Humanities Texas will conduct in-person and online professional development programs for social studies and English language arts teachers.

To understand where we are and what it will take to achieve true digital equity for rural communities and Native nations, the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group spoke with some of the practitioners working on the ground to deploy broadband and make sure communities can use it to advance equitable rural prosperity.

This toolkit from Rural Health Information Hub provides evidence-based examples, promising models, program best practices, and resources that can be used by your organization to implement substance use disorder prevention and treatment programs.

As part of the Rural East Texas Economic Opportunity Analysis series, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation has released updated reports for the Northeast, Deep East, and Southeast regions of Texas.

The American Association for Public Broadband’s newly launched handbook will guide communities in building their own broadband networks, bringing local control and choice to cities and towns across America.

With growing reliance and investment in broadband, the industry has become the latest skilled trade providing crucial support for our societies.

The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty's free online Technical Assistance Handbook and companion training video series will guide you through the planning stages all the way to implementing and operating your mailed meal box program.

Toolkits from Texas Nonprofits Strong highlight Built for Texas reports for community leaders, helping shape productive conversations about the vital role nonprofits play and making the case for including nonprofits at relevant decision-making tables.`

The Community Water System Service Area Boundaries Map is a new data visualization tool from the Environmental Protection Agency . The dataset covers all 50 states and Tribal systems and boundaries for 99% of all public water consumers in the United States.

Data dashboard compiling high-level, summary information about calls made to Texas 2-1-1, a statewide resource hotline that connects Texans to critical, community-based services like housing, healthcare, mental health support, food assistance, and more.

Data and resources to help learn more about Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) populations in Texas.

Texas embraced a new, performance-based funding model for community colleges. A year later, campus leaders believe they are starting to see the rewards.

Crescent Regional has installed its first "Holobox," a 3D, life-sized, holographic display that allows doctors to teleport to the hospital for real-time consults.

This new resource from Texas Rural Funders offers an introduction to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI). It includes an overview of how they care serve as a financial tool, examples of how TX Rural Funders members are collaborating with them and a directory of CDFIs in Texas.

When disaster strikes, Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy takes command of her county’s emergency communication channels, including a text service and Facebook page.

Broadband providers and banking groups are continuing to ask that the Federal Communications Commission ditch the bank rating system it has relied on for its subsidy program’s financing requirements.

A national study found young children are faring worse academically than their peers before the pandemic. The problem’s scope in Texas is unclear.

A new traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian, "Crossroads: Change in Rural America," will soon roll through seven rural Lone Star communities starting in August.

Join Texas Rural Funders and the Texas Tribune for "Small Towns, Big Possibilities. A Symposium on the Future of Rural Texas." 

Texas announced a $3.03 billion investment in water and wastewater projects located throughout the state. The projects are being funded through the Texas Water Development Board’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and State Water Implementation Fund for Texas.

Broadband provider FiberLight announced high speed internet for 59 school districts in the Texas Panhandle funded by the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate program, which provides affordable internet access to school districts and libraries.

Imagine a Day Without Water is a day that brings together diverse participants to highlight how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of continuous investment.

High-level data on the state of education, healthcare, and economic opportunity in the Texas Panhandle.

The Texas Power Podcast aims to serve an audience of energy professionals, policymakers, and academics, but will also be accessible to a general audience by explaining key topics and acronyms

View this interactive map of clean energy jobs and investment by county or legislative district. 

First year results from the Texas Rural College Promise were released, showing significant progress on undergraduate enrollment rates across rural North and East Texas.

The gap is widening between real-estate appraisals and construction costs, holding entreprenuers back.

The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty is excited to offer multiple partnership opportunities to foundation partners.

The USDA estimates the families of 3.8 million children could have received $120 per child to cover summer lunches if the state participated in the new $2.5 billion program launching this summer. Texas is one of 15 states opting out.

Feeding America has produces Map the Meal Gap and provides estimates of local food insecurity and food costs to improve the understanding of people and places facing hunger and inform decisions that will help ensure equitable access to nutritious food for all.

Online library of educational resources from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's partners and initiatives. Includes reports, infographics, videos, and case studies related to promising programs and strategies education (early learning, K-12, higher education, and teaching), workforce development, and economic mobility.

News and reports about clean energy, land conservation, subsurface energy, sustainability education, water, and the Mitchell Foundation's programmatic partnerships in Galveston.

The Texas College Access Network (TxCAN) is an initiative of Educate Texas that connects and supports college access initiatives, with the goal of increasing students’ access to college and certificate programs. Their online tools can help you compare FAFSA submission rates and direct-to-college enrollment rates to other Educational Service Center regions, counties, school districts, and campuses in Texas.

