Wye River Report
Rural Strategies’
Wye River Report:
The Donors Ourselves Convening
of Practitioners and Advocates
of Rural Development Philanthropy
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In October of 2007, twenty-two individuals from around the world gathered at Aspen Institute’s Wye River Conference Center to share experiences and observations from their work in rural development philanthropy.
The conference addressed two aspects of the Rural Philanthropy equation, both dealing with process. First, participants examined the process of proactively creating ownership and action in communities themselves for building philanthropy. Secondly, they examined the process of gaining the understanding, enthusiasm, and resources of people and institutions who can support locally-driven rural development philanthropy.
The meeting was a unique and exciting opportunity for a small group of both practitioners and supporters of the field to take a closer look at the process and execution of development methodologies and to engage specifically in questions concerning local ownership and motivations for investment within rural communities.
Over a three-day period, participants were asked to center their conversations and collective thinking on the key messages developed in Donors Ourselves. These key messages include the importance of finding and mobilizing community assets; grant making for sustainability in rural communities; accountability; and commitment to patience and flexibility throughout the development process. Also, the messages include the importance of transparent and trustworthy governance of local institutions. Included here is the graphic of “The Butterflyâ€, an image and tool developed to conceptualize the key elements of development philanthropy.
