Management • Planning • Strategy | Rural Support Partners

RSP has deep hands-on experience delivering expert management, planning, and strategy services to complex change organizations and efforts.

We specialize in anchor organizations, Grantmakers, and social enterprises whose work advances complex social and economic change. Our work results in organizational effectiveness, deeper impact, and more resilient organizations. All services are offered as online Zoom or in-person meetings.

INTERNAL ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT

All of our internal organizational development work starts with deep listening and assessment to understand our client’s needs and identify the root causes of internal management problems. From there we custom build a scope of services and work as invested partners to implement the action plan. While every project is different, our work results in increased efficiency, stronger teams, and clear standards, practices, and procedures. Areas of expertise include:

Organizational Assessment and Problem Solving
Policies, Procedures, and Practices
Staffing Structures and Standard Operating Practice
Employee Engagement, Team Building, Leadership Development, and Training
Program / Project / Initiative Development
Executive Transitions

STRATEGIC PLANNING & THEORY OF CHANGE

From short-term crisis planning to project development and strategic planning, we help groups build shared analysis, uncover their theory of change, set goals, develop plans, and define their North Star. Schedule a consultation call to learn more about our innovative planning work. Areas of expertise include:

Theory of Change Development
Strategic Planning
Social Enterprise Business Plan Development
Project / Program / Initiative Planning and Development
Short-Term Crisis Planning

MEASUREMENT, EVALUATION & ASSESSMENT

From short-term program assessments and project evaluations to the development of measurement and data collection systems that will help inform an organization’s work over the long-term, we help clients understand and communicate the impact of their work. Areas of expertise include:

Establish Measurement and Data Collection Systems
Project / Program Evaluation
Stakeholder Surveys, Focus Groups, and Interviews
Data Collection, Analysis, and Visualization
ArcGIS Mapping
Participatory Research and Writing

THOUGHT PARTNERSHIP & COACHING

We bring a combination of social work skills, decades of management experience, and a third-party distance to help high-level leaders think through sticky problems, build out big ideas and strategy, and reflect on their goals and leadership. Areas of expertise include:

Thought Partnership and Problem Solving
Executive and Middle-management Coaching
Staff Development

Our Approach

Our approach is participatory, streamlined, strategic, and results-based. We employ cutting-edge tools and tested methods, while offering our clients the flexibility of a customized and responsive approach to meet our clients evolving needs and interests. RSP’s services are based on a strong commitment to rural communities and result in more effective leaders, increased organizational effectiveness, improved strategies, more successful collaborative efforts, and deeper impact.

Rural Support Partners 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:

WE BELIEVE IN PEOPLE.

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.

EQUITY AND JUSTICE DRIVE OUR VISION.

We strive to uncover, speak-to, and address the multiple oppressions that undermine the beauty, health, and well-being of all people and communities.

PARTNERSHIPS STRENGTHEN OUR WORK.

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.

RESULTS SPEAK VOLUMES.

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.

LONG-TERM EFFORTS LEAD TO LONG-TERM SUCCESSES.

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.

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:

Thomas Watson, Managing Director

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 Coulter Rhodes, Director of Organizational Consulting

Kathryn is an expert in conducting independent evaluations, designing and analyzing surveys, and mapping client information on ArcGIS. Learn more about Kathryn.

Fairleigh Hoots, Project Manager

Fairleigh is able to seamlessly coordinate people, agendas, and priorities to support client success. Learn more about Fairleigh.

Atlas Charles, Program Manager

Their experiences span multiple rural regions and fields including non-profit, education, entrepreneurship, and social equity work. Learn more about Atlas.

Our Clients

We partner with funders, nonprofit anchor organizations, financial institutions, and businesses inside and outside the Central Appalachian region to achieve their objectives with a deeper impact and broader scale.

Rural Support Partners' Clients

ACEnet

Alabama Sustainable Ag Network

Annie E. Casey Foundation

Appalachia Funders Network

Appalachian Citizens Law Center

Appalachian Community Capital

Appalachian Food Summit

Appalachian Regional Commission

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

Appalachian Sustainable Development

ArtPlace America