Resource hub sharing literature and program scans, case studies, practical tools and other resources that Trellis Foundation staff and its grant partners have produced about postsecondary education attainment.

A collection of case studies from across the U.S. focused on how communities are adapting to energy and climate challenges.

Searchable and sortable library of research and articles aimed at deeping our our collective understanding of health inequities.

Online library of how-to guides for organizational capacity building, public policy briefs, commissioned research on health in South Texas, and more.

Publications to promote awareness, encourage dialogue and learning, and share a greater understanding of what creates, influences and protects mental health.

The Congregational Collective exists to equip congregations to become community leaders in mental health and wellness by partnering to build support systems, networks and ministry tools that include educational resources, training, and a network of relationships.

Searchable library of actionable research by scholars and practitioners that can inform systems change in Texas education. The Greater Texas Foundation also writes its own research briefs to provide timely and succinct information on topics relevant to postsecondary access and student success in our state.

The Texas College and Career Readiness School Models (CCRSM) Network supports more than 400 high school campuses across the state plan and implement unique pathway programs to postsecondary education. Use their online School Locator to find participating school models in your region.

This integrated platform for healthcare data and engagement tools contains interactive dashboards, maps, storyboards, infographics, reports, data sets and other resources to help you utilize data for strategic growth and collaboration.

These self-paced online courses from Community Tech Network prepare organizations for tackling the digital divide. These courses include options for trainers who are looking to understand adult learning principles and instructional methods, managers who are looking to manage digital navigators, and more.

This toolkit from Rural Health Information Hub compiles evidence-based and promising models and resources to support organizations implementing mental health programs in rural communities across the United States.

This resource center from Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group brings together rural experts, advocates, and residents to tell a comprehensive story of what it takes for rural America to thrive today and into the future.

The PAYA Resource Library is a searchable database of the best youth apprenticeship resources from PAYA's nationwide network of partners.

The Mary E. Bivins Foundation created this resource on hunger and food insecurity among older adults living in the Texas Panhandle to find resources by county, including congregate meals, food pantries, and home-delivered meals.

Bringing fiber infrastructure to rural areas is expensive and time consuming. Wise County, Texas, found a way to deliver high-speed Internet access without wires.

Many states, including Texas, have recently created initiatives that prioritize short-term credentials—postsecondary programs that take fewer than two years to complete. These initiatives are often designed as an alternative to college and targeted to students who do not have a four-year degree.

The Texas Comptroller's Regional Reports provide an overview of population, income, jobs, wages and education trends in each of Texas' 12 economic regions including a statewide overview.

Nearly half of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in Texas say they skipped or postponed medical care in the past year because of cost. This is just one of the findings of EHF's first-ever statewide survey of AAPI health experiences in Texas.

While rural areas do better at training and retaining a primary care workforce, the growing demand for healthcare still outpaces the supply of doctors.

Teens Teach Tech, powered by AT&T, provides a platform for tech-savvy teenagers to offer digital skills training in their communities as a service project or to earn financial incentives. By forming a team with two or more teens, you as a mentor, are pivotal in facilitating valuable digital skills, training sessions, and fostering a culture of continuous learning in your community.

The Texas Demographic Conference is an annual meeting providing updates of demographic and socioeconomic data available for Texans. Watch the highlights!

This resource outlines libary locations by district, county, and education service center.

This resource shares success stories from eight Texas Rural Funders working in libraries.

This regional report speaks to the lived energy experiences of nearly 7,000 respondents who contend with low incomes across Texas.

This comprehensive survey of over 6,500 Texas households with low to moderate incomes (LMI) illuminates some of the critical challenges LMI households face regarding energy affordability, reliability, and resilience.

Rising temperatures intensify drought and increase costs for the heavily subsidized crop insurance program.

The narrative of US climate impact and action often focuses on the nation’s cities and crowded coasts. However, in the vast expanse of rural and small-town America, there is a story that has been largely untold, one of significant emissions reduction potential shadowed by systematic underinvestment.

Learn about the work of HUD in the rural context, including the programming and funds helping to ensure that housing and community development needs are met.

This report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce demonstrates that in half of the nation’s labor markets, at least 50% of all middle-skills credentials would need to be granted in different fields of study to meet projected labor demand through 2031.

Raise Your Hand Texas supports public policy solutions that invest in Texas’ 5.4 million public school students. This bilingual toolkit includes videos on school financing that answers questions about Texas school funding, how Texas schools spend their money, and more.

