FW: Publications, Funding, Events, Tools

From our colleagues at USDA-Rural Development . . . particular focus on rural health this week!

 

From: Proctor, Christopher - RD - Washington, DC [mailto:Christopher.Proctor@wdc.usda.gov]
Sent: Friday, October 30, 2015 2:49 PM
Subject: Publications, Funding, Events, Tools

 

PUBLICATIONS

An Interview with Ajit Pai
Federal Communications Commissioner Ajit Pai discusses the critical need to expand broadband deployment in rural communities and the promise that broadband holds for rural healthcare.

 

Senior Housing and Services: Challenges and Opportunities in Rural America
Summary report of a panel of housing and health experts convened to discuss needs, barriers, and experiences with aging in place, and feasibility of programs to support independence for rural seniors. Includes discussion of emerging trends and potential service models.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Date: 10/2015

 

Treasury, IRS Issue Rules that Will Help Facilitate P3s

The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service have released final allocation and accounting rules that bond lawyers say will help in administering public-private partnerships for transportation and joint ventures involving hospitals.

 

FUNDING

FY 2016 Economic Development Assistance Programs - Application submission and program requirements for EDA’s Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance programs.

Under this Federal Funding Opportunity, Economic Development Administration (EDA) solicits applications from applicants in rural and urban areas to provide investments that support construction, non-construction, technical assistance, and revolving loan fund projects under EDA’s Public Works and EAA programs. Grants and cooperative agreements made under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities. EDA provides strategic investments on a competitive- merit-basis to support economic development, foster job creation, and attract private investment in economically distressed areas of the United States. View the EDA Funding Notice.

AmeriCorps State and National Grants FY 2016

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust that members can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans. Grant awards have two components: operating funds and AmeriCorps member positions. Grant award amounts vary – both in the level of operating funds and in the type and amount of AmeriCorps member positions. Unless otherwise specified, the grant generally covers a three-year project period. In approving a multi-year project period, CNCS generally makes an initial award for the first year of operation. In most cases, the application is submitted with a one-year budget. Continuation funding is not guaranteed. Contact: americorpsgrants@cns.gov202-606-7508.

View the AmeriCorps Funding Notice.

 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Health Resources and Services Administration Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP)

This announcement solicits applications for the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP). The purpose of the SHIP is to help small rural hospitals of 49 beds or less, do any or all of the following: 1) enable the purchase of equipment and/or training to help hospitals attain value-based purchasing provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA); 2) aid small rural hospitals in joining or becoming accountable care organizations, or create shared savings programs per the ACA; and 3) enable small rural hospitals to purchase health information technology, equipment, and/or training to comply with meaningful use, ICD-10 standards, and payment bundling.

View the SHIP Funding Notice.

 

Solid Waste Management Grant Program

Purpose: Funds organizations that work to reduce or eliminate water and solid waste pollution in rural areas. Elibility: Private, 501(c)3 organizations, government agencies, federally-recognized Native American tribes, academic institutions.

Funding: $4 million total.

Deadline: December 31, 2015.

 

USDA-NIFA Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grant Program

Purpose: Funds efforts to improve access, self-reliance, and education of healthy food for low-income communities.

Eligibility : Public food program service providers, tribal organizations, or private nonprofit entities including gleaners.

Funding: $8.6M total.

Deadline: November 30, 2015.

 

Improving Healthcare Systems Research Grants

Purpose: Funds efforts to allow patients to make informed decisions and give clinicians information and support to improve care.

Eligibility: Any nonprofit or for-profit organization, public sector research organization, laboratory, or government agency.

Funding: 3-year projects, $1.5M; 5-year projects, $5M.

Deadline: Letter of intent due November 12, 2015. Full application due November 12, 2015.

