out the difference between this conference and others. “We are not talking about redistributing charitable dollars to for the sake of equity. We will be talking about growing philanthropy, because merely redistributing it creates winners and losers,” he said.

He noted that public policy is polarized by politics and resources, but philanthropy doesn’t have to be. “Politicians are good at debating, not convening,” Gunderson said. By bringing people together, rural philanthropy leaders can be conveners and planners in ways that other sectors cannot.

He went on to say that rural communities are so involved with surviving there is little time for vision. But with jobs now lasting only three to five years, and rural economies changing at a rapid pace, leaders must create a new culture and move beyond the survival mentality. And he told the audience to engage in the question, “Ten years from now, what will I wish I would have done?”

James McHale, Senior Vice President of Programs with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, described the power of bringing young people and women into leadership roles.

“When you are involved with youth, you’re not just grantmaking, you are life making,” he said. He noted that, in Michigan, W.K. Kellogg youth advisory council members become adults who volunteer twice as much, with 10 percent serving as trustees on community foundations.

McHale said that although two-thirds of people living in poverty are women and children, women have the courage and resilience to play a central role in building stronger communities.

“Women-led organizations focus on multiple areas of economics, health and housing. They are less mobile, and they are more committed. They build capital through networking. They are the glue of strong communities, and they have a wealth of capital to draw upon,” McHale said.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is a major sponsor of the Rural Philanthropy Conference, which was designed by the Nebraska Community Foundation as an action-oriented exchange of peer-learning and advice.

NCF, headquartered in Lincoln, is recognized as a leader in rural development philanthropy. The NCF system of 200 affiliated funds statewide is heralded as a national model for addressing the challenges of rural revitalization. NCF provides training and assistance to build local leadership, secure charitable gifts as new opportunity capital, and make strategic grants for long-term community vitality.

Conference Materials
Conference binders, which include the handouts from each of the conference sessions as well as a CD including handouts and other resource materials, are available for purchase.  Contact NCF for purchase information.