Muscatine Recognized Nationally for Rural Innovation and Change
Rural LISC honors Mason Kopf as Emerging Rural Changemaker and Charla Schafer as Rural Innovator
Muscatine is gaining national recognition for the way local leaders and organizations are working together to tackle complex rural challenges and create new opportunities for the community.
Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has recognized two Muscatine leaders as part of its 2026 Rural Champion Awards: Mason Kopf, Program Manager of United Way Muscatine County, as an Emerging Rural Changemaker, and Charla Schafer, President of the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, as a Rural Innovator.
Muscatine is among rural communities and leaders from Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Puerto Rico receiving this year’s national recognition.
The awards were celebrated at Rural LISC’s Annual Seminar September 29–30 in Asheville, North Carolina, immediately before the Federal Reserve’s Investing in Rural America Conference, September 30–October 2.
Mason Kopf | Emerging Rural Changemaker
Kopf’s work reflects the interconnected nature of education, family stability, workforce development, and economic vitality, especially in rural communities.
Through his work with United Way Muscatine County, Kopf brings people and organizations together to strengthen students and families and build greater long-term stability. His recent election to the Muscatine Community School District Board of Education extends that commitment to student success and future workforce development.
His leadership crosses organizations and sectors, connecting people and resources around the shared work of strengthening Muscatine and creating greater opportunities for the people who live here.
“Rural communities are strongest when people see possibility,” said Kopf. “Being recognized as an Emerging Rural Changemaker is incredibly meaningful. Through United Way, I have the opportunity every day to work with people who are creating greater opportunity for students and families and building a stronger future for Muscatine.”
Charla Schafer | Rural Innovator
Schafer’s recognition reflects the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine’s work to innovate how philanthropy can help solve persistent rural challenges and test new approaches where existing systems are not producing the outcomes the community needs.
One example of that work is Open-Source Rural Housing Innovation. Faced with the growing disconnect between what housing costs to build and what rural families can afford, the Foundation and its partners are testing and de-risking housing technologies, building housing, developing local knowledge, and openly sharing what is learned.
The goal is to expand what is possible for rural housing and create knowledge and capacity that other communities can build upon.
“We are incredibly grateful to have the work of the Community Foundation and United Way recognized by an organization of Rural LISC’s national caliber,” said Schafer. “This recognition reflects the work of so many people across Muscatine who bring their expertise, resources, and commitment to creating meaningful change. We are equally grateful for the opportunity to learn from Rural LISC and its extraordinary network of rural leaders across the country.”
Rural Communities Leading Rural Change
Muscatine’s strength is its ability to bring people, expertise, and resources together to create change. Rural LISC expands that capacity, connecting Muscatine to national expertise, rural leaders, and ideas that strengthen what we can accomplish here.
Congratulations to Mason Kopf and United Way Muscatine County, Charla Schafer and the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, and the many partners across Muscatine helping move our community and rural innovation forward.
About Rural LISC
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is one of the nation’s largest community development organizations. Since 1979, LISC has invested more than $32 billion and leveraged $87 billion in communities across the country to advance housing, economic development, workforce development, small business, and community capacity.
Rural LISC connects rural communities with capital, expertise, and a national network focused on strengthening rural America. In 2023, Rural LISC invested $136 million, generating $455 million in rural community development impact. Rural LISC also partners with the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and New York on the Investing in Rural America Conference.
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