2019-2020
IMPACT
REPORT
Dear Rural Partners,
Our 2019 NC Rural Assembly, Make Your Place: Create. Transform. Celebrate., was all about how communities from the state and nation can build distinct economies and establish their own specific identities through innovative approaches to community and economic development. At that Assembly, we talked more specifically about how we can reclaim the rural narrative and build our towns to better withstand whatever storms they may face—and we also talked about how unconventional partnerships can maximize the potential for an idea to become a reality and transform a place.
In hindsight, it’s clear now we had those conversations just in time. Like so many others, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to rethink the way we do things—at the NC Rural Center and in every community across the state. The pandemic underscored and exacerbated the many persistent challenges our communities face, things like access to affordable broadband, our destabilizing rural health care systems, the state of our water and wastewater infrastructure, and the resources needed to support our small businesses.
However, the coronavirus pandemic also shined a light on the best that rural North Carolina has to offer: the resilient, creative people who, every day, work tirelessly to secure a vibrant future for their communities. At the Rural Center, we’ve always known that truth, and it’s been our pleasure and privilege to serve our state’s incredible rural people and places for more than 30 years. Moreover, it is our distinct honor to continue to serve rural North Carolina through arguably one of the most tumultuous and uncertain times in the history of our state and nation.
But without the assistance of our federal, corporate, philanthropic, community, and individual partners, our work in North Carolina’s rural communities would not be, or have ever been, possible.
We are pleased to share with you our fiscal year 2019-2020 impact report. In this report, you’ll be able to read about the quantitative impact of our programs, as well as listen and watch our work, and our people, in action.
North Carolina is at a crossroads. We agree almost universally on our priorities of last-mile broadband infrastructure, stronger and better rural health care, and strengthening existing businesses and emerging entrepreneurs. Now is the time when we must step it up. Incremental progress will not solve the rural challenges of our time or help us rise to meet the opportunities. I want to thank all who have made an investment in the Rural Center this year and in the past, and I seek your continued support, wise counsel, and active involvement as we move forward.
The road ahead may be uncertain, but the resiliency of our rural communities is never in doubt. I am excited for what lies ahead for us and for the places we will go on to make, together.
In partnership,
Patrick Woodie
President, NC Rural Center
TOTAL
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT (FY 19-20)
OUR MISSION
The NC Rural Center’s mission is to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies to improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians. We serve the state’s 80 rural counties, with a special focus on individuals with low-to-moderate incomes and communities with limited resources.
LEVERAGED
$122
MILLION IN
PRIVATE FUNDS
- 849
- NORTH CAROLINA
SMALL BUSINESSES
SUPPORTED THROUGH
- MORE
THAN - $52
- MILLION IN
INVESTMENTS
- MORE
THAN - 20,000
CONTACT/TRAINING HOURS
in communities across the state 
EDUCATED AND ENGAGED
3,500
EXISTING AND EMERGING
RURAL LEADERS AND
ADVOCATES
A PORTRAIT OF RURAL NORTH CAROLINA
- Rural Counties
80 counties with an average population density of 250 people per square mile or less. - Regional City and Suburban Counties
14 counties with an average population density between 250 and 750 people per square mile. - Urban Counties
6 counties with an average population density that exceeds 750 people per square mile.
Densities calculated by the Rural Center based on 2014 U.S. Census population estimates.
RACIAL/ETHNIC COMPOSITION:
RURAL NORTH CAROLINA
Source: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for the United States, States, and Counties, 2018.
At the Rural Center, we believe if we dream big, plan smart, and work together, we will see our communities thrive. Our work is guided by leading-edge, unbiased research and data, and by the wisdom and expertise of the people who call rural North Carolina home. Here’s a few examples of how research guides our work:
- Asset of Abundance mapping for Faith in Rural Communities.
- Analysis and mapping of Thread Capital lending, and a scan of Community Development Financial Institution assets.
