From our colleagues at USDA-RD
PUBLICATIONS
Why Rural Philanthropy Must Mean More than Money
Jul 17, 2013 -- Nonprofit Quarterly article discusses how in rural communities and small towns, philanthropy can take stands, create coalitions, and break down racial barriers that other institutions avoid. James Joseph, former president of the Council on Foundations, finds that foundations have five forms of capital: social, reputational, moral, intellectual and financial.
Critical Access Hospitals: What's the Fuss? - Jul 31, 2013 -- Daily Yonder article by Wayne Myers M.D. discusses how the U.S. system of Critical Access Hospitals began as a way to keep medical care available in the places where it was needed the most – remote rural communities with few health-care alternatives. With budget tightening underway, can the nation improve the system without undermining its intent?
10 states where manufacturing still matters
In July, America's manufacturing sector grew for the second month in a row. This improvement is in line with longer-term trends, according to the Institute for Supply Management. While some experts are predicting a revival, manufacturing has lagged the economy for years. The country has lost nearly 2.5 million manufacturing jobs in the past 10 years. Read More
A Summer in the Country Can Inspire Physicians to Practice in Rural Areas, Study Finds
Aug 6, 2013 -- A 15-year study by the University of Missouri School of Medicine showed that medical school graduates involved in their Summer Community Program not only entered family practice residency training at higher rates than nonparticipants, but nearly half began their medical careers in rural locations.
Examination of the Relative Importance of Hospital Employment in Non-Metropolitan Counties Using Location Quotients
Examines the intensity of hospital employment in rural counties relative to the nation as a whole using location quotients and to draw conclusions regarding how potential changes in Medicare and Medicaid might affect rural populations. Date: 07 / 2013. Journal: Rural and Remote Health
Promotion and Protection of Rural Miner Health: Are the Resources in Place? (Policy Brief)
Reports that mining areas in the U.S., compared to non-mining areas, have on average better supplies of safety net providers, hospitals, and practicing primary care physicians. However, the study results support the need to examine the availability of safety net provider types in selected geographic areas where mining takes place.
Organization: West Virginia Rural Health Research Center. Date: 06 / 2013
Uninsured: An Analysis by Income and Geography
Reports that a larger proportion of the rural population than the urban population is uninsured and low income. A larger proportion of the rural population than the urban population will be eligible for subsidized Health Insurance Marketplace coverage due to income levels and current lack of insurance. Organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis. Date: 06 / 2013
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newsletter: The number of people wanting work, but who are not looking for a job, has swelled in recent years. While a rapid return of this group into the labor force is possible, authors Troy Davig and Jose Mustre-del-Rio analyze the labor market dynamics of this group and find that their impact on the unemployment rate will likely be modest.
Macro Bulletins in some cases are short summaries of Economic Review articles and in other cases are stand-alone snapshots of other macroeconomic research findings from the Kansas City Fed.
http://www.kansascityfed.org/publications/research/mb/index.cfm?ealert=mb0820-1
http://www.kansascityfed.org/publications/research/er/index.cfm?ealert=econrev0820-1
Close to 7 cents of the U.S. food dollar is value added by U.S. farms - For a typical dollar spent in 2011 by U.S. consumers on domestically produced food, 15.5 cents represents the farm share, or value added at the farm gate. The farm share includes the value added by the farmer; services and supplies from agribusinesses; and farm-level inputs from nonagribusiness industries. For example, the energy industry supplies natural gas to agribusinesses producing nitrogen fertilizers used on U.S. farms, and the finance and insurance industry supplies financial services to U.S. farmers. Nonagribusiness industries accounted for 4.6 cents of the farm share in 2011, and agribusinesses added 3.0 cents of value. From the remaining 7.9 cents of farm value added, 6.6 cents was produced on U.S. farms and 1.3 cents represents imported farm commodities purchased as inputs by U.S. producers. Most of the farm value added represents property income accruing to the farmers who own the farm operations. Salaries and benefits for hired farmworkers amounted to 1.7 cents. Net farm subsidies from the Government lowered farm commodity costs per food dollar by about 1 cent in 2011. A chart appears in “ERS Food Dollar Series Allows an Indepth Look at Farm-Level Components of the U.S. Food Dollar” in the July 2013 issue of Amber Waves magazine.
