“Place-based work is a key component of rural philanthropy, and when it comes to pursuing that work in rural communities, there’s rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. According to Gentry, one of the biggest hurdles of expanding PRI’s work is leaving behind the strategies it had adopted for the needs of Appalachian Kentucky. Although these had proven successful there, they wouldn’t necessarily work elsewhere.
For place-based partnerships to work, Gentry said, local communities must lead the change.”