- Provided economic data presentations to existing and emerging leaders participating in Homegrown Leaders and to rural leaders in the Sandhills and Northwestern Prosperity Zones.
- The research team’s support and collaboration were integral to the Advocacy program’s census engagement efforts in Halifax and Northampton counties. The research team also conducted multiple data analyses and presentations throughout the year on the economic impact of closing the health insurance coverage gap.
- The research team’s support and collaboration were integral to the Advocacy program’s census engagement efforts in Halifax and Northampton counties. The research team also conducted multiple data analyses and presentations throughout the year on the economic impact of closing the health insurance coverage gap.
LEADERSHIP
BUILDING STRONG LEADERS VIRTUALLY: ENGAGING LEADERSHIP ALUMNI
Leadership development and support has been a core offering of the Rural Center since its inception. The Rural Center knows that our communities thrive when they have leaders who are informed, innovative, inclusive, and connected to a growing network of resources. As COVID-19 impacted the state, we continued to virtually engage and connect with our rural leaders.
Total virtual participants
- 6,961
-
Total virtual engagement hours
TURNS 30!
AND GOES ONLINE
LB Prevette, REDI 2019.
REDI, the Rural Economic Development Institute, is the Rural Center’s flagship leadership program. REDI, which has trained more than 1,200 leaders, offers participants collaborative leadership skills and rural development strategies to help them return home and make a meaningful impact in their communities. This year’s traditional nine-day, in-person training was postponed due to COVID-19.
However, we are looking forward to educating and empowering North Carolina’s rural leaders when we can safely host REDI.
- PARTICIPANTS
SELECTED +
REGISTERED - 35
- /
- 21
- NEEDED
FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE
FINANCIAL NEED MET
- 100
This selected REDI class will participate in 2021.
Homegrown Leaders is a regional leadership and economic development training that develops and supports highly skilled, highly motivated existing and emerging leaders who are committed to regional collaboration. Prior to the onset of COVID-19, a Homegrown Leaders training was held in Wilkes County for leaders that live or work in Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Forsyth, and Davie counties. A final Homegrown Leaders convening for alumni was also held in Buncombe County for leaders from the 31-county region in Western North Carolina.
Homegrown Leaders by the Numbers.
- 64
- 2020
GRADUATES
- 162
- PROGRAM
CUMULATIVE
GRADUATES
- 947
- TOTAL
TRAINING
HOURS -
- 3,249
- CUMULATIVE
TOTAL TRAINING
HOURS
Regional Leadership and Capacity Building
- 140
TRAINING
EVENT ATTENDEES - 1,090
CONTACT
HOURS - 80
ATTENDED
COACHING
EVENT ACTIVITIES - 1,120
CONTACT
HOURS
The Regional Leadership Capacity Building program served the Sandhills Prosperity Zone beginning in December 2018 through December 2019. The program was designed to help a prosperity zone broaden its leadership base, enhance community and regional collaborations, and develop strategic, innovative projects to transform the economy. The initiative built a diverse regional leadership team and provides leadership training and coaching to project teams to identify untapped opportunities for economic growth and development.
Engagement at the Rural Center embodies many forms: policy advocacy through our Rural Counts program, asset and coalition building through Faith in Rural Communities, Food and Community Development programs, and other programs focused on helping rural communities articulate clear visions and create cultures of collaborative problem solving. These programs are informed by data, research, best practices, and most importantly, by the wisdom and diverse experience of the rural communities we serve.
FAITH IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
Through a five-year grant from The Duke Endowment, Faith in Rural Communities collaborates with United Methodist churches to assess and leverage congregational assets in rural communities.
- 11
CHURCHES
PARTICIPANTS
IN GRANT FUNDS
- 1,876
-
TOTAL ENGAGEMENT HOURS
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Faith in Rural Communities awarded emergency grants to churches affiliated with the initiative to help them implement programs that responded to community needs caused or exacerbated by the pandemic. Smith Grove United Methodist Church used their emergency grant to expand their existing mental healthcare program in their community. Read more here.
