Center for Rural Policy and Development

What Center for Rural Policy and Development does

The Center for Rural Policy and Development (CRPD) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit policy research organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota. It produces independent research, data, and analysis on issues affecting Greater Minnesota's rural communities — including demographics, economy, healthcare, education, agriculture, child care, and civic infrastructure — serving state and local policymakers, philanthropic foundations, community organizations, and the broader public. Its core outputs are the annual State of Rural Report, the Atlas of Rural Minnesota Online (an interactive mapping and data tool), the Center of Everywhere Podcast (currently in its sixth season), and the Interconnected Event Series co-hosted with the Citizens League. CRPD also publishes targeted topical reports, such as the 2025 "Barriers & Bridges" study on mental healthcare access for communities of color, and produces supporting video content.

CRPD does not sell products or services in a commercial sense. As a 501(c)(3)-style non-profit, it is funded through grants from private foundations — the Blandin Foundation, Bush Foundation, and McKnight Foundation — and from state agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). It maintains research collaborations with the Minnesota State Demographic Center and the University of Minnesota Extension. The organization operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees and is governed by a 19-member board. Julie Tesch has served as CEO since 2018. In 2024, CRPD earned the Candid Gold Seal of Transparency, signaling strong governance and disclosure practices relative to peer non-profits.

Name

Center for Rural Policy and Development

Legal name

Center for Rural Policy and Development

Website

https://ruralmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Rural Policy and Development is a Mankato, Minnesota-based non-profit founded in 1998 that produces independent research, data, and analysis on Greater Minnesota's rural communities for policymakers, foundations, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA), Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

Keywords

• Rural policy research
• Nonpartisan policy analysis
• Demographic data visualization
• Community development research
• Public policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Mankato

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major funding provided by Blandin Foundation, Bush Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
2. Government Grants: Grants manager for MN Dept. of Employment & Economic Development grants SPAP-25-0012-P-FY26 and SPAP26-0001-P-FY26

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center for Rural Policy and Development is a non-partisan, not-for-profit policy research organization that produces and disseminates objective research, demographic and economic data, policy analysis, and civic engagement programs for Greater Minnesota. Its offerings include the annual State of Rural report, an interactive Atlas of Rural Minnesota, the Center of Everywhere podcast, the Interconnected event series, research reports, blog articles, and videos—all provided free to policymakers, rural communities, and the public.

Product overview

The Center for Rural Policy and Development is a non-partisan policy research organization that provides a portfolio of research products and knowledge-sharing tools rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include The State of Rural Report (annual comprehensive demographic and economic analysis), the Atlas of Rural Minnesota Online (interactive data visualization tool), the Center of Everywhere Podcast (audio storytelling), the Interconnected Event Series (collaborative webinars with Citizens League), Research Reports and Blog Articles on rural policy topics, and Videos. These products work together to support the organization's mission of providing objective research for policy and decision-making in Greater Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center of Everywhere Podcast: A podcast series exploring stories of rural Minnesotans who are making a difference in their communities.
• State of Rural Report
• Rural Atlas Online
• Interconnected

Products and services

• The State of Rural Report Annual comprehensive report providing updates on various economic and demographic data pertaining to rural Minnesota, including historical data points illustrating how rural conditions have changed over time. Intended for policymakers, rural development organizations, and the public.
• Atlas of Rural Minnesota Online Interactive web-based collection of maps and charts providing analysis of demographic, economic, and societal data at the state, county, planning region, and economic development region levels in Minnesota. Used by researchers, policymakers, and the public for rural data exploration.
• Center of Everywhere Podcast Podcast series exploring stories of rural Minnesotans making a difference in their communities, currently in Season 6, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Intended for the general public and rural community advocates.
• Interconnected Event Series Collaborative webinar and event series co-hosted with Citizens League that bridges urban and rural communities in Minnesota, exploring shared challenges in healthcare, workforce, housing, and equity. Free registration for participants.
• Research Reports and Blog Articles Ongoing collection of research reports and blog articles covering mental healthcare access, population migration, economic vitality, child care, agriculture, education, and infrastructure in Greater Minnesota. Targeted at policymakers, nonprofits, and rural community advocates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Migration trends analysis showing rural counties experiencing population gains since 2020 driven by in-migration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AscendRuralcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Collaborative partnership to leverage CRPD's rural-specific research and data to guide AscendRural's strategic planning and pilot initiatives aimed at improving health and well-being in rural communities. CRPD's datasets and policy expertise will support AscendRural's next impact theme to be announced at the American Society on Aging Conference.
• SourcewellminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2025Sourcewell partnered with CRPD to host a special live webinar on Greater Minnesota topics including rural workforce, population shifts, mental health, and elder care.
• Citizens LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Since 2020, CRPD has partnered with Citizens League to present the Interconnected event series, helping bridge the divide between urban and rural communities in Minnesota through policy discussions.
• Minnesota State Demographic CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRPD uses Minnesota State Demographic Center's county groupings based on USDA Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes for data analysis and collaborates on demographic research.
• University of Minnesota ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRPD references and collaborates with University of Minnesota Extension's Community Development team on rural migration research and workforce development studies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ruralpolicymn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6jB_eElF65wFs_TNedqv5g
• Facebookfacebook.com/ruralmn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-rural-policy-and-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Rural Policy and Development