Growing Rural Oregon (GRO)

Welcome!

Growing Rural Oregon (GRO) believes rural economic development is dynamic and requires continuous community engagement, and that rural entrepreneurs are foundational to sustained economic vitality and prosperity. Launched in 2021, GRO supports rural communities in building a culture of trust, collaboration, and cooperation across sectors, reducing barriers and empowering rural entrepreneurs’ success.

Alongside local leadership teams, the GRO Team helps participating communities identify opportunities, share and leverage best practices, initiate networks, and connect to new ideas, resources, and industry leaders. GRO communities participate in a cohort designed to encourage shared learning and support a network of rural communities committed to strong entrepreneurial growth and “bottom up” economic development across Oregon. All participating communities make a 3 to 5-year commitment to utilizing the GRO framework. They receive targeted coaching, funding for GRO-focused staff, and other benefits.

GRO utilizes a framework developed in close collaboration with e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, a leader in rural economic development with more than 30 years of experience in the field. The e2 framework has been field tested for nearly two decades by NetWork Kansas and dozens of other communities across the United States. GRO is managed by the Oregon Economic Development Districts (OEDD) with implementation and community coaching by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, and funded by The Ford Family Foundation and Oregon Community Foundation.

Learn more about the GRO framework and our guiding values below. Explore the communities currently participating in the first GRO cohort, find resources and media about the entrepreneurial ecosystem approach, and meet the GRO team on our other pages. To get in touch with the GRO team and to learn how to get involved in a future GRO cohort, send us a message using the Contact Us tab. We look forward to hearing from you!

About the GRO Framework

GRO commits to working with each participating community for 3 to 5 years. That time span means we can work with all kinds of communities – those who have systems in place, those who have done this work for a long time, and those who are brand new in their efforts to support entrepreneurship. A flexible framework allows us to meet communities where they are at and take the time, alongside their local leaders and stakeholders, to apply the framework to their unique needs. GRO’s funders understand change doesn’t happen overnight and rural communities are often creatures of habit. This gives participating communities the ability to make changes on the timeline that works best for them and allows the time for meaningful investment. GRO also supports the development of collaborative statewide networks of experts and high-quality data collection and research to further the field of rural economic development.

“Every community has entrepreneurial talent, but every community does not have an entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Andy Stoll, Senior Program Officer, Kauffman Foundation
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GRO Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Framework
Early Stage
Mid-Stage: Years 2 & 3
Mature Stage: Years 4 & 5
GRO Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Framework
Early Stage
Mid-Stage
Mature Stage
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GRO Theory of Change

Growing Rural Oregon’s Theory of Change is a visual representation of the beliefs that drive our work to help rural communities build economies that are rooted in entrepreneurship. We believe that this work must be driven by local people in order to reflect the unique needs and to build upon the unique assets in each of our cohort communities. We believe that things don’t happen over night and we commit to a realistic time frame that allows for growth. We believe that this work only succeeds by building community, using best practices and data to educate, growing and sharing resources, and empowering local champions to transform their places for the better.

GRO Theory of Change

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Our Guiding Values & Beliefs