Download some of our most asked-for and highly rated planning, facilitation, and community building tools.

• 1Fist to Five
• 2Prepare for Strategic Planning (SWOT)
• 3Stakeholder Analysis
• 4Planning for Effective Meetings
• 5Appreciative Inquiry

We believe that effective, diverse, and collaborative leadership is an essential component of vital rural communities. We also believe that leadership can be an intentional and learned skill. RDI has delivered our flagship Ford Institute Leadership Program in more than 300 communities. We also offer leadership services tailored to fit the needs and culture of specific groups. You can learn more about RDI’s leadership development work and philosophy by reading about some of our current projects.

The Ford Institute Leadership Program

RDI can bring our award winning Ford Institute Leadership Program curriculum to your community. The Leadership program training consists of 48 class hours held over four Friday–Saturday sessions. The classes focus on developing the community leadership capacity of individuals. The training emphasizes an interactive and facilitative style rather than lectures. It draws on the knowledge and skills of those in the room, augmented by the lessons in the curriculum and is accompanied by a year long community improvement project.

Leadership in Action

Leadership in Action (LiA) is a two-day introductory leadership development training. LiA gives 20–30 people in the community a common vocabulary, new concepts, and practical tools so that they can better work together to make things happen in their community. As part of the training, RDI brings together non-traditional, emerging, and existing leaders from the community and encourages leaders of all ages to embrace a community leadership role that highlights their unique talents and interests. The curriculum itself is flexible according to community interest and needs. Some of the topics we cover include:

• Catalytic Leadership: A Community Leadership Model for the Modern Age
• Social Capital and the Importance of Community Connections
• Rural Community Vitality: A Self Assessment of Community Health
• Asset Mapping and Appreciative Inquiry: “Glass Half Full” Approaches to Community Building

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Youth Leadership Development

During our workshops, young people learn skills they can apply right now to make things happen in their life and community; they’ll meet new people, have the opportunity to earn credit or community service hours, and learn about scholarship opportunities. Workshops are designed to fit the needs of the school and students in a half-day, full-day, multi-day, or multi-month format. To maximize learning opportunities and youth empowerment, local youth are included in the design, organization, and facilitation of workshops whenever possible. The services we offer include:

• Youth Leadership
• Youth-Adult Partnerships
• Intro and Advanced Conflict Resolution
• Youth Entrepreneurship
• Peer Mediation
• Intro and Advanced Communication
• Civic Engagement

Native American Leadership Development

RDI offers services that are culturally competent, community-based and focused on the strengths and assets that exist in Native American communities. RDI helps build strong Native institutions and programs through professional services designed to build local capacity and provide powerful tools for Native community development. We work to transform Native economies through training, technical assistance, and consulting. One of our primary goals is to provide opportunities and knowledge that lead to sustainable, systemic, and appropriate social and economic development in Native American communities. We offer:

• Facilitation Services by Experienced Native American Facilitator
• Creating Collaboration in a Non-Indian Environment
• Work Friendly Warrior Training: Another Approach to Organizational Thinking
• Economic Development
• Native American Leadership in the 21st Century Training

Latino Leadership Development

Our Latino leadership trainings are dynamic, informative, and relevant to Latino traditions in rural communities. Our trainings are adjusted to meet the necessities of the Latino culture as well as the culture of the group we are working with. We offer 9, 16, 20, and 30 hour training options. All of our trainings aim to increase unity among Latinos in the community, and increase Latino leadership in the community at large. We facilitate these trainings in Spanish or Bilingually (English and Spanish), depending on the needs of the group.