This piece argues that the very nature of rural poverty and the communities in which the rural poor live influence the administration of welfare programs that were designed to address urban poverty. Using in-depth interviews with case managers in urban and rural Kentucky along with statistical analysis from Kentucky's 120 counties, this study shows the very real challenges faced by administrators and highlights the challenges faced in both rural and urban communities. Importantly for public administration, resource constraints, the number of clientele served, geographic distances, and sense of community differently affect the implementation of welfare policy by place. The author suggests that because of the unique aspects of rural poverty, the welfare poor in rural communities may be best served by rules that emphasize local program variation.

The not‐for‐profit sector has long played an important role in the policy process through encouraging political engagement, policy research and advocacy, and service delivery. This paper examines two not‐for‐profit organizations, National Children's Alliance and National Alliance on Mental Illness, both of which are grassroots organizations formed to radically change public and professional perceptions of their respective issues and reform the way services are offered to those in need. Borrowing from the literature on policy image and agenda setting, we identify the strategies used by these two highly successful not‐for‐profit groups in their efforts to change the system through redefining problems, reframing issues, and securing legislation with the help of policy entrepreneurs and politicians sympathetic to their causes.

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