Who Would Be Affected By a New Minimum Wage Policy? - Describes the population who would be directly affected by the proposal to increase the minimum wage and provides a rural and urban comparison. Organization: Carsey Institute Date: 2013
NATIONAL AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOMENT POLICY (NARDeP) CENTER RELEASES NEW POLICY RESOURCES
The NARDeP Center, a joint effort of the Regional Rural Development Centers, funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, announces its new web-based publications series. Authored by top researchers from around the country, NARDeP offers the following sources of policy insights, all available free of charge at:
http://nardep.info/Publications_2.html
PROJECT PAPERS
- Rural Broadband Availability and Adoption: Evidence, Policy Challenges, and Options
- Natural Gas Issues and Policy Options
POLICY BRIEFS
- How Rural Areas Can Adapt to Declining Rural Latino Immigration
- Natural Disaster Preparedness and Recovery: Issues and Policy Options
- Lessons Learned From the Greater Sage Grouse
- Trends in U.S. Agricultural Conservation Programs
- Immigration and Farm Labor in the U.S.
- Policy Options for Broadband in Rural Regions
- Natural Gas Extraction
- Addressing Rural Economic Disadvantage
DATA BRIEFS
- Changes in Energy Production, Employment and Businesses Between 2001-2010
- Where the Jobs Went After 2007
WORKING PAPERS
- Predicting the Economic Resilience of U.S. Counties from Industry Input-Output Accounts
- Current Federal Rural Policy Issues: Internet and Social Media Analysis
- Who Influences National Rural Policy? Identification and Description of Rural Interest Groups
- U.S. Agricultural Conservation Programs: Trends and Effects on Farmer Participation
Tools
Clearinghouse for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) - Access information, tools, data, and other resources describing promising practices and evidence-based solutions for building programs to assist older adults and people with disabilities. Organization: National Association of State Units on Aging
J-1 Visa State Contacts - Access a list of contacts in each state who can address questions related to the State Conrad 30 program and/or J-1 Visa Waivers.
Organization: National Rural Recruitment & Retention Network
Medicare Advantage: National and State Enrollment Tables and Maps - A listing of tables and maps identifying enrollment in Medicare Advantage and other prepaid plans by state. Tables 3, 4, and 5 show rural by state. Organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Rural Health Value - Access tools and resources, plus details on innovations and demonstration projects that are designed to support health care quality, improved population health, access to affordable services, and sustainability in rural communities. Organization: Rural Health System Analysis and Technical Assistance
Community Change Resource Bank is an online searchable database that houses resources pertaining to community change and policy. It is being organized by a coalition of community, economic, and rural development practitioners and researchers nationwide.
Final List of Rural and Underserved Counties for Use in 2014
Identifies rural and underserved counties for mortgage loans made by creditors. This list created by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau defines rural by using the USDA Economic Research Service's urban influence codes for rural counties, and “underserved” counties are also defined by reference to data collected under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
LEARNING
WEBSITE: Charity Raters Part II: Managing Your Rating
Finance & Strategy - By Jan Masaoka - August 12, 2013 - Email
In Part I of this two-part article, we summarized the features and criteria of six of the best known "charity raters" including Charity Navigator, Better Business Bureau, and others. Many readers added thoughtful comments and noted lesser-known raters as well; we encourage you to read Part I and the posted comments.
Here in Part II, we offer advice to nonprofits on managing their ratings, and comment on the impact of the raters as a whole.
Just two weeks after we published Part I, an unusual three-some of Guidestar, Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau issued an unexpected but welcome joint statement " denouncing the "overhead ratio" as the sole measure of nonprofit performance." (emphasis added) (overheadmyth.com) The statement also defends overhead to an extent: "Overhead costs include important investments charities make to improve their work: investments in training, planning, evaluation, and internal systems -- as well as their efforts to raise money so they can operate their programs. When we focus solely or predominantly on overhead . . .> Read more
FUNDING
USDA Seeks Applicants for Funds to Assist Rural Microentrepreneurs - Due September 11, 2013
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2013 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the availability of loan and grant funds to support rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises.
