Rural Philanthropy Institute

What Rural Philanthropy Institute does

Rural Philanthropy Institute (RPI) is a nonprofit research and training organization founded in 2017 and headquartered at 402 St. Joseph Street, Suite 3, Rapid City, South Dakota. The institute is the first organization focused specifically on the intersection of the nonprofit sector and rural America, addressing the documented gap that only 7% of foundation philanthropy flows to rural communities despite 20% of Americans living in rural areas. It operates with 1-10 employees and a board comprising academics, philanthropy executives, tribal leadership, and former corporate CEOs.

RPI's product portfolio spans three lines: research and publications (the Rethinking Rural anthology series, Nonprofit Impact Studies covering six upper-midwestern states, and the new RPI Research Fellowship Program with $2,500-$5,000 stipends awarded in 2025); capacity building (the 15-month South Dakota Nonprofit Capacity Building Program, 30 participants per cohort, anchored to The Fund Raising School at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy curriculum and the CFRM/CFRE credentialing pathway); and community engagement (the South Dakota Day of Giving statewide giving day platform and the now-concluded 2016-2021 Morning Fill Up conversation series). Strategic partners include The Fund Raising School, CFRE International, South Dakota Community Foundation, The Numad Group, and Bush Foundation.

The organization is funded primarily through foundation grants (Bush Foundation, South Dakota Community Foundation, Larson Family Foundation, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation) with ancillary revenue from publication sales. Its capacity building program is free to selected nonprofit participants, and its research is openly disseminated for academic and practitioner use. RPI was founded by Matt Ehlman, PhD, as a Bush Fellow initiative, with The Numad Group as a founding partner.

Name

Rural Philanthropy Institute

Legal name

Rural Philanthropy Institute

Website

https://ruralphilanthropyinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rural Philanthropy Institute is a South Dakota-based nonprofit that conducts research and delivers training programs to strengthen the rural nonprofit and philanthropy sector. It serves rural nonprofits, academic researchers, and regional foundations across the upper Midwest through cohort-based capacity building, research fellowships, and publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Philanthropy and Nonprofit Capacity Building

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Rural philanthropy research
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Fundraising training programs
• Research fellowship programs
• Nonprofit sector studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Rapid City

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Support: The organization receives support from foundation partners including Bush Foundation, South Dakota Community Foundation, and other grant-making organizations to fund research initiatives and capacity building programs.
2. Publications Sales: Sale of research publications including the Rethinking Rural anthology series.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rural Philanthropy Institute (RPI) is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on rural philanthropy and nonprofit capacity building, delivers training programs for rural nonprofit professionals, and convenes stakeholders to strengthen rural communities. Its work spans research fellowships, statewide cohort-based capacity-building curricula, an annual statewide Day of Giving, and published research such as the Rethinking Rural anthology series.

Product overview

Rural Philanthropy Institute is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of research, training, and community engagement programs focused on understanding and strengthening rural philanthropy. The core offerings include: the South Dakota Day of Giving (annual statewide giving initiative); the 15-month South Dakota Nonprofit Capacity Building Program with four fundraising courses from The Fund Raising School curriculum (Principles and Techniques of Fundraising, Developing Major Gifts, Developing Annual Sustainability, and Fundraising Campaigns); the RPI Research Fellowship program supporting rural philanthropy research with $2,500-$5,000 stipends; and publications including the Rethinking Rural anthology series. Additional programs include Morning Fill Up conversations and regional Researcher & Practitioner Convenings. The organization partners with The Fund Raising School at Indiana University, CFRE International, and regional community foundations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• South Dakota Day of Giving: An annual giving day initiative established by RPI in 2017, bringing communities together to raise money, recruit volunteers, and build awareness of nonprofit impact in South Dakota.
• Morning Fill Up

