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Non-profit

RuralOrganizing.org

Website:

ruralorganizing.org/
Location:

Columbus, OH
Tax ID:

82-5040665
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Type:

Rural Activist Organization
Executive Director:

Matt Hildreth
Campaign Director:

Aftyn Behn
Formation:

2012

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RuralOrganizing.org is an advocacy organization that supports and trains left-of-center political activists and left-of-center political candidates running for office in rural America. 1 The organization claims to have organized over 700,000 left-of-center activists for political causes in rural America. 2

RuralOrganizing.org self-identifies as “boldly progressive” 3 and is committed to the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity. 4 The organization is one of 50 left-of-center organizations that is a partner of the Green New Deal Champions Pledge. 5 In October 2022, RuralOragnizing.org sponsored a series of virtual phone banks attacking U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance (R-OH). 6

In 2020, RuralOrganizing.org received $565,000 from the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is administered by left-leaning Arabella Advisors. 7 RuralOrganizing.org is also a grantee of the left-of-center Rural Democracy Initiative’s Heartland Fund. 8

History and Leadership

RuralOrganizing.org was founded in 2012 as Rural Organizing Center 9 10 and given the tax-exempt 501(c)(4) “social welfare group” status from the Internal Revenue Service in 2020. 11

Matt Hildreth is RuralOrganizing.org’s executive director. 12 13 Previously, Hildreth worked as director of illegal immigration advocacy organization America’s Voice and held a role at left-of-center advocacy organization Sojourners. 14 He is also a member of left-of-center Legal Services Corporation’s Rural Justice Task Force. 15

Activities and Funding

RuralOrganizing.org is a self-identified “boldly progressive” 16 left-of-center political activist organization that supports left-of-center political organizing in rural communities. 17 RuralOrganizing.org is committed to the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity, 18 strives to create a critical race theory-influenced “equitable” America, 19 and is supportive of Biden administration spending policy priorities. 20 21 RuralOrganizing.org claims to have organized over 700,000 activists for left-of-center political causes across rural America. 22

RuralOrganizing.org has received funding from the left-of-center Rural Democracy Initiative to recruit and train spokespeople for rural communities 23 and offers advice for left-of-center candidates running for office in rural areas. 24 Its focused areas of engagement include promoting the dignity of work, investing in new infrastructure, promoting the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity, building rural prosperity, and building civic leadership. 25

RuralOrganizing.org is one of 50 left-of-center organizations that is a partner of the far-left Green New Deal Champions Pledge, which supports the far-left environmentalist “Green New Deal” policy reforms. 26

In October 2022, RuralOragnizing.org sponsored a virtual phone bank attacking Republican U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance 27 that claimed that Ohio U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) cared about rural Ohio while Vance “only cares about himself.” 28

In 2021, RuralOrganizing.org interviewed 70 different organizers from left-of-center campaigns in 31 states to learn lessons for future organizing activities and inform their future activities. 29 That same year,  RuralOrganizing.org co-hosted a summit with left-of-center Family Farm Action and Rural Democracy Initiative to discuss rural issues with other organizations. 30 Participating organizations at this event included the left-of-center Health Care for America Now, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Main Street Alliance, New Georgia Project Action Fund, People’s Action, United for Respect, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Clean Energy Works, Headwaters Economics, Small Business Majority, and others. 31 A report released following this conferences suggested the federal government should engage with Native American tribes in a manner consistent with the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples. 32

In 2020, RuralOrganizing.org organized protests against changes to the U.S. Postal Service with left-of-center groups including Indivisible, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, MoveOn, NAACP, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Vets for the People, and the Working Families Party. 33

RuralOrganizing.org has spent at least $10,697 in the 2021-2022 election cycle as of mid-October 2022, all opposing Republican Party candidates. 34 35

Funding

RuralOrganizing.org receives funding from individual contributions and grants. 36 In 2020, RuralOrganizing.org reported revenue of $845,456 and expenses of $680,898. 37

In 2021, RuralOrganizing.org received a grant Rural Democracy Initiative’s Heartland Fund. 38 In 2020, RuralOrganizing.org received $565,000 from the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is administered by left-leaning Arabella Advisors. 39 In 2019, RuralOrganizing.org received $70,000 from the Sixteen Thirty Fund 40 and $26,000 from left-of-center All Hands on Deck Network. 41 RuralOrganizing.org is also a grantee of the left-of-center Rural Democracy Initiative. 42

RuralOrganizing.org is affiliated with and shares an address with the RuralOrganizing.org Education Fund. 43 44