"By supporting very small business enterprises through the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, USDA has been able to direct assistance to small firms that otherwise might not be able to obtain credit," said Vilsack. "This program has shown that even a modest investment of federal dollars can have a huge impact for the local economy in small towns across rural America."
Despite budget uncertainties, USDA remains focused on strengthening the rural economy.
USDA's Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) was established under the 2008 Farm Bill to support the development and ongoing success of rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises, which are defined as rural businesses with 10 or fewer employees. About $12.2 million will be provided to eligible applicants this year. Under the program, USDA may provide loans of up to $500,000 to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs). They, in turn, make microloans for business start-up or development to eligible microentrepreneurs who are unable to obtain conventional credit elsewhere. Grants of up to $30,000 are available for MDOs to provide technical assistance and training, particularly in rural areas that have experienced significant outmigration. USDA does not directly provide funds to the ultimate recipients.
RMAP applications are due by September 13, 2013. More information about how to apply is available in the August 14, 2013 Federal Register. View it here: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-08-14/pdf/2013-19765.pdf, or by contacting any USDA Rural Development state office.
KaBOOM! Offers Let's Play Maintenance Grants for Playground Maintenance
Grants of $750 will be awarded to communities that wish to extend their efforts to make their KaBOOM! playgrounds cleaner, safer, and more inviting.... Deadline: August 31, 2013
William T. Grant Foundation Invites Applications for Youth Social Setting Research Projects - Grants ranging from $100,000 to $600,000 will be awarded in support of research designed to understand and improve the everyday settings of youth between the ages of 8 and 25.... Deadline: January 8, 2014 (Letters of Inquiry)
Applications Invited for Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children's Tylenol National Child Care Teacher Awards - Fifty teachers will be selected to receive grants of up to $1,500, plus the chance to win an additional prize of $1,000, in recognition of their dedication to providing high-quality child care.... Deadline: December 6, 2013
SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund Accepting Applications for Wildlife, Habitat Conservation Projects
Grants will be awarded in the areas of species research, animal rescue and rehabilitation, habitat protection, and conservation education.... Deadline: December 1, 2013
Journalism Schools Invited to Apply to Host a McCormick Specialized Reporting Institute. Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to individuals and organizations interested in hosting an intensive reporting workshop that provides subject-specific expertise and practical skills to working journalists....Deadline: November 15, 2013
American Indians Into Nursing - Application deadline: Aug 19, 2013. Grants to operate the American Indians into Nursing Program, to develop and maintain American Indian nursing career recruitment programs, designed to encourage Indians to enter the nursing field. Sponsor: Indian Health Service
Avon Breast Health Outreach Program (BHOP) - Application deadline: Aug 23, 2013
Funding to link medically underserved women to breast health education and screening services. Sponsor: Avon Foundation
Veterans to Nurses and Physician Assistants Workforce Program - Application deadline: Aug 26, 2013
Funding to create a Veterans to Nurses and Physician Assistants Workforce Program that will expand opportunities for veterans with prior medical training to receive the education necessary to become civilian nurses and physician assistants. Preference will be given to applicants that will substantially benefit rural or underserved populations. A single cooperative agreement will be awarded. Sponsor: Bureau of Health Professions
Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) - Application deadline: Nov 12, 2013. Grants to provide financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development.
Community Resource Group (CRG) Loan Fund - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
Loans to help small, rural communities and tribal nations with water and wastewater projects. Sponsor: Community Resource Group
Hearst Foundations Grants - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. The Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations and institutions working in the fields of Education, Health, Culture, and Social Service. Sponsor: Hearst Foundations
Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
This program furnishes loans and loan guarantees to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide service at the broadband lending speed in eligible rural areas. Sponsor: USDA Rural Development
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is accepting applications for grants for transportation of veterans in highly rural areas. Eligible organizations should use innovative approaches to assist veterans with transportation to VA and non-VA facilities for medical care, serving veterans who would not otherwise be able to obtain medical care through conventional transportation options. Applications due September 9.
