Wealth Building in Rural America Project

Asset Building

As industry has replaced agriculture in much of the country, rural America has experienced a hollowing out of assets. In addition, rural communities have struggled to maintain economic, social and political stability while suffering major declines in population. The Wealth Building in Rural America Project conducted research on asset development in rural America, with a focus on under-served populations, such as people of color, immigrants and people with disabilities.

Funding Partners: F.B. Heron FoundationW.K. Kellogg Foundation, National Rural Funders Collaborative


Principal Investigator

Michael Sherraden

Michael Sherraden

CSD Founding Director,
George Warren Brown Distinguished University Professor

Project Director

Gena Gunn McClendon

Gena Gunn McClendon

Director of Community Engagement,
Director of the Voter Access and Engagement initiative,
Codirector of the Financial Capability and Asset Building initiative