FW: Publication, Tools, Learning, and Funding

From our colleagues at USDA-Rural Development.

 

 

 

From: Agans, Suzette - RD, Washington, DC [mailto:Suzette.Agans@wdc.usda.gov]
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2014 7:41 AM
Subject: Publication, Tools, Learning, and Funding

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Encore Entrepreneurs: They’re Older and They Have More Insurance – Excerpt from the article - “Contrary to popularly held assumptions, it turns out that over the past decade or so, the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity belongs to the 55-64 age group. The 20-34 age bracket, meanwhile, which we usually identify with swashbuckling and risk-taking youth (think Facebook and Google), has the lowest rate. Perhaps most surprising, this disparity occurred during the eleven years surrounding the dot-com boom—when the young entrepreneurial upstart became a cultural icon.” This comes from a report called THE COMING ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOM published by the Marion Ewing Kauffman Foundation, a leader in thinking about entrepreneurship in the U.S.

 

U.S. agricultural exports rose as U.S. dollar depreciated

The depreciation of the U.S. dollar against the currencies of U.S. agricultural trade partners contributed to the growth in U.S. agricultural exports since the early 2000s. When the dollar depreciates, U.S. agricultural exports tend to rise as they become cheaper in foreign currency terms, while periods of appreciation—such as 2009—tend to make U.S. goods more expensive and constrain exports. Between 2002 and 2011, the U.S. dollar depreciated 22 percent against the currencies of U.S. agricultural trade partners, while U.S. agricultural exports expanded by 156 percent. Since 2011, although the dollar has appreciated 7 percent, its value remains low relative to historical levels and U.S. agricultural exports have remained competitive. The U.S. dollar exchange rate index shown in the chart is based on the average exchange rate across countries, weighted by each country’s share of U.S. agricultural exports. A chart is based on data found in the ERS Agricultural Exchange Rate Data Set and Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States.

 

Human Capital Topics Now Searchable - Understanding the inner workings of the labor market requires a grasp of the complex dynamics behind human capital and workforce development. The Atlanta Fed's enhanced Human Capital Compendium places relevant and diverse resources at your fingertips, and macroblog discusses the benefits.

 

Strategic Visioning for Community and Economic Development: Keys to Engaging Stakeholders - This guide discusses how to effectively engage stakeholders in the community. It is a companion to another NACo guide, Strategic Visioning for Community and Economic Development: Keys to Managing Public Dialogue. Together they intended to provide local and regional leaders with tips and resources regarding effective public engagement and dialogue.

 

Local Official's Guide to Defense industry Adjustment – The very first publication on this page is designed for Local Official’s to use when undergoing strategic economic development planning.  While the first couple of pages are specific to BRAC and similar issues, this handy guide packs it all into one place.  The rest of the materials on this page maybe useful as well. Office of Economic Adjustment (DOD).

 

Understanding Rural Migration - For the past three months, Craig Schroeder's newsletter for youth engagement has focused on Understanding Rural Migration: Myths, Trends, and Opportunities. The 2010 Census data shows an intriguing and ongoing trend: 30-49-year-olds flocking to rural places as they emphasize quality of life. This trend represents an opportunity for social and civic entrepreneurs across rural America focused on creating a more sustainable future for their rural hometowns and regions. Craig, Jim Russell and Ben Winchester offer solid data and insights that might help bust a few myths and encourage you to take a new look at demographics in your own communities. Take a look at the Understanding Rural Migration white paper. If you'd like more information, contact Craig@e2mail.org.

 

Eve Andrews: How tiny house communities can work for both the haves and the have nots

http://grist.org/living/how-tiny-house-communities-can-work-for-both-the-haves-and-the-have-nots/

Ryan Mitchell’s dream is a community of tiny houses. When asked what that would look like, he describes a grouping of mini-cottages around a large communal structure, which would include space to have shared meals, shows, and workshops. “The community aspect is actually a big part of what we [tiny house enthusiasts] like,” says Mitchell. With The Tiny Life, Mitchell has created an online forum of sorts for tiny house enthusiasts from all over the world. He wants to bring that community out of the virtual sphere and into the physical one. How idyllic! But as Mitchell has learned firsthand, building a tiny house community from scratch is not as simple as it seems. Local building and zoning restrictions, not to mention securing startup money to buy land, are just a few of the obstacles to achieving a cottage-laden utopia.

 

 

TOOLS

 

Long-term Community Recovery Tool – from FEMA, includes worksheets and how to’s, designed from communities recovering from disasters, could be useful for places that have lost significant number of jobs, or when folks recognize something needs to change or disaster will occur (community falling apart, jobs leaving, schools closing etc.).

 

The State of Unemployment: How Many Jobs Does It Take? The state Jobs Calculator is up to date with January data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Find out how many jobs it takes to reach a target unemployment rate in your state.

 

Entrepreneur’s Guide - Explore the Entrepreneurship.org Resource Center to find information about all aspects of starting and growing a business. Designed with entrepreneurs, policy makers, investors, mentors and academics in mind, our resource center allows you to rate and comment on the materials posted by the community.