 

Graduate Psychology Education Program (GPE)
Offers grants to psychology schools and government, nonprofit, or private entities to support doctoral-level psychology education and training programs to prepare psychologists to address the behavioral health needs of vulnerable/underserved populations.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Dec 16, 2015
Sponsor: Bureau of Health Workforce

 

Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design™

The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design™ 2016-2017 Request for Proposals is now open for rural communities facing design challenges, from main street revitalization to art-based community development. CIRD will select up to six communities, with populations 50,000 or less, to host a two-and-a-half-day design workshop aimed at solving local design challenges and planning for the future. Selected communities receive a CIRD stipend of $10,000 dollars and in-kind professional assistance to organize the workshop and follow up activities.  The workshops are interdisciplinary and feature a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, bringing together local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government agencies to develop actionable solutions to a community’s pressing design challenges.  To apply and learn more, click here. The application deadline is January 12, 2016.

 

NMEF Launches $200 Million College and Career Readiness Strategy

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation has announced a five-year, $200 million initiative to reshape public education so that 80 percent of high school graduates are college and career-ready. According to the foundation, by 2018 more than 60 percent of all jobs will require some level of postsecondary education and training. But data from the New England Secondary School Consortium shows that while more students are graduating from high school, only 50 percent of graduates overall and 32 percent of low-income graduates have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed after high school.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Community Services

Assets for Independence

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Community Services (OCS) will be accepting applications for grants to administer projects for the Assets for Independence (AFI) demonstration program.

AFI grantees administer projects that provide individual development accounts (IDAs) and related services to low-income individuals. Participants open an IDA and save earned income that is matched by project funds. The combined participant savings and project matching funds will be used for an allowable asset: a first home, a business, or post-secondary education or training. Projects also assist participants in obtaining the skills and information necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Grantees are encouraged to tailor the strategies and services they offer to the needs of their project participants and the opportunities in their community. Examples of activities in this area include financial education, asset-specific training, financial coaching, credit-building services, credit/debt counseling, and assistance with tax credits and tax preparation.

Deadline: The application due dates for FY 2016 have changed to December 15, 2015 and May 13, 2016.

 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Pay for Success Permanent Supportive Housing Demonstration Program NOFA

In 2010, the Obama Administration released Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, in which federal partners set goals to end veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015, and end family and youth homelessness by 2020. However, there were still 84,291 individuals identified as chronically homeless in the United States in 2014. These individuals are persons with disabilities who experience long-term homelessness, and who typically cycle in and out of a variety of crisis services, including hospital emergency departments and inpatient stays, psychiatric centers, jails, and prisons. This cycling between services not only has negative impacts on health and well-being, but also incurs high costs to the public. Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is a proven solution to chronic homelessness, not only helping to increase housing stability and improvements in health, but also lowering public costs by stopping the revolving door between crisis services.

DOJ and HUD are partnering to advance Pay for Success (PFS), one promising model for financing services that can attract additional, non-traditional sources of funding.

Deadline: February 12, 2016

View the Pay for Success NOFA.

 

New Markets Tax Credit Program

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) released the Notice of Allocation Availability (NOAA) for the calendar year (CY) 2015 round of the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC Program). The NOAA makes up to $5 billion in tax credit allocation authority available for the CY 2015 round, pending Congressional authorization.

The New Markets Tax Credit spurs investment of private sector capital into distressed communities by providing a tax credit to corporate or individual taxpayers who make qualified equity investments in designated Community Development Entities (CDEs). The CDEs, in turn, invest the capital raised into projects and businesses in low-income communities. The credit provided to the investor totals 39 percent of the investment in a CDE and is claimed over a seven-year credit allowance period. More information about the NMTC Program can be found on the program’s website or in the program’s fact sheet.

Deadline: December 16, 2015

 

EVENTS

GroupGAP Program Brings New Market Opportunities for Farmers.

In Spring 2016, USDA will add GroupGAP Program to the list of third-party auditing services verifying that operations follow industry-recognized food safety practices, aka: Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). In GroupGAP, a collection of organized independent farmers under a central entity can choose and implement the food safety standard most suited for the needs of their buyers. This program, the product of a USDA/Wallace Center pilot project, will allow smaller farms to more easily certify products for retail.

Successful Strategies for Nonprofit Fundraising Events

MODERATOR: Barbara O'Reilly, Windmill Hill Consulting, LLC
WED, November 18, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM

Learn how to plan fundraising events that support a broader strategic and integrated fundraising approach. A panel will discuss best practices and how to build a stronger, relationship-driven connection to your donors.  Register here.

