Improving partnerships in rural communities: Organizing approaches for improved effectiveness and reach of rural nutrition programs

How local initiatives organize to address community issues can impact project success. Hunger alleviation programs serving high poverty, rural populations rarely reach full participation and often do not coordinate services. This paper is a summary of findings from a three-year study of 15 regional partnerships working to improve participation in, and communication between federal assistance programs addressing childhood food insecurity in high poverty, rural areas. The regional partnerships explored organizing structures and collaborative outreach methods to improve program reach and involvement. Most partnership teams addressed community connections by organizing coalitions or working with existing coalitions. Partnership coalitions improved over the duration of this study by increasing attention to organizational structure, purpose, and group processes. In addition, all partnerships used technology and digital media to expand outreach, communication, and coordination. Results included expanded partnership collaboration, increased program participation, and expanded promotion through creative outreach strategies to engage community members.