 

Micro-enterprise Links- http://www.doleta.gov/projectgate/links.cfm - it includes government, non-governmental and other links.

 

Five tips for making decisions based on shared community values - 1. Use values to frame brainstorms; 2. Narrow, then narrow some more;
3. Don’t reach for unicorns and rainbows; and 4….read the rest of the article

 

 

LEARNING

WEBINAR: Funding Available for Communities Affected by Defense Industry Reductions Thursday, April 17, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET

Cost: FREE, Registration Deadline: Thursday, April 17, 12:00 PM ET

President Obama's budget request marks the fifth consecutive year of procurement reductions at the Department of Defense (DoD). Do you know how this year's budget will affect your regional economy? You should. The DoD’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) has funding available for communities affected by Department of Defense spending reductions. This month’s free webinar will explain how your community or state might be able to utilize these resources.

Through technical and financial assistance, OEA supports regions that have been directly and significantly impacted by: the cancellation or termination of a DoD contract or the failure to proceed with an approved major weapon system program; a publicly announced, planned major reduction in DoD spending that would directly and adversely affect a community; or, the closure or the significantly reduced operations of a defense facility as the result of a merger, acquisition , or consolidation of the defense contractor operating the defense facility. States and communities that have been significantly impacted by reductions or cancellations in DoD programs can request OEA assistance to: organize themselves; plan strategies; and, carry out strategies through public-private ventures. Read more....

Presenters:

• Michael Gilroy, Co-Lead, Defense Industry Adjustment Program, Office of Economic Adjustment, Department of Defense
• Liz Chimienti, Co-Lead, Defense Industry Adjustment Program, Office of Economic Adjustment, Department of Defense

 

 

FUNDING

 

Manufacturing Sector:  NSF Announces Sustainable Nanomanufacturing Funding Opportunity; Community Colleges Eligible to Apply; Competitive Proposals Expected to Address Training and Education of Students.  The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a fourth year of a program on collaborative research and education in the area of scalable nanomanufacturing, including the long-term societal implications of the large-scale implementation of nanomanufacturing innovations. This program is in response to and is a component of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Signature Initiative: Sustainable Nanomanufacturing .

Note that competitive proposals are expected to address the training and education of students in nanomanufacturing.

While not required, the involvement of an industrial partner or partners is strongly encouraged and has the potential to significantly strengthen a proposal.

Proposals are due by June 16.  Additional background / application requirements

 

Office of Economic Adjustment – Financial Assistance - State and local governments are eligible for OEA grant assistance as they seek to organize and plan economic recovery in response to the closure/realignment of military installations or cancellation or termination of a Defense contract, as well as to plan compatible land use near installations where civilian encroachment may impair the ongoing missions of an active duty installation. The eGrants system has been designed to enable grant applicants to prepare and submit online requests to OEA. List of grants - http://www.oea.gov/grants/information/assistance [Note: Under learning there is a webinar in April]

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has extended the application deadline for funds available under the Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas program. To allow applicants more time to complete the application process, VA is again extending the application deadline to midnight eastern standard time on May 27, 2014.  More …

VA published a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) in the Federal Register on July 9, 2013 (78 FR 41195) to announce the availability of funds for applications beginning July 9, 2013 through September 9, 2013, 4 p.m. eastern standard time. The NOFA includes eligibility and scoring criteria for grants to assist veterans in highly rural areas through innovative transportation services to travel to VA and non-VA facilities and otherwise assist in providing transportation services in connection with the provision of VA medical care.

 

Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Minigrant Applications Deadline Extended - DEADLINE: MARCH 30, 2014
Grants of up to $500 will be awarded to educators to create special activities and events outside the standard curriculum....

 

Target Accepting Applications for K-12 Arts Education Programs - DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2014
Grants of $2,000 will be awarded in support of programs that enhance the K-12 classroom curricula by bringing arts and cultural experiences to schools....

 

GreenPal Lawncare Accepting Applications for Annual Business Scholarship - DEADLINE: MAY 31, 2014. Scholarship funds of $2,000 will be awarded to a motivated, driven student who owns and operates his/her own small business or has put together a business plan to start a business while in college....

 

Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Seeks Proposals for Woman to Woman Support Groups -DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2014. Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded for support programs designed to improve the quality of care for gynecologic cancer patients through a patient-to-patient support model....

 

CHCF Seeks Applications From Companies for Community Health Centers Initiative - DEADLINE: MAY 6, 2014 (Open). Grants of up to $1.5 million will be awarded to companies with technology- or service-based solutions that enable community health centers and clinics to stretch their resources, increase patient access to care, and/or lower the cost of providing care....

 

Gates Foundation Issues Call for Applications for Round 13 of Grand Challenges Initiative - DEADLINE: MAY 6, 2014
Initial grants of $100,000 will be awarded in support of bold approaches aimed at improving the lives of the world's poorest people....