'Stand Down' Grants to Assist Homeless Veterans
The U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of $600,000 in "Stand Down" grants that will provide an estimated 10,000 homeless veterans with opportunities to reintegrate into society. The grants are being awarded under the department's Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program. Approximately seventy grants in each of the three fiscal years covered by this solicitation are expected to be awarded. A maximum of $10,000 per multi-day event or $7,000 for a one-day event can be awarded. Stand Down grant funds must be used to enhance employment and training opportunities or to promote the self-sufficiency of homeless veterans through paid work. Applications for Stand Down funds will be accepted from State Workforce Agencies, State and local Workforce Investment Boards, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), local public agencies, and non-profit organizations including community and faith-based organizations. All applications for Stand Down grant funding must be submitted to the appropriate State Director for Veterans' Employment and Training (DVET) at least ninety (90) days prior to the event.
Find the address and contact information for each State DVET
Learn more about Stand Down grants and apply
SBA – Loan and Grant tool - http://www.sba.gov/content/search-business-loans-grants-and-financing#
Gene Haas Foundation Donates $1 Million to the SME Education Foundation for Machining and Manufacturing Scholarships - http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/aug/20/gene-haas-foundation-donates-1-million-to-the-sme-/#ixzz2coJrDcbX. Gene Haas Foundation Board Chair Bob Murray presented a check to Kathy Burnham of the SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers) Education Foundation, which will administer the scholarship fund. The application process is online and opens on September 1, 2013. The SME Education Foundation expects to award 950 to 1,000 scholarships this year, exhausting the $1,000,000 grant. To be eligible, applicants must be pursuing an associate’s degree or technology certificate and have a high school diploma or GED certificate. Displaced workers or people training for a second career are also eligible. A scholarship committee reviews the applications as they are submitted to ensure the minimum eligibility requirements are met. All applicants meeting the requirements will be awarded a scholarship, as long as funding is available.
HUD is offering grants through The Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Program that supports the implementation of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans, including housing rehabilitation, programs for youth, and the creation of public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods. Deadline: 9/10/2013. Click here for more information.
The AETNA Foundation is offering grants to nonprofit organizations for healthy food and activity initiatives that serve people who are most at risk for poor health – low-income, underserved or minority populations. The 2013 focus is on the following two categories: Healthy Food Choices grants supporting programs that provide nutrition education and help increase the availability of affordable fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved communities; and Healthy Activity grants supporting programs that provide opportunities for physical activity in underserved communities. Deadline: 9/15/2013. Visit the Foundation’s website here to submit an online application.
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program is offering grants to nonprofit and public agencies, including libraries, to develop faculty and library leaders, to recruit and educate the next generation of librarians, to conduct research, to attract high school and college students to consider careers as librarians, to build institutional capacity in graduate schools of library and information science, and to assist in the professional development of librarians and library staff. Deadline: 9/16/2013. Click here for an application and to learn more.
The Office Depot Foundation is offering grant support to nonprofit organizations, government agencies, libraries, and schools that bring systemic change to the communities they serve. The Foundation provides grants averaging $1,000 in three distinct categories. The focus of the “Giving Children Tools for Success” category is on activities that give young people tools to succeed in school and in life through education and inspiration. The “Building Capacity to Serve Communities” category targets programs that help nonprofit organizations to serve the needs of their communities efficiently. The purpose of the “Disaster Preparedness, Relief, Recovery, and Rebuilding” category is to support efforts that help people and communities prepare for disasters and rebuild and recover when disasters occur. Applications will be accepted from May 1 through October 31, 2013. Visit the Foundation’s website here to review the guidelines.
DOE offers funding for clean energy projects on tribal lands. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is offering up to $7 million to deploy clean energy systems in tribal communities. Through the “Community-Scale Clean Energy Projects in Indian Country” funding opportunity, up to $4.5 million is available for projects installing clean energy systems that reduce fossil fuel use by at least 15 percent in either new or existing tribal buildings. The “Tribal Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Deployment Assistance” funding opportunity offers up to $2.5 million for projects installing renewable energy and energy efficiency that reduce fossil fuel use in existing tribal buildings by at least 30 percent. The full funding opportunities are described on the Tribal Energy Program website.