This series from Fed Communities discusses the work of organizations and people who are passionate about rural: from developing high quality, affordable housing; bringing reliable internet services to remote areas; to building systems to help communities create lasting change.

LISC invites applications to the Broadband Help Hub, part of the National Broadband Technical Assistance Marketplace. This rapid-response program provides communities with high-quality, targeted technical assistance to produce investment-ready broadband plans.

The Benton Institute on Broadband & Society released an updated Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Performance Tool. It has a new feature -- the ACP Risk Score, in which we identify ZIP code areas where loss of service is likely to be most severe when the ACP subsidy goes away.

Join Jobs for the Future for a webinar series focused on innovative and promising practices for pathways, education, and workforce development in rural communities. Each 50-minute webinar will provide actionable and equitable strategies that support inclusive economic development and economic advancement for rural residents.

Texas Rural Funders spoke with the Public News Service Radio about our Grants Hub, which offers federal and state grant opportunities, along with grant writers who can be hired to assist rural governments or organizations with applications.

Kelty Garbee, Executive Director of Texas Rural Funders, spoke with The Texas Tribune about the Affordable Connectivity Program.

In November 2023, the Mitchell Foundation, the Environmental Policy Innovation Center, and the T.L.L. Temple Foundation began a collaborative effort to help prioritize investments and policies for improving drinking water equity in East Texas.

E-Rate helps schools and libraries boost their technology investment, and TRF has a new resource, Boosting Broadband with E-Rate, that explains the program and shares inspiring examples of how E-Rate is used to help children and community members have more access to the latest technology with limited local investment.

This resource from the U.S. Drought Monitor reveals the extent of water scarcity gripping parts of Texas, with vast swathes of the state facing a severe shortage, raising concerns about the future of water access and sustainability in the region.

This resource from Texas Rural Funders offers a non-exhaustive survey of funding and technical assistance for broadband projects in 2024.

This Dashboard presents Texas Census estimates of undercounting-related variables for Texas and its counties.

This new board features openings across the Texas Association of Museums.

The American Climate Corps has jobs across the country.

USDA Rural Development has paid internships available in Abilene, Edinburg, Lufkin and Nacogdoches for Pathways Student Trainee - Loan Assistant/Specialist.

This new hub from the BDO provides in-depth information about the digital divide and digital opportunity in Texas.

This session from the North Texas Nonprofit Institute will cover what 211 Texas is, how to reach us, what options are available when someone calls in, what types of resource we list, how we work disasters, the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, and how to use the 211 Texas website.

The rootED Alliance is working to counteract the lack of counselors in rural schools nationwide: forty-eight states are above the recommended ratio of having one for every 250 students, according to the American School Counselor Association. 

The Trellis Foundation's third biennial postsecondary policy summit in Austin, TX, on April 19, 2024, delved into mental health and wellbeing as a strategy for student success.

Funding Rural is a podcast about how philanthropy can better serve rural communities and spark systemic change.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has announced its inaugural cohort of 65 fellows and host communities, including two in East Texas. 

Library Freedom Institute is a privacy-focused 6-month virtual training for librarians. This curriculum gives librarians the tools they need to become privacy champions in their libraries. Once-a-month, LFI will provide a 2-hour training that covers a variety of topics.

Greenlights Grant Initiative provides tailored and free resources to assist nationwide school districts access school safety grants.

This toolkit is designed to assist practitioners working in agriculture and economic development in learning more about the range of finance tools available to assist underserved farmers and ranchers with obtaining capital to start and grow their businesses.

Rural recreation counties added to their pre-pandemic employment numbers, but other rural economies struggled to recover.

More than 90% of Texas’ 32 border counties don’t have enough primary care services, sites or providers to meet local medical needs, according to federal data.

For decades, millions of Americans have been forced to go without internet or pay for subpar service, which thwarts opportunities to participate and thrive in today’s society, especially for Black communities in the rural South.

Jim Reiff completed the Federal Reserve’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Survey this summer. The survey results show that his experiences mirror what other CDFIs across the country have faced.

This analysis identifies programs specifically relevant to rural community and economic development, based on three key classifications: rural exclusive, rural stipulated, and rural relevant.

This new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas examines how the Texas economy is changing and, with it, the state’s need for education and training.

Marfa students are immersing themselves in the world of vertical farming, blending classroom instruction with firsthand experiences on village farms.

A new brief from the Benton Institute analyzes the economic impact of ACP through the lens of financial benefits for subscribers.

According to a new report from Episcopal Health Foundation there is an opportunity for pharmacists to increase access to healthcare in Texas.