 

Donaghue Foundation Invites Letters of Intent for Projects to Improve Institutional Senior Care - DEADLINE: MAY 12, 2014 (Letters of Intent)
Through its Another Look program, the foundation will award grants totaling $450,000 for projects that address a particular problem affecting the elderly in care facilities....

 

Indian and Native American Programs — SGA-DFA-PY-13-02, Closing Date: April 23, 2014

The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announces the availability of approximately announces the availability of approximately $58 million in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Section 166 for the Indian and Native American Program (INAP) to fund approximately 170 grants — $46 million to fund the Comprehensive Service Program (CSP) serving adult participants and $12 million to fund Supplemental Youth Service Program (SYSP) serving summer youth participants. The WIA Section 166 program provides training and employment services specifically targeted to Indian and Native Americans and is the only Federal employment and job training program that serves American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians who reside both on and off reservations. Grantees must provide services to all eligible applicants and ensure equitable access to employment and training services within the geographic service area. The Department waived the previous competitive round of WIA Section 166 awards for PY 2012-2013, and has determined that no waivers of competition under WIA Section 166(c)(2) will be available for the next two-year designation cycle.  Read the Full Announcement (PDF)

 

Face Forward 2 — Intermediary and Community Grants — SGA/DFA PY-13-09. Closing Date: May 2, 2014

The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announces the availability of approximately $44 million in grants through the Face Forward program to provide work-based learning opportunities and support services for youth ages 14 to 24 who have been through the juvenile justice system. The Face Forward grant program is designed to help participants move forward into the future by combining the most promising workforce and juvenile justice strategies available. These grants will offer organizations the opportunity to develop programs that address this issue by helping youth obtain education and industry-recognized credentials in high-demand occupations and industries. The grants will also help youth evade the stigma of having a juvenile record through the use of diversion or record expungement strategies. Four grants of $5 million each will be awarded to intermediary organizations for implementation through their affiliates, and approximately 16 grants of up to $1.5 million each will be awarded directly to community-based organizations or faith-based organizations with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Read the Full Announcement (PDF)

 

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FW: Publications, Learning and Funding

From our colleagues at USDA-RD; several themes of interest including rural health and farm bill (including nutrition programs) details.

 

From: Agans, Suzette - RD, Washington, DC [mailto:Suzette.Agans@wdc.usda.gov]
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 7:32 AM
Subject: Publications, Learning and Funding

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank Publications:

·         Innovating our Way out of Poverty - http://www.frbsf.org/community-development/blog/innovation-poverty-pay-for-success/

·         Enhancing New Markets Tax Credit Pipeline Flow - http://www.frbsf.org/community-development/publications/working-papers/2010/october/new-markets-tax-credit-performance-nmtc/

 

Community Reinvestment: Does Your Bank Measure Up? describes how the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) affects the way banks and thrifts serve their communities' credit needs. The booklet outlines factors that regulators use to rate a bank's CRA performance and tells where to find information on a bank's rating.

 

Agricultural Act of 2014: Highlights and Implications - The Agricultural Act of 2014 became law on February 7, covering farming and ranching, conservation, nutrition, rural development, research, energy, and other topics. ERS web pages provide highlights and summaries of new programs and provisions in the law, as well as some economic implications. March 10, 2014

 

USDA Finalizes Changes to the WIC Program, Expanding Access to Healthy Fruits and Vegetables, Whole Grains, and Low-Fat Dairy for Women, Infants, and Children
Mar 3, 2014 -- The U. S. Department of Agriculture has finalized changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to further improve the nutrition and health of the nation's low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children.

 

SAMHSA Report Provides Information on Mental Illness Levels in Each State and the District of Columbia - Feb 28, 2014 -- A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides an overview of the nature and scope of mental illness within each state and the District of Columbia.

 

Health IT Transforming Rural Care - Feb 25, 2014 -- HealthcareIT News article tells how at pre-conference symposium, "Health IT and Rural Healthcare: Embracing Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges," stakeholders gathered to learn more about the ways health IT is being deployed to address the unique challenges of rural care delivery.

 

Development of the Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire (NCAQ): A Rural Nurse Recruitment and Retention Tool
Offers a guide to assess strengths and weaknesses of critical access hospitals (CAHs) in rural communities to address nurse recruitment and retention.
Date: 03 / 2014. Journal: Rural and Remote Health

 

Tribal Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program Implementation and Evolution
Reports on Tribal Health Profession Opportunity Grant program implementation, with information on program elements that contribute to successful tribal health workforce training programs. Includes challenges and lessons learned in rural settings. Date: 02 / 2014

 

Uninsured: An Analysis by Age, Income, and Geography
Analyzes 2010 health insurance data showing the proportion of the rural population that is uninsured and living below 138% of federal poverty level in comparison with that of the urban population. Organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Date: 02 / 2014

 

Brain Gain in Rural Places - High school graduates might leave rural areas for college and jobs in the big city, but more are coming back with college degrees, careers, professional contacts, and young families. Still others with these credentials are moving to rural communities for the first time. Extension's demographic research, publications, and perspectives on this brain gain can help community leaders consider what this means for their rural area. A report on the 2010 census data shows that this trend is continuing.  This site includes, a recorded webinar, data, research and news articles on a new trend happening in rural places.

