Meeting the Moment: 2020’s New Civic Engagement Landscape in Rural and Small-City America

About

Neighborhood Funders Group’s Integrated Rural Strategies Group and The Heartland Fund invite you to join the third webinar of our three-part series, Meeting the Moment: 2020’s New Civic Engagement Landscape in Rural and Small-City America.

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Part 3:

Pivoting Forward

Post-election deep dive on what happened in rural and small-city America, what we learned, and how we’re building momentum for multiracial, multi-geography movements for change heading into 2021.

Wednesday, November 18
(9:00-10:15am PT / 10:00-11:15am MT / 11:00-12:15pm CT / 12:00-1:15pm ET)

The 2020 elections are set to be the most important, volatile, and unpredictable in recent history. In addition to creating a health crisis with devastating impacts in rural communities of color, the coronavirus pandemic has crippled the economy, exacerbated cultural and political divisions, and created a new set of existential challenges to democracy and our electoral system across the nation. At the same time, catalyzed by the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery (and so many others), movements fighting white supremacy and systemic violence against Black people have opened up extraordinary opportunities for structural change. We know that the next steps forward require statewide power and that rural and small-city communities will have an important part to play. Philanthropy must step up to support those on the frontlines fighting for equitable, sustainable, and resilient futures across racial, cultural, and geographic divides.

Join IRSG and the Heartland Fund for this three-part webinar series to discuss the emerging challenges and opportunities for civic engagement in rural and small-city communities in 2020, share what we're learning about how new narratives and organizing approaches are landing, and hear from field leaders about how they are innovating during this time of extraordinary crisis and opportunity.

The first webinar (July 28) shared an overview of how COVID 19 and a new racial justice environment has altered the landscape for rural organizations and how they are adapting. The second webinar (September 22) highlighted some of the most important fights and campaigns in rural communities as the election approaches. The third webinar (November 18) will brief funders on the implications of the election outcomes for rural and small-town communities and the issues we collectively care about.

Whether your organization has many investments in rural communities or you are still puzzling out what the term “rural” really means, we invite you to join this dynamic webinar series and explore opportunities to learn from, lift up, and support innovative and power building work in rural and small-town communities across the country.

Who is this webinar series for? If you are a foundation leader (staff or board member) currently funding, or interested in exploring the work in rural communities and small-towns, you are encouraged to attend. We also welcome funders concerned with civic participation, democracy, climate change, and racial justice.

Please direct questions to Lindsay Ryder, Senior Program Manager of the Integrated Rural Strategies Group, at lindsay@nfg.org.