Products and services

• South Dakota Day of Giving Annual statewide giving day that convenes nonprofits, donors, and community partners across South Dakota to raise funds for rural nonprofits in a coordinated campaign.
• South Dakota Nonprofit Capacity Building Program A 15-month cohort-based training program for South Dakota nonprofit leaders that combines instruction in fundraising principles and techniques with applied learning and peer support.
• RPI Research Fellowship Fellowship program that supports researchers conducting studies on rural philanthropy, nonprofit capacity, and related topics, producing research outputs for the field.
• Rethinking Rural Volume I Published anthology compiling research, essays, and field perspectives on rural philanthropy and rural nonprofit capacity building, intended for practitioners, researchers, and funders.
• Rethinking Rural Volume II Planned second volume in the Rethinking Rural anthology series that extends research and practitioner perspectives on rural philanthropy and nonprofit capacity.
• Morning Fill Up Recurring conversation and community engagement series that brings together rural nonprofit leaders, researchers, and funders to discuss issues affecting rural communities.
• Nonprofit Impact Studies Research initiatives that measure the impact, capacity, and conditions of rural and South Dakota nonprofits, producing data and analysis for the field.
• Resources for Rural Research Curated collection of resources, tools, and references designed to support scholars and practitioners conducting research on rural philanthropy and the rural nonprofit sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 60 guests participated in Morning Fill Up conversations from 2016-2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• The Fund Raising School at Indiana University Lilly Family School of PhilanthropycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fund Raising School provides the curriculum for the South Dakota Nonprofit Capacity Building program, offering courses on Principles and Techniques of Fundraising, Developing Major Gifts, Developing Annual Sustainability, and Fundraising Campaigns. The program awards the Certificate in Fund Raising Management (CFRM).
• CFRE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFRE International partners with RPI to provide the South Dakota Nonprofit Capacity Building program that helps participants complete education requirements to become a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).
• South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDCF established strong relationships with nonprofit organizations across South Dakota over the past 30 years and is a leader and trusted resource for nonprofits. They provide one-on-one capacity building to grantees and prospective grantees. SDCF was a founding partner with The Numad Group for the first cohort that kicked off in 2020.
• The Numad GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Numad Group is a communications and fundraising firm that provides creative solutions for advancing nonprofit organizations. The firm was instrumental in founding the Rural Philanthropy Institute and continues as a partner in research initiatives and program delivery.
• Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation (SFCF)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFCF connects donors, nonprofits and civic partners to help develop creative solutions for the Sioux Falls area's most complex challenges, driving social impact through philanthropy.
• South Dakota GivescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth Dakota Gives is a volunteer-led effort to promote philanthropy and generosity across South Dakota. The annual South Dakota Day of Giving is their signature event, established by the Rural Philanthropy Institute in 2017.
• The Numad GroupcoreOthersRPI was organized by the principals of The Numad Group, a consulting firm that works exclusively with nonprofit organizations. Through their wide spectrum of nonprofit work, the principals came to understand the disproportionate impact of the nonprofit sector in rural areas, leading to RPI's creation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BoardSource: National nonprofit focused on nonprofit governance and leadership capacity. Comparable to RPI as a capacity and standards body for the nonprofit sector through training and credentialing.
• Aspen Institute: A large policy and convening organization that runs programs on rural issues, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector. Comparable to RPI in convening and publishing beyond classical academic settings.
• Center for Effective Philanthropy: Research and consulting organization focused on foundation effectiveness. Comparable to RPI in producing research that informs philanthropic practice, though focused on foundations rather than rural nonprofits.
• Candid (formerly Foundation Center and GuideStar): The dominant research and data infrastructure for philanthropy and nonprofits. Provides foundation data and research outputs that overlap with RPI's sector research role, though at vastly greater scale.
• Independent Sector: National membership organization that produces research and policy advocacy for the nonprofit sector. Compares to RPI as a larger, established producer of sector-wide data and convening.

Direct peers

• CFRE International: Partners with RPI to deliver CFRE-aligned training. Operates the Certified Fund Raising Executive credential program that RPI's participants prepare for, sharing the same target audience of nonprofit fundraising professionals.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Provides capacity building, leadership development, and consulting for nonprofits, including rural-serving cohorts. Closely comparable in mission and programmatic design to RPI's SD Capacity Building Program.
• The Fund Raising School at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy: Provides the core curriculum for RPI's Capacity Building Program. Offers the same CFRM credential and fundraising courses that RPI delivers in South Dakota, making it the closest direct comparator in capability and content.

Regional players

• Bush Foundation: Major funder of RPI and regional foundation serving Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Native nations. Comparable in geographic focus on the Upper Midwest and in funding rural community capacity building.
• South Dakota Community Foundation: RPI's founding partner for the SD Capacity Building Program. A statewide community foundation with similar rural South Dakota focus and overlapping grantees, partner network, and convening role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ruralphilanthropy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rural-philanthropy-institute

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Rural Philanthropy Institute