Abstract.  The article examines rural grass-roots organizing in Lithuania. The conceptual scheme is proposed to differentiate among three types of activities prevalent in rural community building: initiation, voluntary communal activities, and not-for-profit communal activities. The model is applied to examine establishment of one of the most successful rural NGOs in Eastern Lithuania - the Community Center of Balninkai village (pop. 496). The strategies are identified that were used to initiate the Balninkai organization and to engage in voluntary communal and not-for-profit activities. Internal and external factors influencing successful organizing are addressed as well as the potential impact of the European Union membership. While there are numerous obstacles facing rural activists in post-socialist Lithuania, there are also significant opportunities for community organizations to contribute to sustained rural development in Lithuania.