NACRHHS Policy Briefs on Telehealth and Intimate Partner Violence
Join the free webinar featuring NACRHHS Committee members' discussion of two policy briefs, one on the use of telehealth in rural areas and the other on the impact of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) on families and communities in rural areas.

TOOLS

USDA’s New Farmer Guide

USDA’s new Farmer guide offers a compilation of resources for new and beginning farmers. With the average age of American farmers exceeding 58 years and almost 10% of farmland changing hands in the next five years, the USDA has set a new goal of increasing beginning farmer and rancher participation by an additional 6.6% with $5.6 billion in investments. The new updates include feedback from many beginning farmers and ranchers citing unfamiliarity with programs and resources as obstacles to beginning farm operations.

 

2015 Annual Good Food Org Guide

Food Tank and the James Beard Foundation, feature the nearly 1000 food-related nonprofits across the United States. These organizations include those addressing childhood obesity and food insecurity, social entrepreneurship, protection of food and restaurant workers, indigenous culture advocacy, human wellness, and the environment.

 

Rural Care Coordination
Care coordination has great potential to improve rural health access and quality, as well as health outcomes. This new guide looks at opportunities, barriers, and models related to coordinating care in rural settings. Topics covered include Accountable Care Organizations, patient-centered medical homes, the role of HIT in care coordination, and more. The guide was developed by Brandon Baumbach, RAC's Rural Health Policy Specialist, with guidance from Clint MacKinney, RUPRI, and Karla Weng, Stratis Health.

 

NRHA Rural Proofing Tool
Policy paper describing the process of rural proofing in policy development, strategic planning, and implementation. This structured approach ensures that government policy and legislation recognizes the unique needs of healthcare in rural communities.
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Date: 09/2015

 

Newsletters and email from which we gather this information include:

v  Foundation Center RFP Service -  To subscribe 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  Orton Family Foundation – email sign-up - http://www.orton.org/sign_up

 

Christopher Proctor

USDA Rural Development

1400 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20250

Christopher.Proctor@wdc.usda.gov | 202-619-1739

“Committed to the future of rural communities.”

 

FW: Publications, Events, Funding

Lots of local food resources . . . thanks to our colleagues at USDA-Rural Development.

 

From: Proctor, Christopher - RD - Washington, DC [mailto:Christopher.Proctor@wdc.usda.gov]
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2015 3:33 PM
Subject: Publications, Events, Funding

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Planning for a More Resilient Future:  A Guide to Regional Approaches

The NADO Research Foundation has released Planning for a More Resilient Future:  A Guide to Regional Approaches, a report that summarizes the rapidly-growing body of research on resilience, describing the main ideas that are driving policy and practice across the country and examining current thinking on regional and economic resilience.  It is intended for regional development organizations as well as local governments, community foundations, voluntary organizations, and others who step forward as planners, conveners, organizers, fundraisers, mediators, coordinators, and advocates on behalf of communities impacted by, or at risk of being impacted by, disasters, natural and human-induced. In addition to this publication, NADO RF has developed a companion online resource guide which includes examples of ways to approach planning for resilience, a primer on the expansive federal policy framework which determines the priorities for funding resilience initiatives, and describes the current state of philanthropic engagement in resilience efforts.

 

Iowa: Rural town aims to be 'the place' for local food firms
In October's edition of Good Food Economy Digest (GFED) Patty Cantrell of Regional Food Solutions discusses the economic development strategy of one county in western Iowa. Their community leaders are utilizing the emerging local food and farm sector to attract young people and new entrepreneurs into the area's growing food sector. The county is well suited to serve the needs of major nearby markets and young entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the opportunities. Read the full story and get these inspiring stories to your inbox.

 

White House Updates Strategy to Bolster U.S. Innovation Economy

This week, the National Economic Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released an update to the White House strategy document on fueling the U.S. innovation economy. A Strategy for American Innovation includes a model of the nation’s innovation engine that sheds some light on how the federal government views its role in research and economic growth. For example, digital government initiatives play a key role, alongside investing in basic research, digital infrastructure and STEM education.  In a related post, OSTP framed the release as the culmination of several weeks of events around the idea of open innovation. The strategy emphasizes the use of crowd-based models and prizes for scientific breakthroughs.  Read A Strategy for American Innovation here.

