Building Sustainability (Nelson County Arts Council): A Rural Solution

Strengthen ND works statewide to lift up rural communities and nonprofit organizations by working to provide residents with information and resources. Our staff is rural, either currently or originally rural, and a keystone of our success is that we, as an organization, have great respect for rural people; the culture, strong work ethic, tremendous commitment to community, as well as the barriers they face.

Our focus since the beginning is that we meet people where they are. We are not here to save small towns; we are here to provide resources so that they can do it themselves. Community engagement is key to success for rural communities. Women have played a humble, yet critical, role within the ongoing development of our state.

During the past nearly ten years, we have met and worked with hundreds of rural residents, in addition to the ones we met before Strengthen ND was created in 2015. In recent years, through various projects and programs, we have met amazing women; women who are the facilitators and organizers for success in rural communities. Many are the “silent partners,” who work behind the scenes to provide service and support within the community.