Mission:
To enable every rural resident to achieve his or her full entrepreneurial potential.

Background:
The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship was established in 2000 with core support from the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Rural Policy Research Institute in Columbia, Missouri. It grew out of the Rural Entrepreneurship Initiative formerly supported by the Kauffman Foundation, the National Rural Development Partnership, Partners for Rural America, and the Nebraska Community Foundation as a way to build a more prosperous, dynamic, and sustainable economy in rural America through the development of local entrepreneurs. The center conducts and compiles research on issues related to rural entrepreneurship; empowers individuals to explore opportunities to create their own businesses and their own wealth; and informs rural policy discussions at the local, state, and national levels.

Outstanding Web Features:
The center's online library contains case studies, reports, and policy briefs related to the field of rural entrepreneurship, as well as stories of successful rural entrepreneurs, information on youth entrepreneurship, and book recommendations. The Web site also provides a state-by-state assessment of rural entrepreneurship, with Web links and contact information supplied for each state, and information about the center's online business-planning course and free electronic newsletter.