Rural Philanthropy Research Fellowship

The Spring 2026 Rural Philanthropy Research Fellowships have been awareded. Learn more about our current fellows and their research focus here.

Fall 2026 Research Fellowship Call for Proposals will be release soon. Sign up to receive updates here and see below for information on the fellowship including focus and goals.

The Rural Philanthropy Institute’s (RPI) mission is to bring practitioners, academics, and interested people  together to develop data, share stories and experiences, and gain insights that offer a greater understanding of  what’s required to have a healthy community in rural areas. To achieve this mission, RPI seeks to gain more  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 America.  

RPI Research Fellows are invited to participate in enhancing the field of nonprofit and philanthropy research  with a focus on rural America. The goals of the Rural Philanthropy Research Fellowship are to support those  currently researching the field of rural philanthropy research, encourage emerging scholars in their study of  rural America and the nonprofit sector, and create robust scholarship that can be used to create a deeper  understanding of the role of philanthropy in rural areas.

Rural Philanthropy Research Fellows  

Project Guidelines 

The Rural Philanthropy Institute welcomes projects across disciplines and departments as the scholarship of  Rural Philanthropy is multifaceted and benefits from diverse perspectives.  

Examples of eligible research projects might include the following:  

➢ Research on nonprofit organizations in rural areas including studies focusing on capacity, impact, functions, and innovative fundraising strategies including case studies on philanthropy in rural areas  and their outcomes.  

➢ Research on the rural nonprofit sector and minority communities including traditionally underserved communities of color, immigrant communities, and LGBTQ communities.  

➢ Investigation 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.  

➢ Impacts of the nonprofit sector on rural economies and employment 

➢ The history of philanthropy in rural America.  

➢ Volunteers and/or informal philanthropy  

➢ Projects that include intersection of philanthropy and rural America. Focus may contain multiple lenses and explore any impact of the nonprofit sector on rural America in a national, local, regional, or community-specific way.

The Rural Philanthropy Institute Fellowship provides a research stipend of $2500 - $5000. Research is  expected to be completed between 6 months and 1 year of award. Stipend and timeline determined by project.  

Expected outcomes of the fellowship include written works such as potential published research articles,  presentation materials, long-form journalism, or scholarship able to 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, podcasting, and photojournalism. The Rural Philanthropy Institute strives  to be open to a variety of project forms that rest on a foundation of academic research and center rural  perspectives. Fellowship support intended to supplement ongoing research and help participants complete,  publish, and disseminate findings.

Award not to be used to reduce institutional assistance to awardees or substitute for compensation earned through graduate placements or assistantships. 

Full Application can be found here Link to Application PDF