April 23–24, 2026
Rural Philanthropy Summit: Celebrating Innovation will take place April 23–24, 2026, at Missouri S&T in Rolla.
Presented by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Philanthropy Missouri, the event will kick off Thursday, April 23, with pre-conference activities and a welcome reception. The conference, hosted at Missouri S&T’s Havener Center on Friday, April 24, will feature a keynote address, breakout sessions and more, from breakfast until 3 p.m.
Find more information and register here.
Keynote
More than "Not Urban": Measuring Value and Impact in Service of Rural Communities
The Smithsonian’s Rural Initiative collaborates with local stakeholders to address key priorities identified by rural communities as essential to their economic, educational, and cultural health. Based on the results of a national Rural Needs Sensing research project conducted in 2025, this work repositions the Smithsonian as a public service rather than a destination in Washington, DC. This session will share key findings of the research while outlining exemplar programs and projects based in communities across the nation as a measurement of value and impact. We will discuss a clear pathway for the Smithsonian, communities, and philanthropists to work together in service of rural people and places.
Andy Mink
Director of Rural Initiatives at the Smithsonian Institution
Andy Mink has served as the founding director of the Smithsonian’s Rural Initiative since 2023. He provides leadership in shaping and growing the initiative in order to establish the programmatic and operational infrastructure necessary to execute pan-institutional collaborations that expand the reach of the Smithsonian’s resources, expertise, and programming.
He joined the Office of the Undersecretary of Education after successful years as the vice president of education at the National Humanities Center (NHC). Mink began his career in higher education in 2001 as the director of education and outreach with the Virginia Center for Digital History at the University of Virginia. He later served as the executive director of LEARN NC in the Peabody School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
After earning degrees in history from the University of Virginia and the University of South Carolina, he taught in a public middle school in rural central Virginia for 10 years. Mink has been named National K–12 Educator of the Year by the National Society of Experiential Education and Outstanding Support for Geography Education by the National Council for Geography Education during his work as an educator. He is currently listed as a Distinguished Lecturer by the Organization of American Historians.
Finally, Mink is a dedicated service leader. He has served on numerous local, regional, and national Boards of Directors, including multiple terms on the National Council for the Social Studies, National Council for History Education, and North Carolina Outward Bound School. A native of rural eastern Virginia, his background and wide-ranging set of professional experiences inform his deep commitment to community-based partnerships.
