Wisconsin’s Top Rural Development Initiatives is an annual recognition program sponsored by Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc. The program seeks to uncover and share the great things happening in rural Wisconsin through a process of open nomination, review by a panel of judges from diverse backgrounds, and a public awards ceremony. 

In 1998, then-president of WRP Wendy Hinrichs Sanders said, “We want to increase the visibility of these best practices and strengthen the network between communities so they can model after creative projects that have been successful in other areas of the state. Rural communities, especially, can’t afford to keep reinventing the wheel.”

Over the past 25 years, more than 174 initiatives have been recognized and profiled for community leaders to learn from. Nominations consist of a 700-word-or-less essay describing an initiative’s background, innovation, spirit of partnership, impact, and potential use as a model for other rural Wisconsin communities.