August 7, 2010

Nonprofit Networks Can Boost Rural Charities

By Alex Neuhoff and Pat Wu

The nonprofit landscape in rural America resembles a sparse pygmy forest, where trees that would normally grow to a great height reach only a few feet for lack of nutrients.

There are fewer nonprofit groups to begin with, and beyond that, the organizations serving rural areas are much smaller. In fact, on a per-capita basis, rural groups are only one third the size of urban organizations.

Why does this matter? Poverty is higher in rural areas than urban,