Rural Welcoming Initiative

Participants in the Rural Welcoming Initiative (RWI) access technical assistance and coaching, free Welcoming America membership, and ongoing learning opportunities to strengthen welcoming efforts in rural communities. Communities will be tasked with cultivating relationships, examining their current policies and programs, and aligning their local immigrant inclusion efforts to the Welcoming Standard.

Background

Immigrants and refugees come to this country searching for safety and opportunities for education, employment, and ultimately, to be part of a thriving community. While some make the large cities of the U.S. their new homes, many follow the opportunities that present themselves in smaller cities and more rural parts of the country.

Rural communities often have much to offer immigrant and refugee newcomers: steady employment, a reasonable cost of living, social cohesion, and for many, the chance to live in a place that is similar in size to where they come from. While newcomers may initially be drawn to rural places out of economic necessity, they stay when these smaller and more rural places start to feel like home.

Immigrants and refugees are more likely to feel welcome and experience a sense of belonging when communities have created programs, partnerships, policies, and opportunities that engage them. Rural areas often thrive in return in part because their U.S.-born population is typically older, and newcomers often help revitalize and add vibrancy to rural communities.

Apply now!

Calling all local nonprofit organizations and local governments in rural areas of the United States! If your community has a population of under 50,000, you are invited to apply for the 2025 Rural Welcoming Initiative.

Ten rural communities will be selected build and strengthen inclusion in their community as part of the national welcoming movement.

To learn more about eligibility requirements, participant commitments, and more, please review our program overview.

Key dates:

  • Monday, October 14: Applications open
  • Thursday, November 7: Join us for an informational webinar about the RWI
  • Friday, December 6: Applications close
  • Friday, December 13: Applicants notified of their application status

Support Offered

  • Complimentary Welcoming Network membership. Each rural community will receive free membership in the Welcoming Network. Membership benefits include exclusive resources and programmatic offerings, professional development opportunities, and more.
  • Peer learning. Rural communities will be provided the opportunity to connect with and learn from each other through various programs and convenings.
  • Coaching and technical assistance. Each community will be eligible to receive individualized coaching and technical assistance to support their local work. Welcoming America will provide video call consultations to help participants establish welcoming goals, address challenges, and connect to helpful resources.
  • Free registration and travel support to the Welcoming Interactive. Each participating organization/locality will receive two complimentary entrance tickets to attend the 2025 Welcoming Interactive in Detroit, MI and a grant of up to $2,000 to offset the cost of travel to the conference.
  • Local-to-local community partnerships. Each participant will be matched with another rural community for periodic one-on-one calls to engage in thought partnership and share experiences and perspectives with another rural community.
  • Welcoming Week stipends. Each participating organization commits to hosting or supporting a Welcoming Week 2025 event in their local community or region and will receive a stipend of up to $750.
  • Optional monthly office hours. Welcoming America will host virtual office hours each month in 2025 as an open space for rural Welcoming Network members to drop in and ask questions.