 

 

LEARNING

 

Webinar: USDA Rural Development Update & Impact on Cooperatives, Monday, March 17, 2014, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST 

Lillian Salerno, Administrator, USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Reserve Your Seat!

NCBA CLUSA is organizing this webinar series with the USDA with the intent of convening the cooperative stakeholder community to hear directly from Administrator Salerno on the many ongoing changes and strategic direction her agency is undertaking as it implements many Administration and Department priorities and initiatives as well as the recent Farm Bill.  
Expected topics may include:

• Community economic development 
• Promise Zones 
• Interagency Working Group on cooperative development  

Participants will hear how the cooperative sector will play a role in these changes and be able to engage in an online discussion with the Administrator to help provide her agency with valuable input to help guide and shape these conversations.

 

SBA to Host Webinar on Using Data to Increase Client Outcomes

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will host a free webinar on Using Data to Increase your Client Outcomes IQ Webinar, which is being held on Wednesday, March 19 at 1:00 pm EST. The webinar will announce and showcase new data features on client outcomes on mircotracker.org. The data can help answers questions such as whether businesses that receive assistance from microenterprise organizations grow or survive. The tools available on the site enable you not only to look at the aggregate data from the more than 30 programs that work with microTracker each year, but also to pull information that most closely mirrors your organization or your clients. Click here for more information on microTracker. Click here to register for the free webinar.

 

WEBINAR: Hospitals Building Healthier Communities: Investing Outside Institutional Walls, March 19, 2014, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET This webinar is available free of charge but advanced registration is required.
A growing number of hospitals are engaged in community economic development, recognizing the importance of poverty, unemployment, environmental hazards and other social factors in determining health outcomes. This webinar, in collaboration with the Association for Community Health Improvement, brings together practitioners from three health systems leading the way in implementing inclusive economic development and investment strategies to create healthier communities. The discussion will use the findings of the Democracy Collaborative's "The Anchor Dashboard: Aligning Institutional Practice to Meet Low-Income Community Needs," as a starting point to show how hospitals can expand their positive community impact with existing resources. This webinar is available free of charge but advanced registration is required.
Learning Objectives:

Introduce the concepts of anchor institutions and community wealth building;
Explore how inclusive economic development strategies can create healthier communities;
Promote innovative strategies for leveraging health system resources to benefit surrounding communities; and
Provide best practice examples to assist participants to develop efforts at home institutions.

Presenters:
David Zuckerman, research associate, The Democracy Collaborative
Edward Gerardo, director, community commitment and social investments, Bon Secours Health System, Inc.
Heidi Gartland, vice president, government relations, University Hospitals
Cathy Rowan, director, socially responsible investments, CHE/Trinity Health

WEBINAR: Google Analytics for the Enthusiastic Beginner, Thursday, April 3, 2014, 11 am – 12 noon Pacific time (2 pm- 3 pm Eastern)
Speaker:  Bonnie Massa, Massa & Company

This webinar got so much good response from Blue Avocado readers last time that Bonnie agreed to do it free again (thanks, Bonnie!). Join this overview of Google Analytics, a free web analytics tool that shows you how visitors are using your site. We will start with how to capture data on visitors and then hit the highlights of using Google Analytics to improve your website. This overview is for beginners and executives that want to know the value of the tool but not necessarily how to operate it. To register, click here by Friday!

 

WEBINAR: Lessons from the Storm: Using Community and Economic Development Strategies to Build Disaster Resilient Economies

In the wake of natural disasters, local and regional economies are extremely vulnerable.  Businesses can suffer costly damage, be cut off from supplies, lose sales, and experience disrupted operations.  In some cases, they may even be forced to close permanently.  When businesses and industries fail or falter the communities they serve can feel serious impacts, ranging from a lack of access to goods and services to the loss of income and jobs.

 

Building the resilience of businesses and regional economies to natural disasters calls for a creative mix of land use, hazard mitigation, capital improvement, economic development, and other approaches.  Join the NADO Research Foundation on April 8 from 2:00-3:15 pm ET for a free webinar, Lessons from the Storm: Using Community and Economic Development Strategies to Build Disaster Resilient Economies.  Leaders from east central Iowa; Longmont, Colorado; and Springfield, Massachusetts will discuss how they are rebuilding and protecting their economic assets, including downtowns and key industries; targeting growth to safe locations and encouraging walkable, mixed-use design; providing recovery funding and preparedness training to businesses; upgrading infrastructure; encouraging economic diversification; and promoting regional partnerships and coordinated planning.  Click here for more information and to register.  The NADO Research Foundation has applied for 1.25 AICP CM credits for this webinar; registrants will be notified once approval is received.  The webinar is supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.  Contact Megan McConville at mmcconville@nado.org with any questions.            

