Fundraising for Social Change, 8th Edition

chapter FORTY‐ONERaising Money in Rural Communities

A long‐standing belief in fundraising circles is that it is much harder to raise money in rural communities than in urban or suburban settings and that you probably won't be able to raise all the money you need. There's some logic to this belief: fewer people live in rural areas, which means there are fewer people to ask. Although these communities may have fewer local nonprofits, many of the basic services that must be supported are often covered by increases in rural residents' tax rates through special surcharges for things like local health services or school expenses or a library. Studies have shown that nonprofits in rural communities do not receive foundation funding in proportion to their need or even in proportion to their population. These facts support the belief that it is more difficult to raise money in rural communities. But more difficult does not mean impossible, and sometimes, with a little creativity and luck, rural organizations can raise a good deal of money.

THE MANY KINDS OF RURAL

There are many kinds of rural communities, and organizations in these communities will have to look at their specific communities' assets and challenges in creating stable fundraising programs. For example, our romantic image of rural people living and working on the same piece of land all their lives is more often than not pure fantasy. Many people living and working in rural communities do not make their living from farming ...