Food and Community Development
The Food and Community Development program assists value-added producers, farmers, food councils, and food-service businesses by providing training and connecting them with resources and support networks across the state.
RURAL ADVOCACY
Rural Counts, the NC Rural Center’s advocacy program, helps elevate the voices and needs of our state’s rural people and places to leaders at the local level and beyond. In the 2019 Legislative Session, Rural Counts focused on expanding accessible, high-speed broadband, transforming rural health, and investing in entrepreneurship and small business development systems. Beyond advocating at the North Carolina General Assembly for legislation to support our state’s rural communities, Rural Counts also directly engaged constituents and facilitated a number of local and statewide partnerships to encourage our hardest-to-count rural communities to complete their 2020 census. To sign up for the Rural Counts newsletter and to find out more, visit their page on the Rural Center’s website.
- 29
-
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS + EVENTS
ADVOCATES
ATTENDEES
- 8,348
-
TOTAL CONTACT HOURS
RURAL
TALK
In response to COVID-19, and in an effort to deliver the most timely and accurate information possible, the NC Rural Center transitioned our usual traditional in-person advocacy event, Rural Day, into a six-part webinar series, Rural Talk: An Advocacy Speaker Series.
Rural Talk brought together the voices, expertise, and perspectives from thought leaders at the national, state, and local levels, representing the public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors to discuss key issues affecting rural North Carolinians. The webinar series covered the topics of broadband, entrepreneurship and small business development, health care, water and wastewater infrastructure, housing, engaging elected officials–and the impact of COVID-19 on each.
To watch the webinars and access additional educational resources, visit our Rural Talk website.
LOAN PARTICIPATION PROGRAM
The Rural Center manages the Loan Participation Program, a program initially funded by the US Department of the Treasury’s Small Business Credit Initiative that helps provide reduced-risk financial assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses by working with community banks and CDFIs to spur more small business lending.
TOTAL LOANS
AND INVESTMENTS
TOTAL LENDING AND INVESTMENTS
JOBS CREATED AND MAINTAINED
LIFE OF THE PROGRAM
1,101 LOANS AND INVESTMENTS
$87,000,000 LENDING AND INVESTMENTS
16,250 JOBS CREATED/RETAINED
LEVERAGED > $922 MILLION IN PRIVATE FUNDS
-
-
25%
FEMALE
LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME
PEOPLE OF COLOR
-
25%
VETERAN -
-
- 478LOANSTOTAL NUMBER
OF LOANS MADE
TOTAL AMOUNT OF
LOAN FUNDS DISTRIBUTED
AVERAGE LOAN SIZE
THREAD CAPITAL LOAN DEMOGRAPHICS
BUSINESSES84%
BUSINESSES
-
37%
WOMEN -
178 LOANS
$5,361,612
-
18%
BLACK OR
AFRICAN-AMERICAN -
85 LOANS
$1,878,928
-
3%
LATINO OR
HISPANIC -
16 LOANS
$455,983
-
7%
VETERAN -
33 LOANS
$1,645,961
-
37%
RURAL -
178 LOANS
$7,360,400
LIFE OF THE PROGRAM
613 TOTAL LOANS
$21,726,917 TOTAL DOLLARS
DATA AS OF 6/29/20
The NC COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Loan Program is driven by a partnership between the Golden LEAF Foundation and the NC Rural Center, as well as a consortium of established North Carolina nonprofit lenders, including Business Expansion Funding Corporation (BEFCOR), Carolina Community Impact, Carolina Small Business Development Fund, Mountain BizWorks, Natural Capital Investment Fund, Piedmont Business Capital, Sequoyah Fund, and Thread Capital.
The Golden LEAF Foundation provided initial funding for this program, and capacity to meet the current demand has been expanded through funds appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly as well as by public and private contributions. The Rural Center acts as a program administrator, managing the flow of loan applications to lending partners for underwriting and servicing.
