Rooted in Rural: How RAZE Is Building Power From the Ground Up

Behind the Orange Door

In Coolidge, just down the road from Maricopa, a bright orange door on West Central Avenue opens into one of Pinal County's most determined grassroots organizations. Rural Arizona Engagement, known as RAZE, was built on a simple belief: people in small towns and farm communities deserve a real voice in the decisions that shape their lives. More than six years later, that belief has grown into a movement that reaches across four Arizona counties.

The Roots

RAZE was born out of the 2018 election season. Natali Fierros Bock, a former schoolteacher and mother from San Tan Valley, ran for the Arizona State Senate, and Pablo Correa managed her campaign. Both were Pinal County natives. The race did not end in victory, but the hours spent knocking on doors across rural Pinal County changed both of them. Again and again, they heard neighbors say that no one ever asked what they thought.

Rather than walk away, the two decided to build something lasting. They opened RAZE in Coolidge, and they still remember the excitement of their very first grant: $30,000, which felt like proof that the idea could work. Correa brought his own story of service to the effort. He joined the Marine Corps at 17 before returning home to raise his family in the communities that raised him.

The Why

Pinal County sits between Phoenix and Tucson and is one of the fastest-growing counties in Arizona. It is a place of contrasts: ranching and mining heritage alongside brand-new subdivisions, longtime families alongside newcomers. RAZE's founders saw that rural residents often felt overlooked by decision-makers focused on the big cities.

One of RAZE's guiding ideas is that "empowerment equals existence." When rural communities are informed and involved, they are present in the rooms where decisions are made. Just as important, RAZE believes the answers to rural Arizona's challenges will come from within those communities, not from outside them.

The What

RAZE turns that belief into practical, everyday work:

Growing young leaders. The RAZE Leaders program has supported more than 200 high school students in Pinal and Yuma counties through leadership training and civic engagement. Students have traveled to Washington, D.C. to connect local issues to national conversations, and young people have spoken at the Arizona State Capitol about the water challenges facing their hometowns.

Caring for the whole child. Through its Building Healthy Futures for Youth forums, RAZE brings together students, parents, educators and mental health professionals to talk openly about youth mental wellness, first in Pinal County and, this past April, in Yuma.

Helping neighbors participate. RAZE makes it easier for rural residents to register to vote and to understand who and what is on their ballot. Between fall 2023 and July 2024 alone, its teams knocked on more than 178,000 rural doors and helped register more than 7,600 rural voters.

Protecting land and water. RAZE's environmental work focuses on groundwater, clean energy and responsible growth. Its teams have advocated for groundwater protections in Cochise County's Willcox Basin and have helped Pinal County residents show up and speak at public hearings on major development proposals.

Listening first. Community forums give residents a place to raise the issues that matter most to them, whether that is public transportation in Yuma County or the future of their local schools.

The End Game

What began in Pinal County has expanded to Yuma, Cochise and Coconino counties, where RAZE hires local residents to serve their own neighbors. In March 2026, as the organization approached its sixth anniversary, RAZE introduced a new mission and vision shaped by staff feedback from every county it serves.

The mission is to work alongside rural communities, lift up their lived experiences, and strengthen civic participation while meeting everyday needs with justice, dignity and belonging. The vision is a future where neighbors stand together, rural communities have the resources they need to thrive, and diverse local leaders help secure opportunity for everyone.

As Correa put it when the new direction was announced, the founders knew from the start that "our communities deserved to be heard."

The organization has also entered a new chapter in leadership. This spring, co-founder Natali Fierros returned to lead RAZE and its sister organization, Rural Arizona Action, as executive director. Correa moved into a new role as Director of Strategic Initiatives, focused on the organization's long-term sustainability.

The ultimate goal reaches well beyond any single election. RAZE wants a rural Arizona where the next generation of leaders is homegrown, where residents understand how decisions are made, and where small-town voices carry as much weight as big-city ones.

Get Connected

RAZE welcomes volunteers, youth participants and community partners. Learn more about its programs at raze.org, explore the RAZE Leaders youth program, or visit the office at 381 W. Central Avenue in Coolidge. RAZE can be reached at Info@RAZE.org or 520-375-2700.

Editor's note: Publisher Chrystal Allen-O'Jon, a 2026 candidate for Maricopa City Council, was featured in the Rural Votes Count campaign by RAZE's sister organization, Rural Arizona Action.

References

RAZE – News and Announcements: raze.org/blog
RAZE – New Mission and Vision Ahead of Sixth Anniversary: raze.org
Satterberg Foundation – "Rural Arizona Engagement (RAZE): Organizing Progress": satterberg.org
Medium – "RAZE-ing Pinal County": medium.com
States Win – RAZE Dossier: stateswin.org
Kelly Ann Brown Foundation – RAZE: kellyannbrownfoundation.org

Photo Credit: RAZE Website