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NC Rural Center

Since 1987, the Rural Center has worked to improve the quality of life for the state’s rural people and places. We believe that our rural communities have inherent cultural value and are vital to the overall economic health of our state.

About

Since 1987, the Rural Center has worked to improve the quality of life for the state’s rural people and places. We operate with the core belief that our rural communities have inherent cultural value and are vital to the overall economic health of our state. We recognize that the changing landscape of rural North Carolina brings with it significant challenges, but we also believe in the resiliency of our state’s rural people and their dedicated stewardship of the communities they call home. The NC Rural Center’s mission is to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies to improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians. We serve the state’s 78 rural counties, with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources.

We are committed to living into the following values as essential to our success and the success of the communities we serve: 

  • Strive for Excellence – By continuously learning, improving, and working collaboratively with government, education, philanthropy, business, faith, and grassroots communities to leverage resources and develop innovative solutions, we can affect meaningful change.
  • Promote Authentic Leadership – By cultivating authentic leaders in and outside of the Center, we build trust, credibility, and help residents of rural North Carolina take their communities to the next level.
  • Lead with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – By acknowledging that unjust structures and policies have resulted in historical and systemic oppression and committing ourselves to being a more racially and economically just organization, we will set a precedent for other committed organizations to follow suit. We invite you to read more about our journey and commitment to DEI work here. 
  • Deliver Meaningful and Measurable Impact – By placing our focus on the achievement of long-term and sustainable results, there is a greater chance that our activities will lead to noticeable impact within our communities. 
Through lending programs providing access to capital, an advocacy network working for policy change that benefits our state\’s small business network, faith coaching and programs for engagement, leadership trainings and networks educating and connecting future generations of leaders in our state, and more, we are North Carolina\’s resource for rural people and places. 

Services Provided

Business Planning

  • Demographic and Census Data

Economic and Site Development

  • Economic Development
  • Economic Forecast

Events and Community Building

  • Startup Networking

Financial Resources and Assistance

  • Debt Funding
  • Equity Funding
  • Government Funding
  • Loans
  • Microloans
  • Venture Capital

Human Resources, Workforce and Talent

  • Leadership/Professional Development
  • Policies and Templates
  • Workforce Training

Internship Programs and Student Services

  • Internship Program
  • Youth Entrepreneurship Education

Libraries and Research

  • Demographic/Census Data

Management Issues

  • Leadership/Professional Development

Networking and Associations

  • Demographically Based
  • Geographically Based
  • Small Business/General

Nonprofit and Social Enterprise

  • Technical Services

Training

  • Business Management Training
Connect Me With This Organization
Primary Contact
Meg Buckingham
Address
4021 Carya Drive
Suite 160
Raleigh, NC 27610
Phone
(919) 602-4324
Website
https://www.ncruralcenter.org/
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