Below is a snapshot of the ways the Rapid Recovery program helped small business owners from March-June 2020. Visit the NC Rapid Recovery website to see how the program is still helping North Carolina’s small-business owners.
TOTAL LOAN AMOUNT
AVERAGE LOAN AMOUNT
DISTRIBUTION OF LOANS
APPROVALS
JOBS
RETAINED BY BUSINESSES WITH $121 MILLION IN ANNUAL WAGES
APPLICATIONS PROCESSED
with 683 approved, 363 declined, and 1,333 withdrawn or pending documentation
HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS BORROWERS
Percentage of borrowers that are minority or female-owned, Historically Underutilized Businesses.
Approximately 31 percent of employer businesses in North Carolina meet this definition.*
LOANS BY BUSINESS SIZE
BUSINESS DEMOGRAPHICS
-
RAPID
RECOVERY
LOANS
NORTH
CAROLINA -
5.9%
5.9%
ASIAN -
12.6%
3.6%
BLACK OR
AFRICAN-AMERICAN -
4.6%
3.1%
LATINO OR
HISPANIC -
0.9%
0.6%
AMERICAN
INDIAN -
0.6%
0.7%
OTHER -
75.3%
86.3%
WHITE
*NC Data sourced from US Census Bureau 2017 Statistics of US Businesses for firms with classified data. Racial classifications are non-Hispanic.
2019
RURAL ASSEMBLY
Our 2019 NC Rural Assembly, Make Your Place: Create. Transform. Celebrate., brought together more than 400 rural advocates, leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members for two days full of content, conversations, and celebrations of all things rural. At our 2019 Rural Assembly, we took a closer look at how creativity can empower local communities to create meaningful results that improve quality of life and economic sustainability.
Each year at our NC Rural Assembly, we take the time to recognize the people and organizations responsible for securing a vibrant, sustainable future for our rural communities. Award recipients are nominated by their community members and are presented with their awards throughout the two-day Assembly. We are so grateful for the work they do in their communities, and for the work they do for rural North Carolina as a whole.
From left to right: Rural Center President Patrick Woodie, Rural Leader of the Year and director of School-Based Health Services at the Roanoke-Chowan Community Health Center Catherine Parker, Rural Center director of leadership Bronwyn Lucas, and Golden LEAF Foundation President Scott Hamilton.
From left to right: Rural Center director of advocacy Brandy Bynum Dawson, Rural Center President Patrick Woodie, Rural Advocate of the Year winner and Transylvania County Commissioner Chair Mike Hawkins, Rural Center board member Nelle Hotchkiss, and Rural Center board chair Grant Godwin.
From left to right: Rural Center President Patrick Woodie, Rural Entrepreneur winner Donald Brown, Thread Capital Loan Officer JaLisha Richmond, Rural Entrepreneur winner Jaylin Brower, Rural Center Board Chair Grant Godwin.
From left to right: Rural Center President Patrick Woodie, South State Bank representatives Tom Coker, Michael Romanus, and Ben Collier, Rural Center Small Business Credit Initiative Director Thomas Wall, Rural Center board chair Grant Godwin, South State Bank representative Jeff Moncrief.
All of us at the Rural Center are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend Mayor Mac Hodges, of Washington, North Carolina. Mayor Hodges was a dedicated civil servant and helped Washington claim the award of Small Town of the Year. We send our deepest condolences to the town and the Mayor’s family.
From left to right: Arts of the Pamlico Executive Director Debra Torrence, Rural Center President Patrick Woodie, Lead for North Carolina Fellow Berekia Divanga, City Councilman Richard Brooks, Mayor Mac Hodges, City Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Virginia Finnerty, City Manager Jonathan Russell, and Rural Center Board Chair Grant Godwin.
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDING PARTNERS!
We are truly grateful to our funding partners who support our efforts across rural North Carolina. The partners below are critical to our work to provide leadership training programs, expand engagement opportunities, empower small businesses, and advocate for the needs of rural communities.
$1,000,000+
$500,000+
$250,000+
