The Rural Futures Series: Building Capacity for Rural Prosperity
October 7 @ 9:00 am – October 8 @ 5:30 pm CDT
Community capacity is the collective ability of a community to draw on its people, institutions, relationships, and resources to thrive. In discussions with people from rural communities across the Midwest, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has heard repeatedly about the challenges they face in building and maintaining such capacity. Where capacity is strong, communities are well positioned to attract and leverage investment capital, navigate economic shifts, and pursue long-term goals. But in many rural places, local experts observe that the people and organizations that sustain this work are increasingly stretched.
This year’s Rural Futures Series event will bring together community leaders, practitioners, and resource providers for in-depth conversations about how communities can strengthen capacity while focusing on four key areas: leadership, healthcare investment, succession planning, and external resources.
On Day 1, you will:
- Learn how communities are sustaining rural leadership across civic, public, and business sectors
- Examine strategic capital deployment for rural healthcare, from federal funding to state-level program implementation addressing overlapping access barriers
- Explore succession planning strategies to learn how communities are preparing for transitions before they become crises
- Hear directly from funding and technica
Through these conversations on October 7, attendees will gain practical strategies they can adapt in their own communities and organizations.
Optional Day 2 Bus Tour:
On October 8, join the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Partners for Rural America for a full-day tour of rural communities in southwest Wisconsin to see community and economic development strategies in action. Stops will focus on workforce housing, healthcare facilities, agricultural cooperatives, local food systems, and disaster resiliency. Breakfast and lunch are included.
This conference is designed for:
- Local government officials and staff
- Economic development professionals
- Nonprofit and civic leaders
- Lenders and financial intermediaries
- Business owners and entrepreneurs
- Community foundations
- Extension and regional planning staff
- State and federal agency staff focused on rural communities
- Anyone interested in strengthening rural community capacity