 

ARTICLE: What's the Right Size for the Board? Board Cafe • By Jan Masaoka • April 1, 2012.  While a two-year old article, it still has relevancy. Dear Blue Avocado: We have 18 board members, but we are wondering if we should try to keep such a large board.  At our upcoming board and senior staff retreat we will be discussing what size…

 

FUNDING

 

Funding Opportunity: Defense Industry Adjustment Program - Click here to view the Federal Funding Opportunity for this program.  Eligible entities must meet certain criteria related to the defense spending reduction in their area and its impact on jobs and the community.  Regional organizations must demonstrate that they are public instrumentalities.  Proposals will be considered for funding on a continuing basis, subject to available appropriations.  With questions about the Defense Industry Adjustment program, including whether your region is eligible, contact Michael Gilroy at michael.p.gilroy3.civ@mail.mil or (703) 697-2081.

The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design™ (CIRD) has issued a request for proposals to rural communities facing design challenges - such as Main Street revitalization, how to manage and direct growth, design community-supportive transportation systems, preserve natural and historic landscapes and buildings, protect working agricultural lands, and provide adequate and affordable housing - who are interested in hosting a local workshop in 2014-2015.  Successful applicants will receive a $7,000 stipend and in-kind professional design expertise and technical assistance valued at $35,000. The Request for Proposals is posted on the CIRD website.  CIRD works to help rural communities with populations of 50,000 or fewer enhance their quality of life and economic vitality through facilitated design workshops. CIRD brings local leaders, non-profits, and community organizations together with experts in planning, design, preservation and placemaking – all in an effort to help communities address pressing design challenges and to put design tools into the hands of the people who can create local change. CIRD does this by offering an opportunity for four rural communities to host local design workshops, and by offering free public webinars, conference calls, and a resource-rich website to practitioners and community leaders across the country. The deadline for submitting a proposal is Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at 9:00 pm EDT. http://rural-design.org/

Smithsonian Latino Center Accepting Applications for 2014 Young Ambassadors Program - DEADLINE: APRIL 7, 2014. Students with an interest in and commitment to the arts, sciences, and humanities as it pertains to Latino communities and cultures will be selected to travel to Washington, D.C., for a weeklong seminar at the Smithsonian....

Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Seeks Proposals to Strengthen Secondary Education -DEADLINE: OPEN
Grants of up to $200,000 will be awarded to projects that support innovative professional development programs designed to strengthen high school teachers and their teaching....

Sigma Theta Tau International Global Invites Applications for Nursing Research Grant -DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2014
STTI will award a single $12,000 grant to a registered nurse focused on responding to health disparities globally....

AAAS Seeks Nominations for 2014 Awards for Early Career Award for Public Engagement With Science -DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15, 2014
A $5,000 prize will be awarded to an early-career scientist or engineer who demonstrates excellence in contributing to public engagement through science activities....

Service Area Competition Funding for Health Center Program - Additional Areas (AL, AZ, CA, CO, KY, MO, MS, MT, NC, NJ, NY, OK, OR, PA, PR, TN, and TX)
Geographic Coverage: Available in 16 states and Puerto Rico. Application deadline: Mar 21, 2014
Funding to provide comprehensive primary health care services to an underserved area or population. Sponsor: Bureau of Primary Health Care

Black Lung Clinics Grant Program (BLCGP) - Application deadline: Mar 28, 2014. Awards grants to state, public or private entities for screenings, diagnosis and treatment services to active, inactive, disabled, and retired coal miners. Programs must also seek to increase care coordination. Sponsor: Office of Rural Health Policy

Affordable Care Act State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) - Application deadline: Apr 29, 2014
Grants to States to assist them in providing support to health professions to repay educational debt who in turn agree to provide primary health services in Federally designated health professional shortage area (HPSAs). Sponsor: Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service

Farm to School Grant Program - Application deadline: Apr 30, 2014
Grants to plan, establish, or sustain a Farm to School program that improves access to local foods in schools. Sponsor: USDA Food and Nutrition Service

MultiPlan's Rural Health Outreach Grant Program - Application deadline: Apr 30, 2014
Funding to help rural hospitals develop creative community outreach programs that encourage new services or reach new populations. Sponsor: MultiPlan

National Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Agricultural Injury (U54) - Letter of Intent (Optional): Mar 14, 2014. Application deadline: May 2, 2014
Awards funding to operate a National Center of Excellence that would work to prevent childhood agricultural injury through outreach, education, networking, training, prevention, intervention, and research. Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Oral Health 2020 Initiative - Application deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. Awards funding to organizations to create networks, establish partnerships, and analyze policy with the goal of eliminating oral disease in children and increasing oral health across the lifespan. Proposal that address one or more of the multiple factors affecting health equity (race, ethnicity, geography, etc.) are encouraged.
Sponsor: DentaQuest Foundation

 

-----------------------------------

Newsletters and email from where I gather this information include:

 

v  Foundation Center RFP Service -  To subscribe or unsubscribe, or to change your e-mail address, visit: http://foundationcenter.org/newsletters/

v  To subscribe to the RAC Health Listserv - click here to go to the subscription form.

v  Electronic newsletter of the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, Rural Entrepreneurship News. To subscribe, http://team.energizingentrepreneurs.org/news2/public_html/lists/?p=subscribe  

v  Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City newsletter: http://www.kansascityfed.org/alert/’

v  Blue Avocado Nonprofit Magazine - They have a newsletter on boards and nonprofit management, down-to-earth and useful.  http://www.blueavocado.org/

v  Rural LISC e-newsletter - http://www.lisc.org/rural

v  National Association for Development Organizations (NADO) – www.nado.org

v  ERS - A notification service is provided by USDA's Economic Research Service for Charts of Note and other research to keep you informed of the latest and most relevant research on the topics that interest you. You can subscribe at http://www.ers.usda.gov/Updates/

v  Department of Labor – Email Subscription Service - https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOL/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDOL_167

v  Good Done Great - Knowledge Sites – webinars and websites geared to nonprofits – to subscribe - http://4good.us1.list-manage.com/profile?u=04c75b52bdc230f3f32ad149d&id=7dc46f4ba6&e=53110692a1

 

This is the bulk of them, a few others are random.

 

 

 

Suzette M. Agans

Community and Economic Development
Rural Development | U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W. | Washington, D.C. 20250-3253
Phone: 202.401.1922 | Fax 202.401.7311
www.rurdev.usda.gov

 

"Committed to the future of rural communities"
"Estamos dedicados al futuro de las comunidades rurales"

 

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FW: Publications, Tools, Learning, and Funding

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Resources from our colleagues at USDA-Rural Development. Lots of resources for rural health and several grants which target rural workforce efforts.

 

 

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PUBLICATIONS

 

There was a problem with a BLS link last week (titled Employment Projections: 2012-2022 Summary) – here is the correct link - http://bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.nr0.htm

 

Weekly Column: Census of Agriculture Results Tell Story of Unlimited Potential in Rural America

This week, USDA released preliminary data from the 2012 Census of Agriculture that provides a snapshot of a rural America that remains stable in the face of difficult economic times. While the data do not paint a perfect picture, they do tell a story of the unlimited potential and growing opportunity in modern rural America. USDA 2/21

 

A Small Library with Big Ideas (2/26) By Rachel Reynolds Luster - Although it only has 632 square feet of space, the Myrtle, Missouri, library leaves a big imprint on its patrons. Librarian Rachel Reynolds Luster shows how libraries create access and opportunity in rural communities. Read the story.

Real estate assets play a major role in the U.S. farm sector financial outlook - Reflecting land’s role as a key input in agricultural production, real estate assets (the value of land and buildings) play an important role in the farm sector’s financial health. Real estate has traditionally accounted for the bulk of the total value of farm sector assets—in 2014, real estate assets are expected to comprise 82 percent of total farm assets. When combined with generally lower annual increases in farm sector debt, the increasing value of farm real estate has helped the farm sector attain record low debt-to-asset ratios in recent years, a trend expected to continue into 2014. Change in the debt-to-asset ratio is a critical barometer of the farm sector's financial performance with lower values indicating greater financial resiliency. In addition, as the largest single component in a typical farmer's investment portfolio, real estate values affect the financial well-being of agricultural producers and serve as the principal source of collateral for farm loans. A chart can be found in Farm Income and Wealth Statistics, updated February 11, 2014. Find additional information and analysis in ERS’ Farm Sector Income and Finances topic page.

 

OIG 2014 Workplan Includes CAH and RHC Studies - Feb 13, 2014 -- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released its Fiscal Year 2014 Workplan, including plans for studies on critical access hospitals and rural health clinics.  

 

How Rural ME Hospitals are Tackling Financial Challenges - Feb 11, 2014 -- HealthLeaders Media article tells how reimbursement cuts aren't the only challenge rural hospitals face. Recruitment and retention of clinical staff is a perennial issue. But creative leadership and telemedicine are making things better at two small Maine hospitals.

 

On the Redwood Coast a Collaborative Approach to Health Blossoms
Feb 3, 2014 -- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation article tells how in a remote region in Northern California, physician, patients, and hospitals have been experimenting with new ways to work together. Their discoveries should interest anyone looking to transform health care.

 

Zip Code Overrides DNA Code When it Comes to a Healthy Community
Jan 31, 2014 -- Health Affairs Grant Watch Blog article tells of the recommendations of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthy America and how the health of the community you live in directly impacts your own health. It tells of Colorado's new approach to community revitalization.

 

The Economic Impact of Community Colleges:  American Association of Community Colleges Releases EMSI Report with ROI Documents

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has released a report, "Where Value Meets Values: The Economic Impact of Community Colleges," showing that community colleges are a boon to the American economy at large and to the individual student.  The study was compiled by Economic Modeling Specialists Intl., (EMSI).  The report release notes:

In 2012 alone, the net total impact of community colleges on the U.S. economy was $809 billion in added income, equal to 5.4 percent of GDP. Over time, the U.S. economy will see even greater economic benefits, including $285.7 billion dollars in increased tax revenue as students earn higher wages and $19.2 billion in taxpayer savings as students require fewer safety net services, experience better health, and lower rates of crime.  Students also see a significant economic benefit. For every one dollar a student spends on his or her community college education, he or she sees an ROI of $3.80. 