Kevin Lambing of T.L.L. Temple Founation collaborated with colleagues Carrie Shaver, DHA, FACHE and Lisa Rantz to write a policy paper for the National Rural Health Association. This informative brief highlights the impact of Medicare Advantage (MA) on rural communities

Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce's report counters to some degree the popular narrative that rural America has been “left behind.”

Libraries for Health, an initiative designed and funded by Texas Rural Funder St. David's Foundation and in partnership with Via Hope and RAND, seeks to reimagine the delivery of mental health services by building upon a community anchor - a local public library - that is already in place.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance hosted a webinar with the FCC on the ongoing ACP wind-down. View a timeline here.

Hot off the presses! The latest draft of the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan (TDOP) was submitted to NTIA on February 28, 2024. 

As states get closer to accepting applications for $42.5 billion in BEAD rural broadband funding, more defaults in the previous RDOF rural broadband funding program could be coming.

 Wildfires are perhaps the most dreaded natural disaster in the Panhandle. Since 2006, when Amarillo Area Foundation opened the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund (PDRF), residents have experienced the accumulated loss of millions of dollars in homes, businesses, out-buildings, vehicles, livestock, grazing land, and fencing.

The legislation behind the historic investment directs state agencies to send money to the state’s smaller, cash-strapped towns that have difficulty paying for upgrades. Federal money is also expected to flow to regions that need broadband.

STARS College Network provides resources for students to understand college costs, guides to admissions processes, and offers a community platform.

This resource from Postsecondary National Policy Institute offers data on rural student enrollment in higher education.

The guide draws from several sources: data analyses of student outcomes, interviews with college leaders, virtual site visits to high-performing rural colleges, in-person site visits to rural colleges as part of the Aspen Prize process, and convenings of leaders of rural colleges.

Thrive, not just survive, animates development work in East Texas, where a local family foundation, T.L.L. Temple, and a community development financial institution, Communities Unlimited, are teaming to develop bottom-up structural solutions to building rural capacity.

Find current grants and our grant writer list here.

In 2022, No Kid Hungry invested over $1.8 million in grant funds to 53 school districts and community groups across the state. During this period, grantees we supported provided over 90 million meals to Texas kids and families. 

PeopleFund creates economic opportunity and financial stability for underserved people and communities by providing access to capital, education, and resources to build healthy small businesses. Read their annual report.

Dedicated to serving the health needs of rural Texas, the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) staff work with local health care providers and other partners to support access to quality health care for rural Texans.

This article highlights 5 questions for family foundations to consider while crafting a strategic plan, and features TRF Member, Hogg Foundation.

On November 7, Texas voters weighed in and voted YES on Prop 8!

This Dashboard provides actionable measures of health and its drivers calculated at the congressional district level, showing users how their district is doing on health outcomes, social and economic factors, and more.

This initiative aims to address the critical One Health Crisis in rural areas of Texas and create a sustainable solution through education and community development.

The East Texas town has maintained a reliable bus route since 2016, providing a model for rural areas with limited transportation.

This dashboard visualizes the data released on Affordable Connectivity Program utilization by the Universal Service Administrative Company.

ECMC Foundation’s Basic Needs Initiative addresses basic needs insecurity among postsecondary students.

Policy engagement — fundamental to improving the social and structural determinants of mental health — has always been a strategic priority for the foundation, which has become a trusted resource for mental health and substance use policy issues in Texas. Yet, the state’s mental health and substance use policy community is limited in size, capacity, and training.

The 2023 edition of Rural America at a Glance examines rural population and migration trends, poverty, housing insecurity, unemployment, and clean energy jobs. It finds that rural employment levels and annual growth rates have nearly returned to levels seen prior to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has announced the launched a dashboard showing the progress of states and territories as they plan to implement the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

We asked and NTIA responded with alternatives to the BEAD Letter of Credit requirement!

In an extraordinary slice of luck, a small area of the Lone Star State will witness October's annular solar eclipse and April's total solar eclipse. Most of the places where the eclipses will be visible are rural communities!

As part of their series on funders who support rural communities, Inside Philanthropy featured five place-based funders supporting rural communities in Texas, including five Texas Rural Funders!

The Southwest Regional Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Education will provide input on federal technical assistance priorities will be reviewing public comments along with other data and resources as part of a needs-sensing process, and they want to hear from you!

The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute is leading a 12-month learning experience that equips districts to effectively develop and implement evidence-based school mental health programs. This opportunity is free of cost thanks to the support of the Texas Pioneer Foundation.

The Pottsboro Library and TekWav are pleased to announce a partnership to bring internet service to the patrons of the library through the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program.

