Our Story: More Than Just a Foundation
We’re not here to make a “feel-good” story. We’re here to make a real difference.
We’re a non-profit founded by someone who has been through the ringer—and somehow walked away stronger, more determined, and absolutely committed to empowering the women who keep our rural communities alive.
The Rural Gone Urban Foundation started as an idea that turned into a mission, and now, it’s a full-blown movement. Our founder, Brooke Taylor, started this journey after her own world was turned upside down by an upgrade to stage 4 triple-negative breast cancer. At the time, she wasn’t just a business owner, but also a mom to a young daughter, doing everything she could to fight for her future. And that’s when the idea for this foundation was born. It was never about checking a box or doing something just for the sake of it—it was about showing her daughter that strong women don’t just survive, they thrive.
This foundation was founded on a simple belief: supporting women in the most meaningful ways shouldn’t be the exception, it should be the rule.
Brooke Clay Taylor founded The Rural Gone Urban Foundation to support strong women doing brave things.
A toddler mom and ranch girl at heart, Brooke Clay Taylor has lived a life punctuated by hard things.
At 6 years old, she lost her dad to colon cancer.
Before starting junior high, she traded her close-knit Indiana farming community for an Oklahoma cattle ranch.
As a senior in high school, her guidance counselor assessed her as “not college material,” recommending she was better suited for job training than degree-seeking.
She bet the house on love — and lost.
After a decade of building a career working for internationally recognized agriculture brands, she moved into her family’s horse barn to start over, launching a business with a single client and a prayer.
And in 2019, on the same day she gave birth to her daughter, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, the worst, most aggressive form of the disease. Despite a complete pathological response to chemo and being declared cancer-free, in 2022, it returned for an act two.
But Brooke has faced exactly none of these roadblocks alone. Since she was small, her family, friends, and community have given Brooke the boosts she needed to rise to every challenge.
“Maybe the bravest thing,” Brooke says, “is admitting that while you could do it all by yourself, it’s okay to call on the people in your corner.”
In the wake of her second cancer diagnosis, Brooke launched The Rural Gone Urban Foundation to support brave, strong women who need people in their corner. The B and C students seeking scholarships. The small-town moms whose businesses only exist as ideas. And especially the women in the ring with cancer.
We don’t do things the typical way, and we’re not interested in your average non-profit fluff.
We’re about showing up for women who have the courage to keep going, even when the world tells them to stop. Whether it’s offering no-GPA-required scholarships, providing life-changing small business grants, or bringing hope to women battling cancer through our Love Bombs, we’re here for the women who have nothing left to lose and everything to gain.
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No GPA-Required Scholarships
As a high school senior, Brooke's guidance counselor doubted her college potential. However, with support from family, friends, and vital scholarship funding, Brooke remained determined. Despite initial setbacks, she earned two degrees and launched a successful career in agriculture.
The Rural Gone Urban Foundation aims to empower students like Brooke—those with grit and determination—to pursue higher education and achieve their dreams. -
Small Business Grants
Brooke initiated her strategic communications business, Rural Gone Urban, from a humble apartment located in a horse barn. Armed with just one client and a fervent hope, she ventured forth, leaving behind a corporate advertising career to follow her dreams.
With only three figures in her bank account, the margins were razor-thin, and the risks towering.
Today, the Rural Gone Urban Foundation extends grants to small business owners mirroring Brooke's journey—those navigating narrow margins but harboring grand aspirations. These grants provide crucial support for essential marketing assets such as websites, social media strategies, and advertising plans, pivotal tools for standing out in today's competitive marketplace.
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Love Bombs
Cancer is hard enough. You feel like donkey balls. You’re scared. And somehow, you still have to keep up with the rest of your life.
The Rural Gone Urban Foundation awards judgement-free grants to women in the ring with cancer.
We hope love bomb recipients use financial support to be selfish. We envision recipients making memories, create a legacies, and having a few moments where cancer isn’t driving the ship.
Because sometimes, you just need someone in your corner.
When a storm arises - literally or figuratively - we have an opportunity to lean into it, or run.
Bison do what any of us hope we’d do it in that situation — they face the storm.
While the others — elk, deer, moose, et al. - run, bison turn into the storm. And in doing so, they’re in midst of the storm for less time than those who are running with it.
The Rural Gone Urban Foundation supports brave and strong women. Those who turn into their storms. Those who refuse to backdown from a challenge.
