Alberta Rural Development Network

Last updated
Rural Development Network
Formation2009
TypeNonprofit Organization
FocusRural, Remote, and Indigenous community, social, and economic development.
HeadquartersEdmonton, Alberta
Location
Area served
Rural Canada
ProductsGuides, Toolkits, Housing and Service Needs Estimations, Housing Development Needs Assessments, Research, Product Development, Online Training, In-Person Facilitation, Community Engagement, Asset Mapping, and Shared Services
MethodIn-Person, Virtual, Hybrid
Members9
President & Chief Executive Officer
Melissa Fougere
Key people
Melissa Fougere President & CEO, Dr. Glenn Mitchell (Board Chair)
Employees16
Website https://ruraldevelopment.ca/
Formerly called
Alberta Rural Development Network

The Rural Development Network (RDN), formerly the Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN), is an Alberta-based organization purposed towards supporting development in rural communities in Canada. [1]

Contents

The Rural Development Network (RDN) is a national nonprofit organization based in Alberta, Canada, dedicated to strengthening rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. RDN works alongside local partners to co-create practical, evidence-based solutions that address housing and homelessness, newcomer settlement, and community and economic development challenges.

Established in 2009, RDN was created as a partnership of Alberta's 21 public post secondary institutions. [2]

RDN publishes a newsletter, The Rural Connector Newsletter, once a month.

History

Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) began operations in 2009 with a grant from the Rural Alberta Development Fund (RADF) [3] and in-kind commitments from its post-secondary members.

Since its inception, RDN has worked with several of Alberta's colleges, universities and organizations on projects, including Lakeland College and Portage College on a Regional Innovation Network in East Central Alberta, [4] Mount Royal University on a Business Retention & Expansion Symposium, [5] the Alberta Academy of Art and Design on the Company of Albertans, [6] Pastor Tim Wray on the Young Adult Photovoice Project, [7] and Lethbridge College on Social in the South. [8] More recently RDN has been supported by funders such as Alberta Real Estate Foundation to complete research and community engagement through Enabling Housing Choice [9] [10] , Enabling Housing Choice North [11] [12] [13] Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation Guide and checklist for affordable housing in Canada [14] , and Responding to Veterans Homelessness in Rural, Remote, and Indigenous communities [15] funded by the Government of Canada, Veterans and Well-Being Fund.

The Rural Development Network is the Reaching Home Community Entity for Rural and Remote Alberta, and is responsible for distributing this funding from the Government of Canada to rural and remote organizations and communities across the province to address and respond to homelessness [16] . These communities include First Nation and Métis Settlement communities amongst others. [17]

RDN helps communities identify needs, access funding, and design sustainable, locally-driven initiatives. Our work includes:

Approach

We believe that rural voices must shape rural solutions. Through collaboration, applied research, and capacity-building, RDN helps communities overcome systemic barriers, leverage local strengths, and create measurable social, environmental, and economic impact.

Funding

The Rural Development Network (RDN) is a Canadian non-profit organization that receives funding through a combination of government, philanthropic, and fee-for-service sources. The organization’s primary funding comes from project-based and program-specific grants provided by federal and provincial governments, including Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). At the provincial level, RDN has received support from the Government of Alberta through various ministries focused on housing, community development, and social services.

RDN also collaborates with and receives contributions from municipalities, Indigenous governments, and regional alliances to deliver locally driven housing and community development initiatives.

The organization’s work has been supported by a range of charitable and private foundations, including the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, the Tenaquip Foundation, the United Way, and other philanthropic funders that invest in community resilience, housing innovation, and rural sustainability.

In addition to grants and contributions, RDN generates earned revenue through its fee-for-service activities, which include research, consulting, evaluation, training, and data analysis for rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across Canada.

RDN adheres to non-profit accountability and transparency standards.

Members

References

  1. ↑ "About | Rural Development Network". www.ruraldevelopment.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  2. ↑ Staff. "Community Outreach" Archived 2013-05-29 at the Wayback Machine . Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  3. ↑ "Alberta Rural Development Network". Archived from the original on 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  4. ↑ Staff. "Lakeland and Portage partner to build East Central Alberta Regional Innovation Network". Lakeland College - Applied Research & Innovation. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  5. ↑ Staff. "Keeping rural business strong". Mount Royal University. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  6. ↑ Staff. "The Company of Albertans" Archived 2013-08-09 at the Wayback Machine . ACAD. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  7. ↑ Wray, Tim. "What Matters in Small Towns?" Archived 2013-05-16 at the Wayback Machine . Farm On. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Staff. "Social in the South 2012: Social Media Strategies for Business" Archived 2013-05-30 at the Wayback Machine . Lethbridge College. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Enabling Housing Choice Project launches with an Alberta-wide survey | Alberta Real Estate Foundation". arefwebsite-5eaequ714-field.vercel.app. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  10. ↑ "Enabling Housing Choice Project In Trochu – ECA Review". 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  11. ↑ "Enabling Housing Choice North Project in LAC Cardinal County". Municipal District of Peace | CiviKit. 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  12. ↑ Admin, Communications (2025-02-26). "Enabling Housing Choice North Project in Big Lakes County". Big Lakes County. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  13. ↑ "Enabling Housing Choice North Project comes to Fairview - Town of Fairview, Alberta" . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  14. ↑ "Case Study: Guide to Developing Affordable Housing". www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  15. ↑ Canada, Veterans Affairs (2025-03-06). "MP Boissonnault announces support for Veterans and their families". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  16. ↑ Canada, Infrastructure. "Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - Alberta". housing-infrastructure.canada.ca. Archived from the original on 2025-09-17. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  17. ↑ Higgins, Michael. "Alberta's Rural Homeless". Alberta Primetime. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
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