The Texas Film Round-Up provides FREE digitization for Texas-related films and videotapes in exchange for the donation of a digital copy of the materials to TexasArchive.org.

Texas Rural Funders invited rural communities to attend this session showcasing free resources that promote cultural and economic development

BookSpring builds literacy skills and the motivation to read through increasing home libraries and reading aloud activities for children.

Watch an ever-growing archive of Texas film and videos through the decades. Discover the experience of Texans, explore education and preservation resources.

Texans for the Arts is a highly effective, non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization that provides coordinated information about legislative activity related to arts issues and organizes advocacy efforts in order to protect and increase public funding for the arts at the state, national and local levels.

The Texas Association of Counties (TAC) is the representative voice for all Texas counties and county officials and, through TAC, counties communicate the county perspective to state officials and the general public.

Empower Schools is a nonprofit that partners with communities to develop sustainable solutions that improve student success at school and in life.

Steady State Impact Strategies can help any organization find critical leverage points, advise senior leaders, and build strategies and infrastructure leading to improved organizational effectiveness.

TORCH is an organization of rural and community hospitals, corporations and interested individuals working together to address the special needs and issues of rural and community hospitals, staff and patients they serve.

Books Beginning at Birth is a statewide program that provides young children and their families with free to books and resources to support the development of early literacy skills and foster a love of reading.

Access to broadband has transformed our economy and our society. This new document from Texas Rural Funders helps demystify funding and clarify the vocabulary of broadband development.

Diminishing springs and aquifers due to heat, drought and high for demand water highlight the urgency for Central Texas conservation districts to prioritize climate-focused management, potentially involving reduced pumping for sustainability.

The rural/urban divide is too simplistic to apply to real lives, says a researcher who studies political and social divisions.

This amateur documentary from the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, made by Ouida Whitaker Dean in 1976, focuses on women in agriculture in the rural East Texas town of Timpson, as well as in America at large.

National Civilian Community Corps, or AmeriCorps NCCC is an AmeriCorps program that engages 18- to 24-year-olds in team-based national and community service in the United States.

Operation Connectivity formed to connect Texas's 5.5 million public scchool students with an e-learning device and reliable internet sufficient for learning.

This library in Pottsboro, Texas reinvents the traditional library by offering a "library of things."

Episcopal Health Foundation partnered with the Texas Association of Health Plans and the Texas Association of Community Health Plans to conduct the first ever Texas survey to capture Medicaid health plans activities to address non-medical drivers of health care.

Thousands of low-income, Latino residents in Texas still do not have safe drinking water. In one El Paso colonia, some residents are using solar distillation to generate water from the air.

On the eve of a historic investment in connecting the Lone Star State, advocates worry maps that will help establish which communities get funding have bad information.

It remains a priority to strengthen the capacity of rural communities to compete for federal funds and build the mechanisms and technical expertise they require to secure and manage federal awards.

For community colleges to reach their full potential as drivers of prosperity and equity, states must create strong, stable, coherent finance systems that enable and incentivize colleges to better meet pressing state interests and student needs.

Episcopal Health Foundation, examines hospital responses of a national survey from the American Hospital Association.

Community devel­opment financial institutions, or CDFIs, are mission-driven nonprof­its and for-profits that deliver a range of financial products, services, and education to underserved individuals and communities.

The State Office of Rural Health created this funding resource guide for rural health facilities in order to help them more easily find resources relevant to their needs and geographic area.

As part of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program, the NTIA announced Texas’ $3.3 billion allocation.

The San Miguel coal mine and power plant operation in South Texas has the dirtiest groundwater in the entire U.S., according to research. Now this company wants to expand the mine even more, and this time they want to drive ash across an essential source of drinking water for many South Texans – the San Miguel Creek, which is one of just two tributaries to Choke Canyon Reservoir.

In late 2022, Ascendium launched an effort to better understand the landscape and best practices of funder collaboration in advancing educational and workforce outcomes for low-income rural populations.

PLACES reports county, place, census tract, and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas data and uses small area estimation methods to obtain chronic disease measures for the entire United States.

Texans for the Arts Foundation launched the Municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax Toolkit, an online resource for arts, municipal, hotel, and tourism leaders sharing what you need to know about Texas’ Municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax.

This web application is designed to help communities and organizations make informed decisions about broadband deployment while considering natural hazard risks.

The Texas CDFI coalition's mission is to engage and strengthen the Texas CDFI sector, and promote comprehensive community development that produces financially sustainable & equitable results.

