Intermediaries to Provide Homeownership or Business Education Training and Technical Assistance to Encourage Community Development
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting Fiscal Year 2020 applications for technical assistance and training grants to support community development in rural areas.
USDA is making a total of $6 million in grants available nationwide under the Rural Community Development Initiative program for qualified intermediaries to provide assistance to help improve housing and community facilities, and to implement community and economic development projects in rural areas of 50,000 population or less.
RCDI grants are awarded to help non-profit housing and community development organizations, low-income rural communities and federally recognized tribes support housing, community facilities and community and economic development projects in rural areas with a population of 50,000 or less. USDA also encourages applications that will support the Administration’s goal to combat substance use disorder, including opioid misuse, in high-risk rural communities by strengthening the capacity to address prevention, treatment and/or recovery. The Agency encourages applications that will help improve life in rural America. See information on the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity found at www.usda.gov/ruralprosperity.
Grant awards are between $50,000 and $250,000 and are awarded through a competitive process. Grant match equal to grant amount must be provided, in-kind contributions cannot be used as matching funds. Partnerships with other federal, state, local, private and nonprofit entities are encouraged. The deadline to apply is May 13, 2020.
The goal is for intermediary agencies to provide training to sub-grantees to conduct home-ownership education or minority business entrepreneur education or to provide technical assistance to sub-grantees on:
1.Strategic plan development
2.Accessing alternative funding sources
3.Board training
4.Developing successful child care facilities
5.Creating training tools, such as videos, workbooks, and reference guides
6.Effective fundraising techniques
Electronic applications must be submitted to grants.gov by May 13, 2020, at midnight EST. Paper applications must be submitted to the applicant’s USDA Rural Development state office by May 18, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. local time. For more information contact Shirley Stevenson at (202) 205-9685. Additional information is available on page 12761 of the March 4, 2020, Federal Register.