RSP facilitates peer learning, problem-solving, and collective decision-making.
Our experienced professional facilitation team has decades of experience in group process, popular education, and participatory facilitation. With this experience, we help groups learn from each other, uncover solutions and opportunities, and make decisions. All services are offered as online Zoom or in-person meetings.
Through expert design and participatory facilitation techniques, we help groups learn from one another, find opportunities, uncover solutions to sticky problems, and make collective decisions. Areas of expertise include design, consolidation, and management of:
Large Scale Meetings
Think Tanks / Problem Solving Retreats
From small gatherings to large multiple day conferences, we know how to plan, design, and facilitate engaging and productive events that produce deeper relationships, shared knowledge, and greater alignment among the participants. Areas of expertise include:
In-person Conferences and Events
Online Zoom Events and Gatherings
Learning Journeys—hands-on learning in the field
We design, plan, and facilitate group retreats that are engaging and results focused. Areas of expertise include:
Short-term Planning
End-of-the-Year Reflection and Direction Setting
Problem Solving
Our Team
Each member of our team takes pride in the on-the-ground and lived experiences that inform our work. We are a nationally recognized social enterprise working to advance the economic transition of Central Appalachia, grow new business models, and innovate the field of rural development. Get to know our team:
A social entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience in nonprofit and business management, community economic development, network building, and philanthropy. Learn more about Thomas.
Kathryn is an expert in conducting independent evaluations, designing and analyzing surveys, and mapping client information on ArcGIS. Learn more about Kathryn.
Fairleigh is able to seamlessly coordinate people, agendas, and priorities to support client success. Learn more about Fairleigh.
Their experiences span multiple rural regions and fields including non-profit, education, entrepreneurship, and social equity work. Learn more about Atlas.
Our Clients
Alabama Sustainable Ag Network
Appalachian Citizens Law Center
Appalachian Regional Commission
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
Appalachian Sustainable Development
Carolina Small Business Development Fund
Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
Central Appalachian Forestry Alliance
Coalfield Development Corporation
The Educational Foundation of America
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation
Highlander Research & Education Center
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
Natural Capital Investment Fund
New Opportunity School For Women
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Southern Sustainable Ag Working Group
Truist Bank CRA / Community Development
West Virginia Community Development Hub
Our Values
Our mission-driven management consulting firm is founded on a commitment to inclusive participation and aims to have the plans, actions, and results emerge from the vision and goals of the people with whom we work. The following values are at the core of everything we do:
Our work is founded on the rock-solid belief that the people we work with have the skills, wisdom, vision, and capacity to solve complex problems, create effective solutions, and create transformative change. Our job is to pull out that wisdom, bring about collective analysis, help create action plans, and reflective practices. The consistent use of the Popular Education Spiral keeps us grounded in this value.
We strive to uncover, speak-to, and address the multiple oppressions that undermine the beauty, health, and well-being of all people and communities.
We work to build long-standing and equal-power partnerships with our clients—creating the trust and mutually supportive relationship needed to do difficult and messy work together.
Our results-based approach means that we start with the end in mind to ensure our work and the work of our clients are focused on clear outcomes. This approach leads to a more efficient use of resources, and ultimately a greater return on everyone’s investment of time, energy, and money.
We honor and learn from the work before us while working to strengthen and sustain the change infrastructure that will continue the work over long after us. We believe in opening doors and supporting young leaders to ensure that the work of creating more just and equitable rural communities endures over the long haul.
Learn more about our approach.
Contact Us
Rural Support Partners is a mission driven consulting firm. Contact us to discuss how you’d like to advance your organization’s management, strategy, and collaboration in alignment with your goals.