More than ever, people are visiting and moving to places with inspiring natural amenities. Yet rapidly growing outdoor recreation economies can also come with serious drawbacks.

Uvalde CISD enters the final stretch of the Uvalde Moving Forward campaign to fund the design and construction of Uvalde's new elementary school, with updates to share.

This case study examines how three rural schools in Texas addressed three challenges rural schools face.

To bridge gap between funders and community uptake, Connected Nation developed this 2018 Texas Broadband Funding Guide highlighting public and private programs across the state.

Through a Listening Tour and Focus Group meetings, this 2018 report examines broadband access identified in rural Texas and prioritizes recomendations to empower Rural Texas.

Report from Texas Rural Funders that tells broadband stories across Texas counties, identifies key broadband stakeholders, offers policy recommendations.

SA Digital Connects is a broad coalition of public, private, and community partners are working together to reduce the digital divide.

LIFE works to economically mobilize its community by teaching financial literacy, creating economic stability, and building generational wealth.

The Dallas Fed is working with several communities to highlight barriers to expanding broadband access.

Borderplex Connect is a regional coalition of public, private, and nonprofit partners dedicated to promoting digital inclusion in the Borderplex region.

The Deep East Texas Council of Governments and Economic Development District is a voluntary association of local governments in an 11 county region in East Texas.

Dallas Innovation Alliance is a coalition of stakeholders invested in Dallas’ continued evolution as a forward‐thinking, innovative, ‘smart’ global city.

Broadband maps showing availability of broadband at various speeds in all 254 Texas counties.

Governor Greg Abbott has named Richard “Rick” Rhodes, TRF's Rural Engagement Coordinator chair of the Texas Workforce Investment Council.

Based on best practices and tailored to Texas, this report works through strategies that serve Texas households, local communities, and private internet service providers.

As new rural outdoor recreation economies take root, this report from Aspen Institute created this call to action to ensure sustainable and equitable economic systems to support rural life.

The Texas Border Small Business Broadband Fund will invest in high-speed connectivity, digital transformation, and skills development for businesses in Hidalgo and Cameron counties

This guidebook is focused on different local policies that can guide development that is protective of Texas' Hill Country. Each guide includes links to example ordinances from around our region, as well as links to more in-depth information on the subject.

This resource is meant to demystify the available tools for groundwater management and make groundwater planning and management more accessible across the Hill Country.

Freshwater resources in Texas are facing unprecedented pressures. Increasing competition between water users, coupled with increasingly variable supplies, is giving rise to water scarcity across the state.

An estimated 500,000 people live in thousands of colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. Largely built between the 1950s and 1980s, these communities have been promised water — but it has never come.

A partnership between the Center Economic Development Corporation and Etex Telephone Cooperative has resulted in multiyear project to build a new state-of-the-art network to develop critical connections to the City of Center in Shelby County.

Find free wifi in Texas using this map.

Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC) is the statewide association of regional councils, whose members are focused on enhancing quality of life through regional strategies, partnerships and solutions.

Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) is an Austin-based professional association for economic developers across the state of Texas.

The Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions promotes collaborative, community-based efforts that build the power and influence of those with the least access to opportunity.

Founded in 1948, The Pew Charitable Trusts uses data to make a difference. Pew addresses the challenges of a changing world by illuminating issues, creating common ground, and advancing ambitious strategies that lead to tangible progress.

With residents and partners, Rural LISC supports resilient and inclusive rural communities as great places to live, work, and innovate.

Digital media organization that covers politics and a range of policy issues that affect all Texans.

United Ways in Texas fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community.

Statewide non-profit that seeks to support all Texans in accessing and leveraging broadband.

A national organization focused on bringing open, affordable, high-performance broadband to all people in the U.S. to ensure a thriving democracy.

ARCIT serves small cities and counties in Texas. It offers a strong voice and resource to state and federal government to promote the best practices, policies and programs for rural and small communities, while enhancing the quality of life for all Texans.

TORCH is an organization of rural and community hospitals, corporations and interested individuals working together to address the special needs and issues of rural and community hospitals, staff and patients they serve.

Book examining how large corporations that control cable and internet access in the United States use their tremendous lobbying power to tilt the playing field against competition, holding back the infrastructure improvements necessary for the country to move forward.

Book analyzing the promise and the failure of national rural broadband policy in the United States and proposes a new national broadband plan.

The National Broadband Resource Hub is a philanthropic initiative empowering government and community leaders to build a better broadband future.

This unique series focuses on broadband development finance with an emphasis on the legal, technical, and financial challenges facing communities working to develop broadband.

