The Rural Livability Index (RLI) harnesses Source-Based Information (SBI) from businesses, nonprofits, employers, and event organizers to deliver the first true measure of rural quality of life. Unlike existing metrics relying on outdated or scraped internet data, the RLI is built on information provided by the organizations themselves—ensuring both accuracy and relevance.
By recognizing every community functions as a hub within a broader 45–60 minute travel radius, the RLI scores each rural area based on all accessible resources, not just those confined to political boundaries—because that’s not how people live. People live regionally.
This groundbreaking approach empowers communities to showcase their collective strengths and attract new residents, visitors, and investment by illustrating the full lifestyle available in their region.
As an REMC, you’re uniquely positioned to lead this transformative movement. You already operate across the traditional boundaries often hindering local development. By joining our three-year pilot, you will help pioneer a data-driven model for rural revitalization—one that reveals the full value of your region and drives real, measurable impact.
Your communities will gain immediate visibility through our platform while contributing to a national effort redefining the future of rural America. This initiative leverages your existing cross-boundary structure as a powerful advantage—one that will attract talent, visitors, and investment.
Most importantly, you will help build the rural data infrastructure our communities have long needed—something urban areas have benefited from for decades, while rural regions have been left behind.
Participating REMCs gain immediate access to the What'sUp 24/7 platform, comprehensive training for regional implementation, and dedicated support throughout the three-year pilot. Your region will benefit from custom-curated resource guides that can be embedded on every community website—turning each one into a powerful amplifier of regional assets.
Your region will gain access to tools that help attract and retain workforce talent by showcasing the true quality of life, connecting businesses with their ideal audiences, and highlighting the collective strength of your entire service area.
As a special benefit, pilot participants will receive five years of extended access to custom data modeling, dashboards, and analytics—at no cost. These tools will help identify growth opportunities, reduce resource duplication, and solve long-standing challenges in rural development.
It’s our way of thanking you for leading the charge in rural America’s data-driven transformation.
Benefits begin immediately upon implementation. In Year One, we’ll work with you to connect individual organizations within your communities through the What’sUp 24/7 platform, building comprehensive local resource awareness. Year Two expands the focus to cross-community collaboration—leveraging shared assets across boundaries to strengthen your entire region. During Year Three, your area will be included in our national campaign highlighting the true value of rural America.
Throughout the pilot, participating communities will experience stronger regional collaboration, improved visibility of local resources, and increased interest from prospective residents and businesses seeking affordable, high-quality places to live and work.
Custom data modeling begins delivering actionable insights as soon as your regional database reaches critical mass—anticipated to be reached in year one.
For Local Organizations: The What'sUp 24/7 platform offers tiered participation to ensure every organization in your region can benefit:
SimpleConnect — Always free. A basic directory listing so no valuable resource goes unnoticed.
ProConnect — Just $5/month. Enhanced directory, includes heightened visibility with images, detailed profiles, and contact info.
TotalEngage — $20/month. Unlimited promotion of events and job listings to connect directly with target audiences—at a fraction of traditional marketing costs.
** AS PART OF THE PILOT OFFER ** ANY ORGANIZAITON THAT SUBSCRIBES FROM NOW UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2027 WE WILL BE OFFERING 3-YEARS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE FOR OUR TotalEngage ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION! PAY $200 AND RECIEVE 3 FULL YEARS!!
For Participating REMCs: Pilot program participation is a one-time investment, scaled to your region’s population:
Under 50,000 residents: $25,000
50,000–150,000 residents: $40,000
150,000–300,000 residents: $55,000
Over 300,000 residents: $75,000
This investment covers:
3 years of tools, training, and implementation support
Regional promotion and messaging
Development of your Community Champion network
5 additional years of custom data modeling and dashboards beyond the pilot
A comprehensive economic development tool chest—with the long-term analytics rural regions have always needed.
Your application video doesn’t need high production value—it needs authenticity and passion.
We’re looking for genuine enthusiasm from key stakeholders and a clear explanation of why your REMC is uniquely positioned to lead cross-boundary collaboration.
A simple smartphone video is more than enough. Just feature community leaders sharing why your region is ready to participate in this three-year transformation journey.
Focus on showing your understanding of how connecting resources across traditional boundaries will strengthen your entire region.
Participating REMCs will be selected based on their demonstrated commitment to cross-boundary thinking, existing collaborative relationships, service area diversity, leadership support, and capacity to engage Community Champions throughout the three-year pilot.
We’re seeking regions that recognize the value of promoting neighboring communities’ assets alongside their own—and that understand how the What'sUp 24/7 platform can transform regional awareness and livability.
The most compelling applications will highlight how your REMC is uniquely positioned to lead this collaborative approach to rural revitalization and help build the first-ever comprehensive rural information infrastructure.
We’re seeking Rural Electric Membership Cooperatives (REMCs) with a proven track record of innovation and bold, forward-thinking leadership.
Ideal candidates are already committed to economic development efforts that cross town lines, city borders, and county boundaries—REMCs uniting regions around shared opportunities rather than siloed agendas.
We’re looking for organizations that treat complex challenges not as roadblocks, but as opportunities for creative, collaborative solutions. The strongest applicants will have demonstrated the courage to champion transformative ideas, the persistence to push past outdated thinking, and the vision to see how shared information can redefine how rural regions are perceived—and how they thrive.
Above all, we want partners who believe that collaboration, not competition, will drive the next chapter of rural prosperity.
If your REMC embodies this pioneering spirit and stands ready to lead your region into a new era of data-driven cooperation, we invite you to help shape the future.
Absolutely not. The pilot program is open to REMCs serving regions of all sizes and economic conditions. Our scaled pricing structure—ranging from $25,000 for populations under 50,000 to $75,000 for larger areas—ensures accessibility for a wide range of communities.
What matters most is your commitment to collaboration and a shared vision for transforming rural perception through Source-Based Information. In fact, some of our most impactful implementations have come from smaller regions, where cross-community cooperation delivers an outsized boost to perceived livability.
Every rural community—regardless of size—deserves the same high-quality data infrastructure that urban areas have benefited from for decades.
Your REMC’s primary responsibilities include identifying Community Champions, supporting regional engagement efforts, and participating in occasional progress documentation.
On average, REMC leaders spend approximately 2.5 hours per week during Year One, primarily focused on Champion check-ins and regional coordination. Time commitments typically decrease in Years Two and Three as momentum builds and more organizations manage their own presence on the platform.
The What'sUp 24/7 platform is designed to minimize administrative burden by empowering organizations to manage their own information—creating a sustainable, Source-Based Information system that grows in value without increasing your workload.
The PowerUp Rural America Initiative marks a fundamental shift in rural development—by building lasting, sustainable information infrastructure that endures well beyond the pilot phase.
Instead of relying on short-term grants or one-off programs, we’re creating a comprehensive system where every organization—from the smallest nonprofit to the largest employer—can be easily discovered by those seeking their services, products, or impact.
Unlike other models that depend on outdated or scraped internet data, this initiative is built on Source-Based Information, where organizations manage and maintain their own profiles—ensuring accuracy, relevance, and trust.
With the What'sUp 24/7 platform’s affordable pricing ($0–$20/month per organization) and your REMC’s regional perspective, we’re launching a cross-boundary promotion engine that reveals the full value of rural communities—while delivering immediate, practical benefits to the people and places you serve.
Our focus is long-term: creating collaborative infrastructure and providing ongoing access to custom data modeling and analytics that uncover strategic opportunities and eliminate resource duplication.
Ready to lead your region into a new era of rural visibility and connection? Contact us today to start your application.