Resources for Rural/Small Nonprofit Leaders

Anyone who has driven east on Highway 200 knows that far eastern Montana is as different from the Paradise Valley as grape jelly is from mayonnaise – sure, both are foods of a somewhat mysterious viscosity [both are rural areas] and both could technically be considered condiments [both are capacity-strapped and under-resourced compared to more urban areas], but that’s where the similarities end. Though this metaphor is a little goopy, the thought behind it is real – while there are some commonalities amongst rural communities (housing unaffordability, population changes, aging demographics, etc.), no two rural communities face the exact same challenges. And to make this totally unnecessary metaphor even messier, a place like Missoula or Billings is a sandwich to rural Montana’s condiment. Both rural and urban communities share some challenges, like housing prices and population changes, and urban areas certainly have plenty of unique issues, but there is no denying that capacity, resources, networks, opportunities, donors, and volunteers are often harder to come by in rural and frontier communities.

This disparity in access means nonprofits in rural counties like Wheatland or Roosevelt simply have a different operating environment than nonprofits in counties like Lewis & Clark or Gallatin, and their needs and what real support looks like are also different. (You can skip my ramblings on the reality of rural capacity and head straight to the resource links at the bottom of this page if you’d like – I won’t blame you.)

Commitment to Under-Served Nonprofits

As part of our commitment to resourcing rural and historically under-served nonprofits, we have spent a lot of time over the last few years listening to rural leaders and reimagining our programming. This has led to things like launching our rural ambassador program, creating and cohosting regional community builder summits, deliberately recruiting rural board and policy council members, introducing a no-questions-asked sliding scale for all trainings, and being more intentional about creating and curating resources designed specifically for rural leaders. While there are plenty of resources that are universally helpful for our members – like our biannual wage and benefit report or our foundation directory – there are also plenty of resources that get far less relevant when you have less capacity and less access (to funding, professional services, people power, state agencies, technology, etc.). Best practices, cutting-edge platforms, or in-depth operations plans can be great, but they’re not always applicable in reality for very small or rural organizations, whether that is because there are no or only one paid staff or because the board chair is related to the development coordinator who is also married to the former treasurer’s brother who happens to be the only plumber in town so is that a conflict of interest if we need to hire him to fix the toilet?

While that last example sounds a little silly, it’s the reality of operating in a small town, and it’s a problem a nonprofit in Great Falls likely doesn’t have to grapple with. As I wrote in my building belonging blog post about supporting community builders in Eastern Montana in 2024, “When we think about the impacts of these funding and resource disparities, it’s important to remember that there isn’t less need in rural Eastern Montana – there are just fewer resources to meet those needs. Nonprofits operating in these rural communities are incredibly resourceful and resilient, but they are also stretched thin and at risk of burning out.”

We believe so deeply in the importance of resourcing rural and historically under-served nonprofits that our 2026-2028 Strategic Plan lists Priority #2 as:

Rural Ambassadors

MNA rural ambassadors work to help connect local community leaders to resources, each other, and the Montana nonprofit community at large. They play a key role in MNA’s efforts to provide information, support, and targeted resources to rural nonprofits, while focusing on growing and maintaining local networks to promote collaboration and connection for community leaders. This capacity-building program started in 2022 with two rural ambassadors in Eastern Montana and has grown to reach thirteen communities across the state. You can learn more about our 2026 ambassadors here. 

I am thrilled to share a slate of resources created by rural nonprofit leaders for rural nonprofit leaders as part of our 2026 rural ambassador program. Each of our thirteen ambassadors was tasked with creating/sharing/curating a resource that would be applicable and accessible for busy, capacity-strapped leaders. While some of these resources may not be fully applicable to a nonprofit operating in Helena or Missoula for a variety of reasons, many of them absolutely are.

Targeted Universalism

Targeted universalism is a phrase I learned from Denise Juneau during her keynote speech at our 2020 annual conference – she used the example of sidewalk curbs: while they are vital for wheelchair users, they are also extremely helpful for someone pushing a stroller, using a walker, or carting something heavy with a furniture dolly. Targeted universalism essentially means designing something with the highest barriers in mind, knowing that it will also meet lower barrier needs. I see many of these resources in a similar way – they were designed with the complex barriers of rural Montana in mind, and that means they will also be useful for leaders of small nonprofits in urban areas or new board or staff members looking for a starting point when working on something new. All of our 2026 ambassadors are incredibly thoughtful and smart, with vast experience leading nonprofits in staff, volunteer, and/or consulting capacities, and these resources are all practices/strategies/tools they have used to make their own work easier.

Each resource is a little different – some of them are downloadable templates, some of them are case studies about specific projects or programs that have been impactful in their rural community, some of them are guides or checklists to help you avoid the decision-fatigue and overwhelm that comes with googling “social media for nonprofits”, and some are just honest reflections about what has or hasn’t worked for that specific rural nonprofit leader.  

Resource Links (more links coming soon!)

10 Practices for Rural Collaboration

Rural Tourism Partnership Guide

Guide to Effective Meetings

Youth Engagement – Stop Guessing What the Kids Want

Downloadable Project Management Template

Social Media Tips & Tools

Youth in Philanthropy Replication Guide   

HOPE for nonprofits

Collaborative Events

Barriers to 501c3 in Reservation Communities

Systems Thinking in Small Towns

We will continue building and curating resources for capacity-strapped organizations – if you have specific suggestions or needs, please reach out to me, I’d love to have a conversation about what could support your organization (rural or not!). And, if you’ve made it this far – thank you and my deepest apologies for leading with a weird food metaphor.