The Texas Broadband Development Office provides a variety of tools and resources supporting the expansion of broadband access across Texas.

The Texas Department of Agriculture is a state agency responsible for matters pertaining to agriculture, rural community affairs, and related matters.

Texas Electric Cooperatives represents the interests of 76 electric cooperatives with more than 3 million members throughout the state.

Aim Hire Texas is a statewide consortium of advocates, employers, non-profit organizations, and education and training providers working to improve the Texas workforce system for the benefit of all Texans and their employers.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is a state agency that assists the people of Texas to effectively use information, archival resources, public records and library materials to improve their lives, the lives of their families, and their communities

Lead For America exists to ensure that our nation's most dynamic and diverse talent is working on their communities' toughest challenges.

The Immunization Partnership (TIP) leverages a collective knowledge and an unmatched expertise that puts us in the unique position to not only be an effective voice at the Texas Legislature, but to show how others can use their voice, too.

The American Heart Association mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

Just Transition Fund is on a mission to create opportunity for the communities hardest hit by coal’s decline.

Connect Humanity is a non-profit impact fund working to change that, combining tailored investments, strategic advice, and technical guidance so that everyone can connect to fast, affordable, reliable internet access.

The Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation brings faculty and students together with business, industry, education and community partners in dynamic environments.

Texan by Nature (TxN) exists to advance conservation that is beneficial to people, prosperity, and natural resources. TxN partners deeply with conservation groups and business, acting as an accelerator for conservation groups and a strategic partner for business.

The mission of the American Cancer Society is to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

Texas Water Trade’s mission is to catalyze sustainable water transactions in Texas to ensure clean, flowing water for people and nature.

The Texas Partnership for Out of School Time is a statewide intermediary whose mission is to convene, educate, and advocate to improve the quality and increase the availability of out of school time opportunities for Texas youth.

TexProtects advocates for policy that protects children from abuse and empowers families to thrive.

Coalition co-founded by Texas Rural Funders which seeks to ensure all Texans have equitable access to reliable and affordable digital connectivity.

Texas 2036 is a non-profit dedicated to enabling Texans to make policy decisions through accessible data, long-term planning and statewide engagement.

Mission Capital is advancing race equity and opportunity in the Central Texas nonprofit sector through collaboration, leadership development, customized trainings, strategic consulting, and pushing the boundaries of our sector’s culture.

TEPRI brings together diverse stakeholders from across the state and country to spearhead impactful research initiatives, build solutions-oriented coalitions, pilot innovative energy solutions, and champion lasting change for Texas energy.

WESTAF weaves technology, diverse thought leadership, and innovation to energize, network, and fund public sector arts agencies and communities.

Rebuild Texas Fund connects your helping hand to Texan communities in need.

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is a national research and advocacy organization that partners with allies across the country to build an American economy driven by local priorities, accountable to people and the planet.

Marathon Health is a leading clinic provider offering onsite, network, and virtual models, leading to better outcomes and employee health.

The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty employs strategies to end hunger that take into account proximity, the dignity of all people, and the need to test new strategies for old problems.

Overview of new federal initiative, Rural Partners Network, that seeks to help rural areas maximize the benefits available from the federal government.

Overview of a regional partnership created by the Coastal Bend Council of Governments and the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi that builds capacity of communities to strengthen resilience and mitigate disaster risk.

Water markets can be an important tool for ensuring efficient use of available water, including ensuring adequate water for the environment. Read the first statewide analysis of historic water market trends.

Annual data on Texas public librarians, including statistics, trends, and more.

Website from the National Wildlife Federation that aims to connect stakeholders (including community planners) with sources of federal funding for infrastructure projects that incorporate natural elements.

The Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Interim Report covers a wide range of topics and recommendations that address water issues the state faces. Interim charges 1-4 and 9 are focused on water.

Tool from the U.S. Department of Agriculture features Rural Investment Dashboards to expand access to Rural Development financial data, highlighting Rural Development investments for people in rural America.

Economic Mobility Systems makes economic mobility possible by developing new technology platforms that drive more equitable college and workforce outcomes.

The Texas Demographic Center (TDC) functions as a focal point for the distribution of Census Bureau information for Texas.

The Texas Nonprofit Council is comprised of up to twelve leaders from the nonprofit sector who provide front-line perspective and insight to state agencies, as authorized by the Texas Legislature in Senate Bill 993 (2013 R).

The Commit Partnership is a collective impact organization composed of backbone staff and hundreds of partners across Dallas County and the state of Texas.

Home to Texas is a scholarship-funded summer program that connects first-year students with internship and research opportunities in their hometown communities.

