What is NRFC’s learning network?

The learning network consists of NRFC funders, practitioners, policy-focused partners, grassroots leaders, regional and federal authorities and other strategic allies and institutions working together to alleviate rural poverty and racism and to increase resources for strengthening and sustaining community asset-based approaches to regional rural community transformation.

In part, the learning network consists of NRFC-hosted events focused on 1) building the knowledge and skills of regional practitioners, 2) providing greater access to a variety of resources to increase impact and sustainability of these regional initiatives, and 3) establishing a national network of diverse stakeholders committed to building the field of rural community transformation.  The events include:

• an Annual Assembly,  at which the learning network comes together to share knowledge and exchange capacity-building, resource development and policy advancement strategies;
  
  
• an annual capacity-building workshop for grantees to increase their ability to articulate their theory of change and measure results, to implement strategies for renewable resource development and to effect/affect rural policy change from a community-based perspective;
  
  
• periodic regional and national convenings of funders and other network partners to explore best practices and strategies for increasing philanthropy and public-private investment;
  
  
• periodic meetings in Washington, including NRFC grantees, funders and other allies, to meet with key rural agencies to discuss resource and policy strategies for more responsive public-sector investiment in rural areas; and
  
  
• annual site visits to regional grantees, during which funders, public policy and funding institutions, peer practitioners and grassroots leaders, elected and business officials convene within a region of poverty to learn first-hand of the successes NRFC regional strategies..

Membership within the network is limited to NRFC grantees, member funders, contributing intermediary and public-sector institutions and other strategic allies specifically invited to apply.