The CHS Foundation invests in the future of rural America, agriculture and cooperative business through education and leadership development and supports national projects related to its mission as well as programs within the CHS trade territory for regional multi-state, or statewide projects. The Foundation's funding focuses on the following program areas: Cooperative Education, Rural Youth Leadership Development, Farm and Agricultural Safety, Returning Value to Rural Communities, and University Partnerships. All applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, with the exception of Cooperative Education applications, which are due in the fall of each year. Visit the Foundation’s website here for a description of each grant category and online application instructions.
National Indian Health Outreach and Education (NIHOE II) - Application deadline: Sep 8, 2013
Funding for national Indian organizations to provide outreach and education efforts for the tribal Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Intervention (MSPI) and HIV/AIDS programs.
Section 514 Farm Labor Housing Loans and Section 516 Farm Labor Housing Grants for Off-Farm Housing - Application deadline: Sep 13, 2013
Loans and grants to increase the number of available housing units for domestic farm laborers. Sponsor: USDA Rural Development
Tribal Transportation Program Safety Funds - Application deadline: Sep 19, 2013. Awards funding to tribal governments for the purposes of transportation projects related to safety, engineering, emergency services, and education. Sponsor: Federal Lands Highway Program
Foundation for Rural Service Grant Program - Application deadline: Oct 1, 2013. Provides grants for rural communities in the areas of business development, community development, education, and telecommunications. Sponsor: Foundation for Rural Service
Service Coordinators in Multifamily Housing - Application deadline: Oct 14, 2013. Funding to enable independent living for people with disabilities and the elderly.
NBCC Foundation Rural and Military Scholarship Programs - Application deadline: Nov 1, 2013
Scholarships to increase the availability of counselors in underserved areas, with the current priority areas of rural and military communities.
Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) - Application deadline: Nov 12, 2013
Grants to provide financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development. Sponsor: USDA Rural Development
Christopher D. Smithers Foundation Grants - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. Provides funding to alcoholism prevention and education programs.
Community Resource Group (CRG) Loan Fund - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
Loans to help small, rural communities and tribal nations with water and wastewater projects.
Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
Awards grants to organizations that provide direct services such as transportation, food, shelter, and medical aid to disabled veterans.
Hearst Foundations Grants - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
The Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations and institutions working in the fields of Education, Health, Culture, and Social Service.
National School Lunch/After School Snack Program - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
Funding for schools to provide after school snacks to low-income children who participate in the National School Lunch program. Sponsor: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Tribal Passenger Transportation Technical Assistance Program - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
Assistance for tribal communities to enhance economic growth and development by improving transportation services. Sponsor: Community Transportation Association of America
Banfield Charitable Trust Offers Grants to Keep Pets and People Together
Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations working to keep pets with their families, pet food distribution programs, companion horse feeding programs, and/or hospice patient/pet support programs.... Deadline: October 31, 2013
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations Accepting Proposals for Fund for a Just Society
Grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded to non-Unitarian Universalist groups in the U.S. and Canada working to create systemic change in the structures that affect those who have been excluded from resources, power, and the right to determination.... Deadline: September 16, 2013
Lilly Endowment Accepting Applications for 2014 Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program
The program will award one hundred grants of $10,000 each to Indiana K-12 educators to pursue an "imaginative project" that infuses their busy lives with personal renewal and intellectual revitalization.... Deadline: November 1, 2013
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Seeks Proposal for PreK-8 Action Research Projects - Grants of up to $3,000 will be awarded for "action" research projects aimed at enhancing the teaching of math in pre-K through 8th grade classrooms.... Deadline: May 2, 2014
Chesapeake Bay Trust Invites Applications for Restoration Grant Program -Grants of up to $50,000 are available for restoration projects that address watershed challenges in and around the Chesapeake Bay.... Deadline: September 6, 2013
AAUW Accepting Applications for Community Action Grants
Grants of up to $10,000 are available to individuals, AAUW branches, and AAUW state organizations as well as local community-based nonprofit organizations for innovative programs or non-degree research projects that promote education and equity for women.... Deadline: January 15, 2014
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