Ideas

“The Democratic Party approaches rural America as missionaries and not as neighbors.”
—Attributed to David Axelrod, shared by former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (July 1, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC)

That quote has stayed with me since attending the launch of the Brookings–American Enterprise Institute Commission on U.S. Rural Prosperity in early July. While the desire to help is genuine and appropriate, the underlying assumption is problematic: that rural Americans lack the knowledge, capacity, or assets to shape their own futures. It reminded me of how some funders—both public and private—approach rural communities and communities in South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia: with good intentions, but from a place of distance, assumption, and deficit. Too often, they adopt the posture of the missionary—coming in to save—rather than the neighbor—coming alongside to learn, support, and build together.

Shared Aspirations, Different Contexts

At the recent Rural Retreat in Great Falls, Montana, and during the commission’s launch, I was reminded of something I’ve observed over decades of place-based work: there are many “Americas,” and rural communities are among them. These Americas are often separate and unequal, and missionary approaches to “save” them persist.

What I’ve consistently learned is that people in rural places want the same things as their urban counterparts and wealthier neighbors:

• Quality of life
• Access to healthcare
• Safe and affordable child care
• Good jobs with benefits
• A sense of belonging

These communities are rich in cultural, social, intellectual, and environmental assets.

However, their contexts differ. Rural areas often lack the infrastructure and service redundancy that urban centers take for granted. Everyday things like transportation, health services, and access to amenities (gyms, grocery stores, convenience stores) are harder to reach. Their systems are more fragile. Harsh winters and remoteness can threaten both health and livelihoods.

A Call to Public and Private Funders

For philanthropy, public institutions, nonprofits, and capacity builders, this moment calls for an honest assessment of our practices.

Shift Your Mindset

• Abandon one-size-fits-all solutions. Don’t apply urban models to rural contexts. For example, a funder once trained staff in community organizing approaches that worked in cities—but failed in rural areas due to different relational dynamics.
• Stop assuming all rural communities are the same. They differ in geography, history, culture, and people. A one-size-fits-all solution for rural communities doesn’t work either.
• Don’t mistake slower pace for lack of urgency. Rural life may appear more relaxed, but that doesn’t reflect a lack of seriousness about community needs.
• Be thoughtful about how place shapes solutions. Refer to the “Context Matters” framework.
  • Go beyond budgeting for travel time—consider what travel means for infrastructure, service delivery, and economic development. For example, funders should allow nonprofit organizations to use their grants to purchase vehicles to transport children and youth back and from afterschool programs.

Take a Regional Approach

• Build connections between rural communities and larger institutions. Help urban-based leaders understand rural realities and priorities.
  • For example, don’t assume that individuals from these communities can always travel to urban areas for meetings, trainings, or events—doing so requires significant additional time beyond the activities themselves.
• Don’t overlook communities distant from county administrative centers.
• Value early relationships and community engagement.
  • For example, one statewide funder underestimated the importance of residents regularly attending county commissioner meetings—a critical indicator of civic involvement.

Invest in a Sustainable Ecosystem of Support

• Understand how roles differ in rural communities. Businesses, nonprofits, civic institutions, local governments, schools, colleges, and philanthropy often overlap—leaders wear multiple hats.
  • This complexity affects coalition-building and people’s roles in the coalition.
• Limited human capital doesn’t mean limited knowledge or capability.
  • When bringing in outside talent (e.g., for mining or tech), invest in local workforce development and support community cohesion.
• Technical expertise is often scarce.
  • Relying on urban experts may be efficient short term but can be culturally misaligned and unsustainable.
  • Instead, invest in intermediaries that combine local context with technical skill.

Let’s stop imposing solutions on rural communities without their voice or consent. Let’s see them as neighbors—rich in culture, history, and assets, with real needs that deserve understanding and support. As Welcoming America reminds us, let’s “build a nation of neighbors.”