Still Overlooked: Foundations are being more thoughtful about rural philanthropy, but total dollars continue to lag.

Rural philanthropy in the United States is currently lacking, with national foundations not investing enough in rural areas. Despite rural areas making up 14 to 20% of the population, only about 7% of philanthropic spending goes towards them. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is one of the few major national foundations that has a strategic plan for rural grant making. However, there is some optimism as new philanthropic collaboratives are emerging and wealthy individuals are making significant contributions. Rural America is diverse and faces challenges such as poverty and inadequate infrastructure. Foundations are working to improve their grant making by getting closer to the communities they support and focusing on reducing polarization and bridging differences. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation specifically targets deeply disinvested rural communities, particularly those that are persistently poor and predominantly communities of color. Some foundations are also hiring field coordinators to better understand and support rural communities. [Extracted from the article]