 

GroupGAP Program Brings New Market Opportunities for Farmers

In the spring of 2016, USDA will add the GroupGAP Audit Program to the list of third-party auditing services provided by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Audit Program, performed by the agency’s Specialty Crops Inspection Division, verifies that operations are following industry-recognized food safety practices as well as recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

Prevalence of food insecurity varied by household characteristics in 2014

While the majority of U.S. households are food secure, a minority experience food insecurity at times during the year, meaning their access to adequate food for active, healthy living is limited by a lack of money or other resources. Some households experience very low food security, a more severe range of food insecurity, where food intake of one or more household members is reduced and normal eating patterns are disrupted. Food insecurity includes both very low food security and low food security. In 2014, 14.0 percent of all U.S households were food insecure. The prevalence of food insecurity was substantially higher for low-income households; 39.6 percent of households with incomes below the Federal poverty line were food insecure. Among all U.S. households, food insecurity rates were the highest for single-mother households (35.3 percent) and lowest for households with elderly members (8.9 percent). This chart appears in “Commemorating 20 years of U.S. Food Security Measurement” in the October 2015 issue of ERS’s Amber Waves magazine.

 

Connecting the Dots between Health and Healthy Economies

Biddeford, Maine, was the focus of a video produced by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention that connected the dots between health programs and a healthy economy in that Heart & Soul town.
Learn how health programs there are helping small businesses make simple, affordable changes to improve employee health, staff retention, and the business owner’s bottom line. Watch the short video here.

 

Local Food Marketplace Releases White Paper: Avoiding Sales Around the Hub
Local Food Marketplace addresses a challenge facing hubs: producers selling around the hub. According to their research, producers may find alternate avenues for selling their goods for several reasons, often stemming from the hub not meeting the producer's expectations or the hub and the producer not being a good fit at the time. The report discusses advice for overcoming this challenge and includes a section devoted to best practices for food hub/producer agreements. Visit Local Food Marketplace's website to read the full report, Avoiding Sales Around the Hub.

 

AGree Report Takes 360 Look at Local Foods
AGree recently released their report, Local Food: Revitalizing Community-based Food Systems, which examines the growth, challenges and opportunities facing local food systems. The report not only emphasizes the ever-increasing consumer demand for local food, but also delivers six recommendations to stakeholders, US government agencies, philanthropic organizations, and research institutions to embrace diverse agricultural systems and further develop and adapt programs and regulations to serve local food systems. 

 

Fact Sheet: USDA Invests in New Market Opportunities in Local and Regional Food Systems

Over the course of the Administration, USDA has created new economic opportunities in the growing market for local and regional foods for new and established farmers, ranchers and small food business entrepreneurs. Through investments at the farm level in the form of production research, credit and conservation assistance; infrastructure investments that connect farmers and consumers; and strategies to increase access to healthy foods in rural and urban communities, USDA has helped the market for local food grow to an estimated $11.7 billion in 2014. Between FY 2009 and FY 2014, USDA invested more than $800 million in more than 29,100 local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects.

 

FUNDING

CDFI Fund Opens CY 2015 Round of New Markets Tax Credit Program

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) released today the Notice of Allocation Availability (NOAA) for the calendar year (CY) 2015 round of the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC Program). The NOAA makes up to $5 billion in tax credit allocation authority available for the CY 2015 round, pending Congressional authorization. The CDFI Fund provided the NOAA on its website in anticipation of its publication in the Federal Register later this week. More information about the NMTC Program can be found on the program’s website or in the program’s fact sheet.

Important Deadlines

CDE Certification Application: November 6, 2015

NMTC Electronic Application submission: December 16, 2015

Prior Allocatees' Issuance of Qualified Equity Investments: January 29, 2016

 

AARP Foundation Launches $70 Million Social Investment Initiative

The AARP Foundation has announced the launch of Age Strong, a social investment initiative that seeks to support enterprises working to provide critical services and programs for vulnerable low-income older adults.

