Para la versión en español, oprima aquí.
There’s an undeniable crisp in the air. And for some of us, there may be a crisp in the oven as we prepare to gather with loved ones and give thanks around a shared table. This time of year is ripe with reflection of months past and anticipation of what’s ahead.
This is a season both of giving thanks and of taking action to support organizations whose mission is close to your heart. One way to support rural communities is by donating to the Center for Rural Affairs this Giving Tuesday. This annual fundraising event takes place online, around the world.
This year Giving Tuesday falls on Tuesday, Nov. 29, but we’ve decided one day isn’t enough. At the Center, we are celebrating Giving Tuesday from today through Dec. 6, 2022.
This two-week extended window gives our supporters ample time to take advantage of having their gifts DOUBLED. We are very grateful for those supporters who have stepped up in a huge way and committed matching gifts to bring this opportunity to life.
Make a gift online today—or send a check to PO Box 136, Lyons, NE 68038—and the amount of your gift will be doubled, thanks to our matching donors. Individual donations are crucial to bring resources, representation, and access to rural communities, and this dollar-for-dollar match during Giving Tuesday is a tremendous opportunity to put your dedication into action.
Here are just a few rural moments from the past year we’re reflecting on. With your help, we’ll be able to double down on our commitment to a robust and welcoming rural future.
You helped us place a record amount of loans to rural small business owners and new homeowners. Eighty-one loans, totaling $3,494,372, were placed; 23 of these loans, totaling $1,409,010, were provided to Latino entrepreneurs and homeowners. We get to know our clients and work with them closely to ensure their success. We offer free coaching in English and Spanish on topics like accounting, marketing, and business planning so no one slips through the cracks.
Your support made possible our efforts to fill resource gaps in the rural policy sphere. We released reports on carbon sequestration and crop insurance for small grains, guidance on broadband and renewable energy siting, and white papers addressing policy options for strengthening rural health care and analyzing Conservation Stewardship Program funding. These publications are informed by the real life experiences of family farmers, ranchers, business owners, and rural residents whose voices we amplify to create policies that truly work for rural America.
You gave us the means to increase our event activities by 280% in the Native communities of Santee and Macy, Nebraska. There, we had 209 in-person participants in our food, nutrition, and business classes, and 82 community members who received direct assistance with their home gardens. Your support helps us work with local community leaders to develop and implement practices which build stronger Native food systems and entrepreneurship.
These results and more are possible with your support. Will you make a gift today—which, remember, will be DOUBLED—and have an even greater impact in the coming year?
Together we can build a future that values stewardship of our diverse communities: from family farms to small town main streets and everywhere in between. Thank you for standing up for a bright rural future.
**Thank you again to our generous matching donors, without whom we wouldn’t be able to double your gifts. If you’d like to provide a match gift next year, please email [email protected].
Photo 1: Fouad Mhadji Issa, owner of Koponi Vanilla in Grand Island, Nebraska, grows his business with support from the Center.
Photo 2: Rural voices matter. Your gift amplifies the concerns and community-driven solutions that stem directly from our connections with rural constituents.
Photo 3: Learning to grow your own food is empowering. Our Native instructors also teach classes on edible wild foraging, preserving your harvest, and baking for business.
