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“The fundamentals haven’t changed: The role of the nongovernmental sector is essential. We do need to do more work blending the private sector and government policy where possible…But we need to relentlessly remain in the ‘how’ business. We’ve got quite enough ink spilt and quite enough air spent on ‘what’ and ‘how much’ but when it’s all said and done, when you and I’ve finished our work, when we look back on it, our success will be determined more than anything else on how well we answered the ‘how’ question.”

-    The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States
Addressing attendees at the Council on Foundations’ Annual Conference in May 2009

Dr. Sherece West, President, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

Dr. Sherece West was struck by these words as President Bill Clinton calmly and decisively faced 1,200 grantmakers one May afternoon in Atlanta. Outside, a thunderstorm raged. But inside the packed room, no one stirred as all eyes and ears where on the former president.

West, the president of the Little Rock-based Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, is facing a “how” situation: How can more Americans—the government, grantmakers, the media—pay attention to and invest in the issues plaguing rural America? It’s not to say that urban America is problem-free but, according to West and many other rural-based grantmakers, rural parts of the country do not receive the necessary funding and resources to make it compete with other—namely—urban areas.

“There are real needs in rural America,” West said. “Let’s take the issues of education and workforce development. We have a swath of Americans who lag behind in education outcomes and who aren’t employable. In Arkansas, we have a high unemployment rate. I often hear there is a mismatch of skills for jobs. Jobs are available but job seekers do not have the skills for the jobs.

“We have school systems that are not teaching our kids to compete successfully in the 21st century workplace. We have illiteracy rates that are beyond belief. If people can’t read, they won’t be able to get a job. And even for those who have a degree or a certification, they have nowhere to go as companies close and industries leave our state,” West states.

West says she and others have tried to get STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education enacted in Arkansas. “We’ve significantly invested in STEM education and we’ve made incremental strides. We know that’s the way to go—it’s the way of the future—but we simply cannot attract and retain top-quality educators to teach our kids.”

To use President Clinton’s analogy, West has a clear understanding of the “what”—the challenges, as well as the hard facts and figures facing rural America. West now wants to focus on the “how”—finding strategies and solutions to address these challenges.

Click on the image to watch President Clinton. He asks foundations to "relentlessly remain in the 'how' business."

She has some ideas on how rural-based grantmakers can get on the political agenda, such as being proactive with lawmakers at all levels and demonstrating that you have investment opportunities in your state.

“Arkansas has a big agricultural sector and we play a major role in our nation’s food supply. There’s an investment opportunity: using science and innovation, as it relates to agriculture, sustainable food, and land development,” West said.

While West doesn’t have all the answers, she believes that rural America will need to reinvent itself.

“What I hear is that rural America doesn’t have a voice because we don’t have an organized presence,” West said. She believes that grantmakers don’t necessarily have to present a unified front, but that they do need a voice.

In July, West, along with other grantmakers and the Council, will host a “Philanthropy and Rural America” conference in Little Rock. The conference will focus philanthropy’s eye on the country’s rural sector and examine the challenges and opportunities it faces. At the same time, conference participants will examine ways to increase philanthropy’s role in serving these communities and amplify its voice with lawmakers and regulators.

West hopes to have these tough conversations at the conference but warns that there will be a “moratorium on bellyaching” because funders need to be solutions-focused.

“We need to talk about strategy that demonstrates our opportunities and impact in rural investment rather than the historic approach that focuses on need,” West said.

West also wants to see funders launch an “Invest in Rural America” campaign at the conference. She believes that a branding campaign will increase awareness of the challenges and, even more importantly, encourage investment. Another of West’s goals is to form an action alliance among rural funders. By banding together, funders can break the silos and work together toward a common set of goals and opportunities.

“The truth is rural America has the opportunity and must re-create itself—whether it is in the area of biofuels or research and development, energy efficiency, or building broadband infrastructure in rural areas (part of the new administration’s reinvestment and recovery act), rural business development, or forestry,” West said. “Rural America is a rich minefield of opportunity for partnerships and change.”

“How” West faces and answers these challenges will be a lesson to all of us.

Note: The “Philanthropy and Rural America” conference will take place in Little Rock, Arkansas, July 13–15, 2009. Learn more about the conference by visiting the Council’s website.

This article was written by Sarita Venkat. Venkat is the manager of external communications at the Council on Foundations.