Rural Support Partners (RSP) equips changemakers, organizations, and networks to cultivate lasting, equitable, participatory change in rural areas.
We do this by:
With this as our North Star, we provide mission-centered management consulting services, training, and educational opportunities to a diverse portfolio of leaders, nonprofits, foundations, networks, and social enterprises.
Rural changemakers and organizations everywhere are navigating complex conditions and barriers to deep community impact. Ever-changing social, political, and ecological dynamics in rural communities make the already difficult work of changemaking more challenging. Maintaining staff-wide cohesion, fostering accessibility and accountability, and cultivating equity and well-being across an organization is a daunting task. All this becomes more difficult with changes such as remote work and generation shifts in leadership. And most organizations lack the internal management practices, policies, structures, and culture to help emerging leaders and the next generation succeed.
When you partner with us, you will:
● Leadership Transition Support: We provide support during leadership transitions, assisting organizations in effectively managing the change process and ensuring a smooth transition.
● Thought Partnership: We help you navigate the unique challenges and opportunities of rural contexts.
● Organizational Assessments: We conduct holistic organizational assessments to understand health, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
● Expert Guidance Organizational Development and Change: We guide you in creating agile and adaptive organizations and strong teams capable of thriving in complex environments.
● Network Building and Backbone Support Training: We equip you with the skills and knowledge to effectively facilitate collaboration and drive systemic change.
● Tailored Consulting: We bring a wealth of expertise and tools to support you in areas such as governance, operations, financial management, and resource development.
● Participatory Evaluation Design: We facilitate participatory evaluation processes, ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives are represented throughout the assessment journey.
● Outcome Capture and Sensemaking: We employ outcome capture to name and make sense of the unanticipated outcomes and systemic shifts resulting from your initiatives. By embracing emergent learning and collective sensemaking, we uncover valuable insights that inform adaptive strategies.
● Developmental Evaluation: We work with you to integrate evaluation and learning into program design and implementation. This iterative approach enables continuous adaptation, innovation, and the optimization of program outcomes.
● Impact Measurement and Data Analysis: Our experts employ rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods to measure the impact of your initiatives. From developing tailored impact indicators to conducting advanced data analysis, we generate evidence-backed insights that inform decision-making and enhance accountability.
● Ecosystem Evaluation: We uncover the broader social, environmental, and economic dynamics surrounding your initiatives. By analyzing the interdependencies, synergies, and potential impacts within the ecosystem, we help you identify opportunities for collaboration, leverage resources, and foster systemic change.
● Communicating Impact: We help craft compelling narratives and visually engaging reports that communicate the story of your impact. By effectively conveying complex findings to stakeholders, funders, and the wider public, we amplify your organization’s achievements and increase visibility.
● Capacity Building and Training: We provide customized capacity-building programs to empower your team with the skills and knowledge needed for effective impact evaluation. Through interactive workshops and training sessions, we enhance evaluation capabilities and foster a culture of learning within your organization.
We partner with funders, nonprofit organizations, networks, financial institutions, and changemakers inside and outside the Central Appalachian region to achieve their objectives with a deeper impact and broader scale.
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 Regional Food Business Center
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
Appalachian Sustainable Development
ArtPlace America
Aspen Institute
BALLE
Bristol Public Library
Brushy Fork Institute
Burke Development Inc.
Carolina Small Business Development Fund
Carolina Textile District
Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
Central Appalachian Forestry Alliance
Central Appalachian Network
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Coalfield Development Corporation
Community & Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, University of Kentucky
Community Farm Alliance
The Educational Foundation of America
Emma Community Ownership
Ford Foundation
Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation
Heifer International
Highlander Research & Education Center
The Industrial Commons
Invest Appalachia
Just Transition Fund
The Just Trust
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
LOCUS Impact Investing
MACED
McIntosh SEED
Mountain BizWorks
Partner Community Capital (formerly Natural Capital Investment Fund)
Opportunity Appalachia
New Opportunity School For Women
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation
The REACH Initiative
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
RUPRI
Rural Action
Rural Resources
Southern Sustainable Ag Working Group
Sustainable Food Lab
Tennesseans for Fair Taxation
The One Foundation
Truist Bank CRA / Community Development
West Virginia Community Development Hub
West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition
WNC Nonprofit Pathways
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Rural Support Partners equips changemakers, organizations, and networks to cultivate lasting, equitable, participatory change in rural areas.
Rural Support Partners. All Rights Reserved.