Rural Virginia Coalition Call to Action
Hi All,
A lot has happened in a short period of time, and we wanted to give everyone an update.
Over the past several months, many people across our communities have worked hard to protect rural Virginia from the impact of proposed transmission lines and the unmitigated expansion of data centers. Those efforts have connected neighbors, built relationships, raised awareness, and created a strong foundation for what comes next.
At the same time, it became clear that our work needed more structure in order to be effective long term. We need a way to coordinate across counties, communicate consistently, raise funds together, support local chapters, and give people the tools they need to act.
Time has been against us since we began. However, several of us have worked over the past week to formally organize the Rural Virginia Coalition, and this is what we have accomplished in just 9 days:
The Coalition is now established as a 501(c)(3) Virginia nonprofit corporation. It has bylaws, a governing structure, an EIN, a bank account capable of receiving donations, organizational emails, social media accounts, letterhead, outreach materials, FOIA templates, and a county chapter framework.
The first version of the website is also now launched and has an operational, online donation option. Both our letterhead and website have been sent to a graphic designer for polishing and we hope to roll out improved branding within the next couple weeks, along with new organizational resources, chapter resources, and educational materials.
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We also want to be clear about the purpose of this effort. This is not intended to replace the work others have already done. It is instead intended to support, organize, and quickly strengthen that work so we can operate more effectively and speak with a more coordinated voice.
We also understand that many people may have questions about leadership and structure. We plan to address this at our upcoming meeting in detail but, in short, we want to emphasize that our goal is not to make this organization dependent on any one person. The strongest version of the Coalition will be one where capable people from each affected community step forward, help lead, and represent their neighbors. This structure was created so the work can grow beyond any one individual or group.
What we need now are our long-awaited county chapters. We need people willing to help organize locally. We need recommendations for prospective chapter leaders and people from each county to serve on the board of directors.
To begin that process, we will hold an introductory organizational meeting by Zoom on June 10, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81618057354?pwd=6d848kT7tUqe3s0urgJ5z0GXOoiQ0h.1
Meeting ID: 816 1805 7354
Passcode: 166997
Join instructions
https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/81618057354/invitations?signature=BILez7zymW87iT9K8_gFvFLHg5lK5TNJuovSjDLPaYU
The purpose of the meeting will be to:
Discuss the Coalition and its structure;
Begin organizing county chapters;
Identify prospective chapter leaders and people to serve on the board of directors;
Answer questions; and
Coordinate next steps
We all know that there is still a tremendous amount of work ahead. But we now have a structure capable of supporting a comprehensive, amplified, coordinated regional effort.
For those who have been waiting for a broader vehicle, it now exists and is now operational.
With all our efforts combined, we will win.
Sincerely,
Rural Virginia Coalition
