Working For Rural,
With Rural for 30+ years
Partners for Rural Impact is a national nonprofit supporting rural communities to build local solutions that put young people on a path to economic mobility.
Connect With Us
WHO WE AREA national partner supporting rural
Our work began more than 30 years ago with a place-based partnership in Appalachian Kentucky, where demographics are no longer determining destiny. Today, we partner with rural leaders and allies across the country to share that work and build local partnerships that put young people on a path to economic mobility.
Our movement helps ensure every rural young person has a clear path to economic mobility.
Working to connect 10,000 rural leaders to strengthen communities and drive the For Rural, With Rural movement forward.
WHAT WE DOExpanding Opportunity Across Rural America
We partner with rural communities to turn possibility into progress, bringing partners together, sharing what works, and directing resources where they matter most. Together with our public, private, and community partners, we:
Amplify rural brilliance
by convening rural leaders and allies to share knowledge, build relationships, and learn from what’s working in rural places.
Advance a narrative
that reflects real challenges, lifts up strengths, and highlights Bright Spots where communities are building strong local pathways to economic mobility.
Activate investment
by helping philanthropies, corporations, and policymakers focus funding on lasting opportunities for rural children, families, and communities.
HOW WE IMPACTWe catalyze local effort into lasting impact
Our impact is measured in both results and relationships, helping to strengthen rural communities and expand opportunity for young people.
Stronger local partnerships
Schools, employers, nonprofits, and public partners working together around shared outcomes for young people.
Clear paths to opportunity
Programs and supports that help children and youth move from cradle through career with confidence.
Sustained investment in rural places
Funding, tools, and partnerships focused on long-term growth, not one-time solutions.
WHERE WE WORKPlace-based work
with national reach
As a national partner, we support rural communities in places that look different but share a commitment to their young people. From Appalachian Kentucky to Yakima Valley, through the Nebraska heartland, each place-based partnership is rooted in local strengths, shaped by community priorities, and connected to a national movement advancing opportunity for rural America.
Tools and resources to connect rural leaders
Built to connect rural leaders, our digital portal offers resources, funding opportunities, and shared learning designed to support the real work happening on the ground.
TESTIMONIALSA collaboration of partners supporting rural
Partners for Rural Impact has been an incredibly important partner in helping Comcast deepen our commitment to rural communities and advance economic opportunity where it’s needed most. Beyond helping deploy resources, PRI brings…
- Gwyneth Gaul
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Philanthropy
Our commitment to community-led innovation led us to anchor TechSoup’s Rural AI Catalyst Fund. Through our strategic partnership with Partners for Rural Impact, we deliver place-based solutions that empower the next generation of…
- Utaukwa Allen
Global Head of Community + Economic Development, Data Centers
Rural America is important in the overall landscape of American educational improvement. But when urban and rural work together, that’s when we can really make an impact. Partners for Rural Impact helps rural communities build pla…
- Jeff Edmondson
Executive Director – Community Impact
Partners for Rural Impact is our solution to rural communities who want to pursue a place-based cradle-to-career strategy. So many rural communities are hurting from disinvestment. Partners for Rural Impact offers a solution. They…
- Cecilia Gutierrez
Managing Director, Place Matters Portfolio
You cannot effectively support a community without truly understanding it. PRI’s Rural Summit allows ECMC Foundation to step into the rural context, hear from people doing work on the ground, and build authentic relationships. The…
- Julia Cunningham
Program Officer, ECMC Foundation
Become part of the movement
From rural leaders to public, private, and community partners, our movement grows through connection. If you're ready to partner or want to learn more about Partners for Rural Impact's work across rural America, let's get connected.