Philanthropic Investment in Rural Education (2000–Present)
Rural schools and colleges have long struggled with underinvestment. Recent analyses show that only about 7% of all U.S. philanthropic giving goes to rural areas, even though rural Americans make up roughly 15–20% of the population. This persistent “philanthropy gap” means rural students often lack the resources urban and suburban peers enjoy. In particular, rural schools face chronic shortages of broadband Internet, qualified teachers, and college-access programs. Over the past two decades, however, several private foundations and philanthropists have begun to target rural education. These donors (foundations and wealthy individuals) have funded programs in K–12 schools (for connectivity, teacher recruitment, and curriculum) and postsecondary education (community colleges, rural college attainment, and workforce training). Below we detail major funders, the amounts invested, and notable initiatives.
K–12 Rural Education Philanthropy
Broadband and Digital Equity. One of the largest philanthropic efforts has been to close the rural digital divide. For example, in 2013 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Startup:Education fund and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invested $9 million in the nonprofit EducationSuperHighway to help connect K–12 schools to high-speed Internet. Similarly, Microsoft Philanthropies donated $400,000 to the Public Library Association for DigitalLead: Rural Libraries Creating New Possibilities, a project supplying hardware, Wi-Fi hotspots, and digital-skills training to libraries in remote counties. These efforts explicitly target rural and low-income communities; an estimated one-third of U.S. public library buildings are in rural areas, which often serve as the only free Internet access points for students and families. More broadly, private donors have joined federal programs (like the U.S. Rural and Low-Income School Broadband Grant) to ensure every rural district gains reliable broadband by funding technology plans, applications, and consortium-building.
Teacher Recruitment and Professional Development. Philanthropists have also invested in growing and supporting the rural teaching workforce. In 2025 the Rural Schools Collaborative announced a $1.199 million grant from ECMC Foundation to strengthen its “Rural Teacher Corps” network, a community of rural educator-preparation programs. At the same time, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies contributed $585,000 to expand rural teacher recruitment and retention. Over four years, the Rural Schools Collaborative has given small “Catalyst” grants (totaling over $400,000) to 18 emerging Rural Teacher Corps programs in different states. These funds help districts partner with universities and nonprofits to train and retain local teachers who commit to rural schools. (For example, the I Am A Rural Teacher program – supported by ECMC and Cargill – places graduates in high-need rural districts.)
Curriculum and School Innovation. Some foundations focus on boosting educational quality in remote schools. The Walton Family Foundation (a major K–12 funder) explicitly sets aside grants for rural school choice and innovation, including charter schools in small towns and STEM programs in rural districts. Likewise, the J. A. and Katherine Albertson Foundation (Idaho) has funded research and outreach on rural schooling. In 2010 the W.K. Kellogg Foundation joined an 11-foundation collaboration to expand the U.S. Department of Education’s i3 innovation fund to rural schools. Kellogg granted $1.4 million to Rural School and Community Trust for technical assistance on i3 applications, and pledged $4 million (with $7 million from other funders) as matching funds for rural districts applying for i3 grants. These investments show that philanthropy has helped rural districts access federal education dollars and pilot new programs – though many advocates argue more is needed.