Existing studies indicate that preventive conservation (PC) has become a key strategy in heritage risk management. For traditional villages with limited resources, community participation is necessary for the implementation of risk management. However, current research mostly focuses on case-based analyses and lacks a systematic synthesis of community participation in PC. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic review of community participation in PC from historic rural areas and relevant heritage types. Following the PRISMA guidelines, 39 eligible studies were included in the final analysis. The findings show that effective participation depends on well-defined organizational and coordination networks. Internal organizational structures support coordinated efforts among community members, while external collaborative frameworks provide ongoing resources and support. Within this structure, capacity-building translates participatory arrangements into concrete risk-governance actions, thereby influencing how roles are assigned and adapted within the community across different risk scenarios. Based on these insights, this study presents an Organization–Capacity–Role framework that offers a way for risk governance of historical rural areas. Notably, the detailed arrangements in this framework are shaped by local institutional settings, specific risk types, and case contexts, demonstrating a strong contextual dependency.