New Rural Project

NEW RURAL PROJECT ENGAGES YOUNG AND MARGINALIZED RESIDENTS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES TO AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES THROUGH INCREASED CIVIC AND ELECTORAL ENGAGEMENT. THE ORGANIZATION WORKS TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO ENGAGEMENT BY LISTENING TO RURAL STAKEHOLDERS AND WORKING TOGETHER TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS.

LISTENING - FOR NEW RURAL PROJECT, AMPLIFYING THE VOICES OF RURAL VOTERS AND UNDERSTANDING THEIR ISSUES AND CONCERNS BEGINS AND ENDS WITH LISTENING. IN 2022, NEW RURAL PROJECT CONTRACTED WITH CHANGE RESEARCH TO CONDUCT A 400 PERSON POLL WITH BLACK, HISPANIC AND NATIVE AMERICAN INFREQUENT VOTERS IN OUR SEVEN RURAL COUNTIES INFORMATION GATHERED ALLOWED US TO UNDERSTAND THE CRITICAL ISSUES FOR OUR BASE CONSTITUENCY AND LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE PROGRAMS WE ARE LAUNCHING. BASED ON THE DATA FROM THE 2020 ELECTION AND ON LEARNINGS FROM OUR 2021 FOCUS GROUP OF BLACK INFREQUENT MALE VOTERS LED BY CHANGE RESEARCH, WE DECIDED WE COULD ADVANCE OUR WORK BY HOSTING WHAT WE CALLED "BARBERSHOP CONVERSATIONS." THIS FOUR-PART WEEKLY SERIES BRINGS TOGETHER LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS WITH YOUNG BLACK MEN TO DISCUSS ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM, SUCH AS THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, CRIME, VOTING, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND MORE. IN 2020 IT WAS EXPANDED INTO 3 NEW RURAL PROJECT RURAL COUNTIES.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT - NEW RURAL PROJECT DIRECTLY ENGAGES WITH FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR PRIORITIES AND TO HELP SUPPORT THEIR GREATEST NEEDS BECOMING A TRUSTED PARTNER. VACCINE AND COMMUNITY EVENTS - IN 2022, NEW RURAL PROJECT CONTINUED TO HOST COVID-19 COMMUNITY VACCINATION EVENTS WORKING TO HELP RURAL POPULATIONS OF COLOR RECEIVE VACCINATIONS. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ADMINISTERED THE VACCINES, AND WE PARTNERED WITH OTHER LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS TO TURN THESE VACCINE EVENTS INTO COMMUNITY EVENTS PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES. IN ADVANCE OF OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS WE CANVASSED AND PHONE BANKED TO ENSURE INFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19 VACCINES AND OUR FREE EVENTS REACHED THE COMMUNITIES CLOSEST TO OUR EVENTS. NEW RURAL PROJECT ALSO PARTNERS WITH OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO HOST WEBINARS TO HELP EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION CONNECTED TO TOPICS LIKE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING AND FEDERAL ELECTIONS. WE ALSO SPEAK WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS HOSTING TRAINING SESSIONS ABOUT CIVIC AND ELECTORAL ENGAGEMENT, HOW LOCAL ELECTIONS IMPACT DAILY LIFE, AND HOW ONE CAN SPEAK AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETINGS. NEW RURAL PROJECT CREATED THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONVERSATIONS (YPC) SERIES, A QUARTERLY EVENT TO ENGAGE MILLENNIALS AND GENZ VOTERS AND AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES AND EXPERIENCES. PANEL DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD OVER ZOOM, LIVE STREAMED ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND SHARED ON OUR YOUTUBE PAGE.

ELECTORAL ENGAGEMENT - OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE MEANINGFUL CONTACT WITH INFREQUENT REGISTERED VOTERS OF COLOR TO IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS TO THEIR ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION AND IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS TO THOSE BARRIERS. USING STAFF MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS AND PAID CANVASSERS, WE WORKED TO EDUCATE THESE COMMUNITIES ON HOW THEY COULD VOTE, WHEN AND WHERE THEY COULD VOTE, AND PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET THE CANDIDATES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WOULD BE ON THEIR GENERAL ELECTION BALLOTS. IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO BOTH THE MAY PRIMARY AND NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION WE DID THE FOLLOWING: 1) RAN A SIX TO SEVEN DAY A WEEK PAID NON-PARTISAN CANVASSING PROGRAM IN FOUR OF OUR SEVEN FOCUS COUNTIES, 2) IMPLEMENTED A PAID LIVE PHONE AND TEXTING PROGRAM, 3) IMPLEMENTED A DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN, 4) CONDUCTED WEEKLY PHONE BANKING, 5) PARTNERED WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO HOLD FIVE "CANDIDATE CONVERSATION" EVENTS, AND 6) PUT TOGETHER AN EFFECTIVE RADIO AND SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAM.