Giving Compass' Take:

• This webinar, presented by Grantmakers in Aging, discusses how philanthropy is responding to the impacts of COVID-19 in rural parts of America, and how the coordination of local resources and community needs is crucial. 

• How will rural health systems' needs differ from urban health systems? How can philanthropists adjust their response and relief strategies to support rural America? 

•  Learn more about how small rural funders can address COVID-19. 


During this time of tumultuous change due to COVID-19, our attention has often turned to the places which the crisis first appeared: urban hospitals. Lost in most of the news coverage has been the growing impact on rural areas of the United States. Rural America is older and has a more fragile health delivery system, including aging services. The impact of the virus may be eventually be even more dramatic than in urban areas, especially for older persons.

Get a national overview of how philanthropy in rural America is reacting to COVID-19 with new initiatives and more flexible processes; a report from a regional funder in central Texas on their role in rapidly expanding and coordinating local resources in a rural county to meet the needs of older people; and the impact of the new, more flexible regulations for telemedicine during the emergency and the implication for rural areas being able to provide expanded services.

Read the full article about COVID-19 and rural America at Grantmakers in Aging.