Tool for rural residents, policymakers, and investors to see the diversity of rural America and to better invest in its full potential.

Texas OnCourse Academy offers webinars, tools, and resources to encourage family engagement in schools.

Toolkit to help rural communities take full advantage of federal funding for electric vehicle charging stations.

Annual report examining transportation issues and highlighting examples of solutions being implemented across the United States.

Video featuring rural teachers talking about what being a rural teaching means to them. Created by the National Rural Education Association and Rural Schools Collaborative.

Podcast about rural education, business, and health with a mission to increase awareness and expand dialogue on the most important issues facing rural stakeholders.

Opening remarks from the 2022 Investing in Rural America Conference highlighting important ways to build rural capacity, including: helping communities write grants, creating pools of match funding, and building local capacity.

Map from the US Census Bureau highlighting population change by counties, including rural population gains and losses.

How much does it cost to afford a modest apartment in your state? Tool from National Low Income Housing Coalition, documenting gaps between renters' wages and the cost of rental housing across the United States.

The Texas Water Infrastructure and Funding Guide helps Texas utilities, municipalities, and decision makers navigate the resources available for water infrastructure.

The first comprehensive system map of the Texas water sector which captures how various water entities interact and connect.

Toolkit from Empower Schools offering in-depth resources to ensure rural student and community success.

Toolkit of evidence-based resources for organizations working to improve health literacy in rural communities across the United States.

Guidebook that helps communities evaluate and meet specific connectivity needs. It outlines community needs and how philanthropy can help.

Monthly podcast from Rural Health Information Hub focused on current issues in rural healthcare and population health.

Interactive map identifying funding (philanthropic and opioid settlement funds) available by state. Also provides detailed information about resources available for substance recovery on a county level. Created by the Fletcher Group.

Updated Federal Broadband Funding Guide to provide a one-stop-shop of resources for applicants.

Rural capacity map identifying communities where investments in staffing and expertise are needed to support infrastructure and climate resilience projects.

The Farm State of Mind Resource Directory provides dozens of tools and resources to help farmers and their families address stress and mental health concerns.

Access to Emergency Medical Services is critical for rural residents, but providing pre-hospital services in rural areas is challenging. This resource answers frequently asked questions about rural emergency medical services.

Information to help rural communities understand the available resources under the infrastructure law, where to apply, and how find more information.

The Public Library Association announced digital literacy courses and training materials developed in collaboration with AT&T. 

Playbook from America Achieves and Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. with recommendations on growing the nation's broadband workforce.

2011 was the driest year on record for Texas, causing an estimated cost of $7.62 billion in crop and livestock losses. A dry and hot June has many sounding alarm bells about 2022.

Researchers at Texas State University's Meadows Center are working on a new public dashboard to answer questions about water flow in Texas for communities statewide

Thrive Rural Framework tool designed to spark new ways of thinking and acting to move communities, regions, and systems toward producing more widespread and equitable rural prosperity, health, and well-being.

Action-oriented guide for healthcare organizations pursuing rural partnerships - with communities, economic development and other sectors - to support improved community health.

Report from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture identifying solutions for rural community resilience and environmental sustainability.

Guide from Texas Rural Funders with a step-by-step approach to securing fast, reliable, affordable broadband internet service in communities. 

The American Rescue Plan provides new and expanded opportunities for rural America. Aspen CSG is collecting links and resources explaining federal opportunities for rural people and places.

The Texas Broadband Development Office gathered input from the Texas Broadband Listening Tour and survey responses to create the first Texas Broadband Plan

Report summarizing findings from a 2021 survey on how urban Texans perceive rural people and places.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing billions of dollars in rural communities across the country. This playbook can help rural communities understand the available funding.

The Federal Emergency Broadband Benefit (the Affordable Connectivity Program's predecessor) was intended to connect the unconnected. A recent study shows that the program did not achieve this goal, but local areas can increase program participation.

Tool created through a partnership between Rural LISC and Heartland Forward, showing where households have enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Lone Star Stock provides stock photos, videos, and music representing the state of Texas at an affordable price. The site is also seeking creators to continue building the assets available through the site.

Pew Charitable Trusts has launched Opportunity Broadband, an alliance of partners committed to helping communities across the country use the nation's investment in universal, affordable broadband.

The Rural America Placemaking Toolkit includes a variety of resources, including placemaking activities, projects, and success stories across rural America

News story about the Rural Economic Assistance League providing free transportation for rural communities to and from college campuses in the Coastal Bend region.

Article detailing the role of public libraries in expanding digital equity through partnerships with government entities and other efforts.