Part 2: Solving the Workforce Shortage Starts with Child Care
Investing in child care is a practical, high-impact strategy employers can take now to strengthen their workforce, support families, and contribute to long-term regional economic stability.
Child Care Advocacy and Action Guide
This action guide empowers rural Minnesotans to advocate for child care solutions that reflect their realities because when care fails, communities fall behind.
Communicating Nonprofit Impact in a Challenging Political Climate
In today’s polarized climate, nonprofits must communicate their impact clearly and confidently or risk being misunderstood, overlooked, or misrepresented.
Part 1: Solving the Workforce Shortage Starts with Child Care
In Northeast Minnesota, a $36 million workforce crisis is unfolding, and at the heart of it is a child care shortage that's stalling business growth and pushing families to the margins.
Making Rural Collaborations Stick
To keep rural collaborations from fizzling out, prioritize trust-building relationships, set a consistent and manageable rhythm for connection, and define success beyond a single outcome.
Living with Disabilities in Rural Communities: Equity in Access
Rural Pathways affiliate, Dr. Amy Murzyn, explores how transportation and broadband barriers limit postsecondary opportunities for young adults with disabilities in rural communities and highlights what it takes to achieve true equity in access.
Cutting PDG Funding Undermines Minnesota’s Progress
Slashing Preschool Development Grant (PDG) funding undermines Minnesota’s efforts to build equitable, community-informed early childhood systems and address persistent disparities in access, care, and opportunity.
Child Care Is Essential, and Minnesota Must Invest
Minnesota’s child care system is in crisis, and lawmakers must act to stabilize providers, support the workforce, and strengthen the state’s economic infrastructure.
Creative Fundraising to Support Your Nonprofit Goals
Nonprofit child care centers across Greater Minnesota are using creative fundraising strategies—like raffles, community events, and holiday-themed sales—to engage supporters, build partnerships, and sustain their missions.
Employer-Backed Child Care, Reimagined for Northeast Minnesota
A flexible, tech-enabled, employer-backed child care model is helping stabilize providers, support working families, and meet the 24/7 needs of today's workforce.
Invest in Care, Grow the Economy
Rural Pathways co-founder Staci Gilpin weighs in on the child care crisis in Minnesota in a recent op-ed for the Duluth News Tribune.
Building Genuine Connections for Community Growth and Funding
Effective nonprofit networking starts by focusing on how you can help others, using thoughtful questions to spark collaboration and build community-centered partnerships.
Unlocking Government Grants for Your Nonprofit
Navigating government grants can be challenging, but with the right strategies and support, rural nonprofits can secure funding to advance their mission and strengthen communities.
Child Care in Rural America Is a Non-Partisan Issue
Expanding access to child care in rural communities is a bipartisan issue that strengthens local economies, supports working families, and ensures all children have access to quality early learning opportunities.
From Sideline to Strategy: What Employers Can Learn About Child Care from Women’s Sports
Professional women’s sports are modeling how employers can treat child care not as a perk, but as essential infrastructure that boosts performance, retention, and equity across the workplace.
Aligning Strategy, Budget, and Mission
Aligning strategic planning with budgeting and funding decisions helps mission-driven organizations build sustainable financial strategies that reflect their values, engage stakeholders, and support long-term impact.
Breaking the Doom Loop: Building Resilient Communities
Rural communities can escape cycles of decline by investing in people-centered infrastructure—like child care and housing—to build long-term economic and social resilience.
Effective Donor Retention Strategies for Small Nonprofits
Small nonprofits can strengthen donor retention by personalizing communications, offering diverse engagement opportunities, promptly expressing gratitude, demonstrating impact, and implementing recurring giving programs—ensuring long-term support and organizational stability.
Navigating Rural Child Care Transitions
Rural Pathways works extensively with rural childcare centers, but one key question remains for caregivers: How do you know when child care is no longer needed?
Supporting Gen Z in the Workplace: Key Insights for Leaders
Rachel Phelps, an executive coach and Rural Pathways Affiliate, emphasizes that supporting Gen Z in the workplace requires adaptability, inclusivity, and clear communication.