RURAL AMERICA: A Treasure of ASSETS
January 19, 2024
Blossom Johnston does good by strengthening nonprofits in rural Idaho
By Jennie Blizzard, Fed Communities
Blossom Johnston fondly recalls growing up on the black, volcanic sands and blue waters of the Big Island of Hawaii. “I remember my mom loading me and my siblings up in the car and we would just stop on the road to glean whatever was in season,” she says. “I thought of it as island life but when I look back on growing up there, I’m like, ‘Wow, it was super rural.’”
Her strong connection to nature in rural communities, and her passion for children, led her to Idaho almost 40 years ago. “It’s my purpose to improve the well-being of families and children,” she says. “It’s one of the reasons why I exist and why I came here.”
“We need to empower our rural communities to think about what we want to look like in the next 20 to 50 years. We also have to appreciate that our daily lives depend on what happens in these communities.”
– Blossom Johnston
Good things happen in Idaho
As executive director and founder of Idaho Partners for Good, Blossom helps nonprofits in the state to be successful in impacting their communities. During her time working for the state’s governor, she visited rural communities and held day-long summits. They brought together people to network, communicate, and coordinate. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but I eventually saw the same issues with every one of these organizations,” Blossom said. “Their organizational operations were not well developed.”
Idaho Partners for Good acts as a pro bono consultant and uses an entrepreneurial model to mentor and support nonprofits for up to three years to help them improve performance and achieve long-term goals. For example, Idaho Partners for Good recently launched the Transformational Leadership Cohort. The goal is to provide leaders in this cohort with tools they need to succeed, such as assessment tools, personalized coaching, and a nurturing environment that fosters growth and collaboration. “The nonprofit sector is on the front line of human and environmental needs,” says Blossom. “We’re not going to have strong families and communities if they’re not supported.”
In addition to her work with individual nonprofits, Blossom also leads the statewide strategic plan for the Idaho Rural Partnership, an organization that does similar work on a statewide level. She’s also been working closely with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s rural initiatives in Idaho.
Blossom has remained grounded in rural Idaho personally and professionally for many reasons. “I love how rural communities can get things done without a lot of resources,” she says. “They are some of the most innovative and genius problem solvers.”
She recognizes the challenges that rural communities face. But she pushes back on the perception that they aren’t as sophisticated or professional as more populated communities. “We have no idea how many hats rural leaders are wearing,” she says. “They have to be the mayor, fire chief, teacher, and farmer all in one day. And they’re doing it well.”
So, what’s Blossom’s hope for rural communities in Idaho and across the country? “We need to empower our rural communities to think about what we want to look like in the next 20 to 50 years. We also have to appreciate that our daily lives depend on what happens in these communities.”
