About Us
Mission:
Dakota Rural Action (DRA) organizes people and builds leadership while developing strong allied relationships. We protect environmental resources, advocate for resilient agriculture systems, and empower people to create policy change that strengthens their communities and cultures.
Vision:
We envision an active and engaged membership promoting healthy, beautiful, and just food, agriculture, and energy systems that protect clean air, water, and soil for all the current and future inhabitants of South Dakota.
How we are organized
Dakota Rural Action is structured on three levels:
1. REGIONAL NETWORK
DRA is a member of the Western Organization of Resource Councils. WORC is a regional network of grassroots community organizations that include 12,200 members and 39 local chapters across 7 western states. WORC helps member groups succeed by providing training and coordinating issue work, and is in turn led by a board of directors made up of member leaders from its member organizations. Based in Billings, Montana, WORC has field offices in Montrose, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.
2. STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION
DRA is a democratically controlled, member-based organization. Based in Brookings, South Dakota, DRA is a 501(c(3) tax exempt non-profit organization. It is led by a board of directors who provide oversight to our staff.
3. LOCAL CHAPTERS
Many of DRA’s members belong to one of our local chapters working in communities across the state. Our chapters help advance our mission on the local level and make South Dakota an even better place to live, work and play. Join one of our local chapters today and help us build a better South Dakota!
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
Dakota Rural Action grew out of a steering committee called the South Dakota Rural Organizing Project (SDROP) which began in late 1985, who wanted a sustained, effective organizing response largely because of the farm crisis. The steering committee worked with the St. Paul-based Family Farm Organizing Resource Center (FFORC), which provided organizational development assistance, handled the books and served as fiscal agent. A full time lead organizer was employed May, 1986 and a voter education staff was employed in fall of 1986 to work with SDROP. It became evident that the effort needed to be focused on the cause of the farm crisis, not the effect, and Dakota Rural Action became the non-profit, non-partisan, community based organization it is today. DRA held its organizational meeting on January 10, 1987 at which time by-laws were adopted, an organizational structure was established, membership dues were set, and an issues platform was voted on by those in attendance. After the organizational meeting, DRA worked to build its base in earnest.
Resolutions and Statements
Dakota Rural Action’s adopted resolutions are a guide for our members on how we stand on certain issues.
Resolutions are reviewed every year at our annual meeting by our members and board of directors. Decisions around additions, edits, and removal of resolutions occurs when there is a need to add new resolutions to reflect our position on a new issue, to update our position on an issue, or to strike from the books something that is no longer an issue.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Are you interested in learning more? Do you want to become a member? Contact us at action@dakotarural.org or call our offices at 605-697-5204.