Who We Are

What we do and why we do it

Our roots are rural. Main Street Project was founded in March 2005 as the non-partisan 501(c)(3) arm of the League of Rural Voters, which has a history of community building and organizing dating back to 1986.

Today, Main Street Project works to document the challenges facing people in increasingly diverse rural communities, give voice to their hopes and aspirations, and provide creative and practical tools to turn possibilities into realities. Through programs focused on the need for media justice, economic development opportunities and broader civic participation, our commitment is to strengthen local capacity for problem solving - so that answers to challenges come directly from the community.

Because how we work is as important as what we do, Main Street Project is guided by and committed to these principles of community work:

• Recognition of and respect for rural context and realities

• Focus on community strengths and assets

• Use of culturally competent and linguistically accessible tools and processes

• Respect for the knowledge and wisdom of community members - those with the most at stake