SaveYour.Town provides practical steps to help you shape a brighter future for your small town or rural community, no matter how small.
We specialize in low or no cost solutions, ones that will work in even the tiniest of towns. Discover our Tour of Empty Buildings, Empty Lot Economic Development and Cheap Downtown Placemaking Ideas, through our short videos, longer courses and detailed toolkits.
For in person learning, co-founders Deb Brown and Becky McCray deliver keynotes, workshops, and in-depth Idea Friendly Action Visits.
November video of the month:
Rebuild Community Ties After Disaster
Disasters can strain your community ties. You can choose to strengthen them.
Get practical inspiration from real towns who’ve been through it.
New!
Intensive Action Package
Invest six months to work with us in person and online to generate lasting change in your community.
What trends will affect small and rural communities in 2022 and beyond?
SaveYour.Town co-founders Becky McCray and Deb Brown go in depth on the trends that will matter to rural people.
How we’ll help you in 2022:
Building fairer, more unified communities despite divisions
What did the Survey of Rural Challenges uncover?
Big disconnects between what rural people say they most want help with and what they are offered by media, service providers and policy makers.
Since 2015, over 1400 people answered the Survey of Rural Challenges.
“There are 2700 small towns in the US alone, and that means any story is just that: one story,” Deb Brown said. “That’s why a broader sample, like on this survey, is important to understanding the big picture of what more rural people are thinking.”
SaveYour.Town founders Deb Brown and Becky McCray share the biggest surprises in a free 24 minute video.
We believe small towns can be saved by their own people using their own resources.
We picked the name SaveYour.Town because that is what you are going to do, save your town. No one is coming to do it for you.
No factory or big business is going to save you. No outside expert has the one right answer. It’s you.
You are going to shift a few key behaviors away from bureaucracy and officials and toward the people. You’ll let go of old formal rules and organizations in order to empower everyone to play a small but meaningful role. You’ll focus more on tiny experiments by lots of people rather than a few big bets made by only a handful of official leaders. You’ll welcome all ideas, from all the people in your town.
That’s who’s coming to save your town: all of you.
Together, we’re teaching you specific ways to make your small town a better place. We’re creating the videos, courses and toolkits that help you learn, grow and take action.