Rural Philanthropy Institute Research Fellowship
The Rural Philanthropy Institute (RPI) Research Fellowship supports research that deepens understanding of rural philanthropy, rural nonprofits, and the role the nonprofit sector plays in building and sustaining healthy rural communities.
The Spring 2026 RPI Research Fellowships have been awarded. Learn more about the current fellows and their research focus below. The Fall 2026 Research Fellowship Call for Proposals will be announced soon. To receive updates, email Nora@ruralphilanthropyinstitute.org.
What the Fellowship Supports
RPI brings practitioners, academics, and interested people together to develop data, share stories and experiences, and gain insights that offer a greater understanding of what is required to have healthy communities in rural areas.
To advance this mission, RPI seeks to build knowledge about the role of nonprofits in rural America by funding research centered on the rural experience with the nonprofit sector and the role this sector plays in building and sustaining rural communities.
About the Fellowship
RPI Research Fellows help enhance the field of nonprofit and philanthropy research with a focus on rural America. The RPI Research Fellowship supports those currently researching rural philanthropy, encourages emerging scholars in their study of rural America and the nonprofit sector, and creates robust scholarship that can foster a deeper understanding of philanthropy in rural areas.
RPI welcomes projects across disciplines and departments. The study of rural philanthropy is multifaceted and benefits from diverse perspectives.
Eligible Research Areas
Examples of eligible research projects might include:
Studies focused on rural nonprofit capacity, impact, functions, and innovative fundraising strategies, including case studies.
Research on the rural nonprofit sector and minority communities, including traditionally underserved communities of color, immigrant communities, and LGBTQ+ communities.
Investigations into the role of rural religious congregations in philanthropy and the effect of churches and religious centers on the health of the rural nonprofit sector.
Evaluations of the impacts of the nonprofit sector on rural economies and employment.
Histories of philanthropy in rural America.
Explorations of volunteers and informal philanthropy.
Other projects at the intersection of philanthropy and rural America. Projects may contain multiple lenses and explore the impact of the nonprofit sector on rural America in a national, local, regional, or community-specific way.
Award and Timeline
The RPI Research Fellowship provides a research stipend of $2,500-$5,000. Research is expected to be completed between six months and one year of the award. Stipend amount and timeline are determined by project.
Expected Outcomes
Expected outcomes of the fellowship include written works such as potential published research articles, presentation materials, long-form journalism, or scholarship that can be disseminated and discussed within the field of rural philanthropy.
Fellows may also complete their research through creative media works such as documentary films, audio interviews, podcasts, and photojournalism. RPI strives to be open to a variety of project forms that rest on a foundation of academic research and center rural perspectives.
Fellowship support is intended to supplement ongoing research and help participants complete, publish, and disseminate findings.