Please access the links below to read more:

• Where Value Meets Values: The Economic Impact of Community Colleges (Full Report)
• Where Value Meets Values: The Economic Impact of Community Colleges (Executive Summary)
• Economic Impact Study Fact Sheet
• Return on Investment: Social
• Return on Investment: Student
• Return on Investment: Taxpayer

 

HHS Issues Policy Rules on Administration for Native Americans Programs

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Native Americans (ANA) has issued final rules, general statements of policy, and rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice for the following programs:

·         Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS)

·         Sustainable Employment and Economic Development Strategies (SEEDS)

·         Native Language Preservation and Maintenance 

·         Native Language Preservation and Maintenance (EMI) 

·         Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE)

Click here for more information and to view the full notice in the Federal Register.

 

 

TOOLS

 

Rural Care Coordination Toolkit
Designed to help identify and implement a rural care coordination program and provide supporting resources and best practices. The toolkit, developed in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, is made up of several modules each concentrating on different aspects of care coordination programs. AND

 

Care Coordination in Rural Communities (Webinar Recording)
Webinar, presented by Alexa Brown, NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis; Melissa Miles, Bi-State Primary Care Association; and Heidi Blossom, MSN, RN, Care Transitions Coordinator for MHA – An Association of Montana Health Care Providers. Discussed the Rural Care Coordination Toolkit and provided information on how rural communities can identify and implement a care coordination program. 60 minutes.

 

Rural Health Training Through MyVeHU Campus
Provides a series of webinar trainings that are offered for education credit. Open to the public, but you must register for a MyVeHU username and password to view the trainings. Topics have specific rural health content and examples include chronic pain management, caregiver resources for aging rural veterans, post deployment care integration for rural combat veterans, facilitating co-managed care, rural community collaborations and veteran outreach as well as cultural competence and caring for veterans. Organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health

Useful Stats: Utility and Design Patents by State, 2008-13

U.S. patents continued their rapid pace of growth in 2013, according to statistics from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  USPTO granted 122,593 utility patents last year, a 10 percent increase over the previous year and a 72 percent increase over 2008. Much of the increase in activity is due to the growth of IT and software patenting, as discussed in a separate SSTI Digest article. California leads the country in utility patents, representing about 27 percent of patents granted in 2013. Massachusetts narrowly leads California in per capita patenting activity, followed by Vermont and Washington. Read more...

SSTI has prepared a series of tables using the most recent USPTO data. These tables include utility and design patents by state, 2008-13, utility patents per 10,000 residents, patent numbers for the top 100 U.S. patenting organizations and the top 100 U.S. universities, 2008-12. Download in Excel (xlsx) format…

 

 

LEARNING

 

WEBINAR: The Sustainable Working Waterfronts Webinar is scheduled for Thursday, March 6 at 2:00 pm ET and provide insight about the Sustainable Working Waterfronts Toolkit, a web-based resource that contains a wealth of information about the historical and current use of waterfront space; the economic value of working waterfronts; and legal, policy, and financing tools that can be used to preserve, enhance, and protect these valuable areas. Click here to register.

 

WEBINAR: The Foreign Direct Investment and Exporting Webinar will be held on Thursday, March 13 at 2:00 pm ET and will provide insight about Best Practices in Foreign Direct Investment and Exporting Based on Regional Industry Clusters. This web-based resource is designed to promote ways to more effectively attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and develop export potential. Click here to register.

 

WEBINAR: Experimental Estimates for State Level Personal Consumption Expenditures, March 26, 2014, 2:00 PM - ET

Carol Robbins & Ledia Guci, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economics

Registration: There is no registration and no fee for attending this webinar. http://connect.msu.edu/ncrcrd

Personal consumption expenditures make up the largest category of final demand and provide a direct measure of goods and services consumed by households. As such, state-level consumption statistics could facilitate regional tax policy analysis and marketing uses, and provide an additional measure of economic well-being to complement state level GDP and disposable personal income.  Bureau of Economic Analysis economists have developed expenditures for eight categories of goods, seven categories of services, and net expenditures of nonprofit institutions serving households (NPISHs) for fifty states plus the District of Columbia for the years 1997 to 2011 that can be used on conjunction with other BEA regional statistics. This webinar will cover the methodology used for the experimental statistics, a first look at some of the results, and a discussion of BEA’s plans for refining and extending the statistics.

About the Speakers:

Carol Robbins is Chief of the Analysis and Special Studies Branch of the Regional Product Division at the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  In this position she leads the development of new regional economic statistics and the improvement of methodologies for existing regional statistics. Her prior position at BEA was as a research economist in the Industry Directorate, focusing on the economic measurement of R&D, intangibles, and intellectual property. Carol holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Delaware and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Bryn Mawr College.

