I often look to the Center’s history as a source of inspiration. Earlier this year, as we faced the termination of multiple federal funding sources, I found myself drawn back to the early history of the Center.
In 1973, Center co-founders Marty Strange and Don Ralston were employed by Goldenrod Hills Community Action Agency, an area nonprofit that was federally funded to eliminate poverty. What happened next is strikingly similar to the challenges the Center faced in 2025. Here’s what they wrote:
“[N]ewly re-elected President Richard Nixon decided to eliminate the federal anti-poverty programs that were the central funding source for Goldenrod Hills, and he appointed an angry conservative named Howard Phillips to shut down the federal agency that distributed the funding. Phillips issued a lengthy instruction detailing how to close out operations.
The local response was remarkable. The board… was defiant. Too bad the federal government doesn’t think there is a need for anti-poverty programs—we do.
And we are not a federal agency. They can’t tell us to shut down. The staff was commissioned to build a survival strategy. Anticipating more “shut down now” memos from Howie Phillips and wanting to reflect the board’s defiance, Don bought a rubber stamp to record receipt of each instruction. It read: BULLSHIT. We were off.”
This stamp marked the beginning of a nonprofit committed to independent thought, local control, and the belief that rural communities could—and should—chart their own futures.
With partners and supporters like you at our side, the Center has worked for 52 years to equip rural communities with tools to make the most of their ideas, assets, and strengths.
We’re again facing an administration set on dismantling federal programs and jeopardizing the financial stability of farms, businesses, and projects that sustain rural communities.
Once again, we’re refusing to stop, and we’re stamping BS on orders to end critical work.
We are managing the cancellation and potential loss of more than $7.36 million in federal and state funding across multiple programs over the next four years, in addition to the termination of our $62.4 million Solar for All award. That funding would have paid for services like one-on-one help for women entrepreneurs, Native American small business development, access to affordable solar electricity for people with low incomes, and support for developing food and farm businesses.
Does this mean our staff will stop providing one-on-one guidance and business support for women and other underserved entrepreneurs? Or that we won’t be able to answer the phone when a farmer calls with a food business idea to flesh out? Absolutely not!
We’re planning exciting new and expanded initiatives for rural grocery store revitalization, farm to school connections, food system coalitions, local leadership development, financing rural home construction, Nebraska Native community food security and food sovereignty, clean energy coalitions, beginning farmer supports, and so much more.
As long as we have support from people like you, we refuse to give up. We enter 2026 with a renewed determination to find creative ways to advance our values.
We work together in this time of profound change to advocate for our highest values in shaping the future of our institutions, policies, and lives. Thank you again for believing in us and for sharing our mission.
To make a special, fully matched year-end gift, please visit cfra.org/give or mail a check by Dec. 31. A generous group of donors is matching contributions to the Center dollar for dollar until the end of the month.
