Funding Rural Podcast
1) Gretchen Guess: It's Always Been About Service
Gretchen Guess is president and CEO of the Rasmuson Foundation in Alaska, where 80% of the population lives in remote areas without road access. Gretchen has lived there all her life and served terms ...Show More
2) Josh Davis: Do Not Underestimate Your Power
Josh Davis began his career in the nonprofit world by working for the Delta Health Alliance, which is a nonprofit that works to improve access to healthcare and education in the Mississippi Delta. He ...Show More
3) Dallas Hall Defrees: Ranching is Adaptive. Funding Should be Too.
Farming and ranching requires experimentation, adaptation, and innovation. It’s a whole lot of problem solving done by people who often don’t have a whole lot of expendable capital. That doesn’t mean ...Show More
4) Jessi LaRose: Local Context Matters
Partnerships play an important role when it comes to tackling the complicated, uncomfortable and often taboo issue of firearms. Jessi LaRose is the Director of strategic initiatives at Missouri Founda...Show More
5) John Cornelius: I’ve Been Down This Road Before. It’s Best to Walk with a Friend
John Cornelius grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota; he served in the US Army; and he has the national suicide helpline number, 988, tattooed on his arm. He is a peer support and suic...Show More
6) Katie Carter: You Shouldn’t Have to Leave to be Your Whole Self
How much is philanthropy currently investing in LGBTQ organizations? Not a whole lot, especially in rural. Katie Carter is the CEO of Pride Foundation, which was founded 40 years ago to support Gay, L...Show More
7) Benjamin Anderson: Start with the Willing
Healthcare is top of mind for many Americans, and in rural communities, where there are distinct challenges, there is also hope in new ideas and solutions. Benjamin Anderson is president and CEO of Hu...Show More
8) Ash Hanson & Winter Kinne: Leading Locally
Episode recorded live in Minneapolis-St.Paul on June 11th, 2025 at the Council on Foundations’ nonprofit funders conference, Leading Locally. Ash Hanson of Department of Public Transformation and Wint...Show More
9) Season 3 is heading your way!
Funding Rural is coming back this fall, starting on September 23, 2025 and we can't wait to share the new episodes. Your host, Erin Borla of The Roundhouse Foundation in Sisters, Oregon has been talki...Show More
10) Ben Winchester: The Rural Brain Gain
Narrative plays a critical role in what funders support, and unexamined narratives can create unintended consequences. We often hear about the brain drain in communities as young talent leaves, but Ru...Show More