 

Ledia Guci is a research economist with the Regional Analysis and Special Studies Branch of the Bureau of Economic Analysis. She joined BEA in 2011, after completing a doctorate degree in Food and Resource Economics at the University of Florida. At BEA her work has focused on providing methodological support for the experimental estimates of state-level personal consumption expenditures. Ledia’s primary areas of expertise and interest include urban and regional economics, natural resource and environmental economics, and applied and spatial econometrics.

 

To join the webinar go to http://connect.msu.edu/ncrcrd, “enter as a guest” is by default already chosen. Type your name into the text box provided, and click on “Enter Room”. You are now in the meeting room for the webinar.  If you’ve never used Adobe Connect on the computer you will be using, please use the “Test your connection” link below and do a test connection to the actual meeting space well in advance of the scheduled meeting time. http://connect.msu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm.  The webinar will be recorded and archived at http://ncrcrd.msu.edu/ncrcrd/chronological_archive.

 

 

FUNDING

 

FY2014 Funding for SAMHSA Expands Vital Mental Health Services – Especially for Children and Youth
Feb 18, 2014 -- As a result of the Fiscal Year 2014 "Consolidated Appropriations Act", the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will provide expanded help to meet the mental health needs of individuals, families and communities across the nation. The $276 million additional funding above the FY13 post-sequestration level will enable SAMHSA to better address the mental health needs of the nation’s children and young people – including those most at risk for serious mental illnesses.

 

Department of Labor Announces Second Round of Funding under “Training to Work – Adult Reentry” Competitive Grant Program

On February 18, 2014, the Department of Labor has announced the availability of approximately $30 million through the second round of the Training to Work — Adult Reentry competitive grant program to help men and women participating in a state or local prison work-release programs gain the job skills necessary to succeed in an in-demand occupation upon reintegrating back into society.

The Department will award approximately $30 million for 15 grants of up to $2 million each. Grants will be awarded to implementing partners that provide qualifying services in areas with high-poverty and high-crime rates, including communities that have a large proportion of returning citizens that typically experience higher rates of recidivism. Additional consideration will be given to applications who intend to serve areas designated as "Promise Zones" by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. February 18 News Release

 

Department  of Labor Announces Availability of Approximately $73 Million in YouthBuild Grants

The Department of Labor has announced the availability of approximately $73 million in YouthBuild grant funds to develop programs that will help out-of-school youth complete high school or General Educational Development programs, as well as learn critical occupational skills in construction, health care, information technology and other in-demand fields.

The Department will award approximately 75 grants with a maximum funding of up to $1.1 million each. The grants will be awarded to organizations that oversee education and employment services for disadvantaged youths in their communities. The department anticipates serving approximately 4,950 young people in this grant cycle. February 18 News Release

 

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced $150 million in grants to prepare and place the long-term unemployment into full-time employment. The Ready to Work Partnership grant competition will support and scale innovative partnerships between employers, nonprofit organizations, and America's public workforce system to build a pipeline of talented U.S. workers and help those experiencing long-term unemployment gain access to employment services that provide opportunities to return to work in middle- and high-skill jobs. Around 20 to 30 grants ranging from $3 million to $10 million will be awarded to programs focused on employer engagement, individualized counseling, job placement assistance, and work-based training that facilitate hiring for jobs where employers currently use foreign workers on H-1B visas. Grant applications are due by June 19. Click here for grant eligibility information. Click here to apply.

 

World Hunger Leadership Challenge Accepting Student Entries for Service Learning Grants - DEADLINE: APRIL 11, 2014
A total of up to $750,000 in prizes will be awarded to teams of students to create and execute a service-learning project that raises awareness of world hunger....

 

Indian Land Tenure Foundation Invites Letters of Inquiry - DEADLINE: MARCH 3, 2014 and AUGUST 4, 2014 (Letters of Inquiry). Grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded to help Native tribes reacquire alienated federal lands and ensure that Indian people have, at minimum, access to the financial and natural resources within their own reservations....

 

MetLife Foundation, LISC Seeking Nominations for 2014 Community-Police Partnership Awards - EADLINE: MARCH 9, 2014
The annual program aims to recognize partnerships that exhibit tangible accomplishments in their efforts to advance the process, outcome, and/or evaluation of effective police-community collaborations....

 

Mountaineers Foundation Seeks Proposals for Mountain Conservation Projects - DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2014. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded for projects that promote the study of the mountains, forests, and streams of the Pacific Northwest and contribute to preserving the region's natural beauty and ecological integrity....

 

Captain Planet Foundation Accepting Applications for Ecotech Grants - DEADLINE: MAY 31, 2014. Grants of $2,500 will be awarded to schools or nonprofit organizations for projects that motivate children to use innovation, nature-based design, or technology to address environmental problems in their communities....

 

Avon Foundation Invites Letters of Intent From Safety-Net Hospitals - DEADLINE: Various (Letters of Intent). Grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded in support of patient navigation programs, partial equipment support, and other personnel and infrastructure support that enhances breast cancer care services to the medically underserved....

 

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