References

  1. “Support Progressive Organizing in Rural Communities.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/we-are-boldly-progressive-and-proudly-rural.
  2. “Support Progressive Organizing in Rural Communities.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/we-are-boldly-progressive-and-proudly-rural.
  3. “Home.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://www.ruralorganizing.org/.
  4. “Node.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruralorganizing.org/node
  5. “Green New Deal Champions Pledge Partners.” Green New Deal Champions. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://gndchampions.com/partners/.
  6. “Defeat JD Vance Phonebanking. Mobilize. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/498093/.
  7. “Sixteen Thirty Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://www.sixteenthirtyfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Sixteen-Thirty-Fund-2020-Public-Disclosure-Copy.pdf.
  8. “How to Donate.” Rural Democracy Initiative. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruraldemocracyinitiative.org/support.
  9. “RuralOrganizing.org Twitter Bio.” RuralOrganizing.org Twitter Page. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://twitter.com/RuralOrganizing.
  10. “Home.” Rural Organizing Center. May 15, 2012. Accessed Via Web Archive October 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20120515085659/http://ruralorganizing.org/.
  11. “Determination Letter.” Internal Revenue Service. July 21, 2020. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/dl/FinalLetter_82-5040665_RURALORGANIZINGORG_01212020_00.tif.
  12. Building Progressive Power in Rural America: Options for Donors.” BlueTent. May 2022. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://bluetent.us/strategy/building-progressive-power-in-rural-areas/.
  13. “Matt Hildreth.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruralorganizing.org/matt-hildreth.
  14. “Matt Hildreth.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruralorganizing.org/matt-hildreth.
  15. “Rural Justice Task Force.” Legal Services Corporation. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://www.lsc.gov/initiatives/lsc-task-forces/rural-justice-task-force.
  16. [1] “Home.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://www.ruralorganizing.org/.
  17. “Running Campaigns in Small Town and Rural Communities.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/running-campaigns-in-small-towns-and-rural-communities.
  18. “Node.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruralorganizing.org/node.
  19. [1] “RuralOrganizing.org.” Action Network. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/groups/ruralorganizingorg.
  20. “RuralOrganizing.org Strongly Supports the Inflation Reduction Act.” RuralOrganizing.org. August 5, 2022. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruralorganizing.org/node.
  21. Hildreth, Matthew. “Democrats Just Passed the Biggest Boost for Small Towns and Rural Communities We’ve Seen in Decades.” RuralOrganizing.org. March 10, 2021. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://www.ruralorganizing.org/node?page=6.
  22. “Support Progressive Organizing in Rural Communities.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/we-are-boldly-progressive-and-proudly-rural.
  23. “RDI Fuels Rural Progress.” Rural Democracy Initiative. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruraldemocracyinitiative.org/rdis-approach.
  24. “Running Campaigns in Small Town and Rural Communities.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/running-campaigns-in-small-towns-and-rural-communities.
  25. “Rural Progress.” RuralProgress.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruralorganizing.org/ruralprogress.
  26. [1] “Green New Deal Champions Pledge Partners.” Green New Deal Champions. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://gndchampions.com/partners/.
  27. “Defeat JD Vance Phonebanking. Mobilize. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/498093/.
  28. “Ohio Senate Debate Shows Tim Ryan Cares About Rural Ohio while J.D. Vance Cares About Himself. October 11, 2022. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruralorganizing.org/blog/ohio-senate-debate-shows-tim-ryan-cares-about-rural-ohio-while-jd-vance-cares-about-himself.
  29. “Rural Organizers Share 2020 Lessons.” RuralOrganizing.org Facebook. March 18, 2021. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://m.facebook.com/RuralOrganizing/videos/rural-organizers-share-2020-lessons/164382068836924/.
  30. “2021 Rural Policy Action Report.” RuralOrganizing.org, Rural Democracy Initiative, Family Farm Action. 2021. Accessed October 15, 2021. https://ruralpolicyaction.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Rural-Policy-Action-Report-2021-1.pdf.
  31. “2021 Rural Policy Action Report.” RuralOrganizing.org, Rural Democracy Initiative, Family Farm Action. 2021. Accessed October 15, 2021. https://ruralpolicyaction.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Rural-Policy-Action-Report-2021-1.pdf.
  32. “2021 Rural Policy Action Report.” RuralOrganizing.org, Rural Democracy Initiative, Family Farm Action. 2021. Accessed October 15, 2021. https://ruralpolicyaction.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Rural-Policy-Action-Report-2021-1.pdf.
  33. Steer, Daymond. “#SaveThePostOffice event draws crowd.” The Conway Daily Sun. August 24, 2020. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://www.conwaydailysun.com/news/local/savethepostoffice-event-draws-crowd/article_6b356fbc-e606-11ea-a8c1-7b74be841965.html.
  34. “RuralOrganizing.org Outside Spending.” Open Secrets. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending/detail/2022?cmte=C90021619&tab=summary.
  35. “RuralOrganizing.org Inc.” Federal Election Commission Committee Profile. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C90021619/?tab=filings.
  36. “Support Progressive Organizing in Rural Communities.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/we-are-boldly-progressive-and-proudly-rural.
  37. “RuralOrganizing.org.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Part I. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/825040665_202012_990O_2022071820227778.pdf.
  38. “How to Donate.” Rural Democracy Initiative. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruraldemocracyinitiative.org/support.
  39. “Sixteen Thirty Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://www.sixteenthirtyfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Sixteen-Thirty-Fund-2020-Public-Disclosure-Copy.pdf.
  40. “Sixteen Thirty Fund.” “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.” (Form 990). 2019. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/264486735/202033179349303983/full.
  41. “All Hands on Deck Network Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371697474/202141769349301039/full.
  42. “About RDI.” Rural Democracy Initiative. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruraldemocracyinitiative.org/rdis-approach.
  43. “RuralOrganizing.org.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/825040665_202012_990O_2022071820227778.pdf.
  44. “Home.” RuralOrganizing.org. Accessed October 15, 2022. https://ruralorganizing.org/contact-us.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: July 1, 2020

    • Available Filings

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    RuralOrganizing.org

    545 East Town Street
    Columbus, OH