Developed in partnership with the Calvert Foundation and Capital Impact Partners, the initiative will provide a total of $70 million in loans to enterprises and projects working to create affordable housing for older adults, improve their financial security and access to healthy foods, and develop community-oriented models of care. To that end, the AARP Foundation will match up to $6 million raised by the Calvert Foundation from impact investors, while Capital Impact Partners will provide financing to enterprises working to address the needs of struggling adults age 50 and older.

 

USDA-NIFA Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grants Program
Deadline: November 30, 2015
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture requests applications for three types of grants under its Community Food Projects (CFP) Program: Community Food Projects, Planning Projects, and Training and Technical Assistance Projects. The goals of the projects are to meet the food needs of low-income individuals through food distribution, community outreach or through increasing local food security. Read the full Request for Applications for greater details about the grant and apply for the grant.

 

USDA-Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive program
Deadline: December 16, 2015
The USDA recently announced $16.8 million available to local, state and national organizations through its Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients better afford healthy foods. Priority is given to projects that will both maximize the funds for direct incentives to SNAP participants and that will be most likely to increase the purchase and consumption of fruits and vegetables by SNAP participants. 

 

USDA-AMS Specialty Crop Multi-State Program
Deadline: January 14, 2016
The USDA announced that they will make $3 million available for the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program. The program is a competitive funding opportunity for State departments of agriculture to fund collaborative, multi-state projects that address regional or national specialty crop issues. Projects may include: food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific projects addressing common issues and marketing and promotion. 

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education – Multiple grant opportunities
Deadline: Varies by state and project
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) funds a range of research and education projects for farmers, ranchers, extension agents, nonprofits, students, and communities, among others. Grant funding and availability vary per state, but grants have been awarded to a range of projects including on-farm renewable energy, sustainable communities, local and regional food systems, cover crops, and more. Visit the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education website for more information and funding opportunities in your region. 

 

Community Facilities Applications Encouraged

Grant Deadline January 8, 2016

USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Programs serve non-profits and public bodies located in rural areas of up to 20,000 in population. Use our loans and grants to renovate, repair, purchase or construct buildings which house community services.  A non-profit or public body may use the loan or grant to purchase equipment, furniture and fixtures for community facilities.

Contact a USDA RD Community Programs Specialist in the RD Area Office near you to discuss your project. Contacts and Grant Information

EVENTS

Friday, October 30, 2015: Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Cooperative

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, KNOW YOUR COOPERATIVE Seminar will be hosted by Rural Development’s Jim Barham, and fellow Co-op specialists as they speak on the growing intersection between local food systems and cooperatives. Cooperative leaders from across the local food supply chain will discuss the advantages of the cooperative business model and how they are engaged in building robust local food systems. To speak about supply-side and distribution issues, we will be joined by four cooperatives:

·        Jim Crawford, Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative (PA)

·        Tad Williams, Shenandoah Valley Beef Cooperative (VA)

·        Nichola Thompson, Glut Food Co-op (MD)

·        Steve Cooke, Friendly City Food Co-op (VA)

Location: Washington DC, USDA’s Whitten Building, Room 107A

Online & Audio: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/j3fipy115vqe&eom

When: 10:00 – 11:30 PM EDT

If Using a Phone: (866) 525-2577 Conference ID : 50573752

Participants are encouraged to use computer’s audio and the “Chat” feature instead of phone lines.

Please RSVP: Send email to Scott Cessarich, Community Planning & Development Specialist at Scott.Cessarich@wdc.usda.gov by Wed, Oct. 28, 2015 to RSVP if attending in person.

 

The Rural Assistance Center will be hosting a free webinar.

Title: NACRHHS Policy Briefs on Telehealth and Intimate Partner Violence
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2015
Time: 11:00 am Pacific, 12:00 pm Mountain, 1:00 pm Central, 2:00 pm Eastern

Following the Fall 2014 meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services sent two policy briefs to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. One policy brief covered the use of telehealth in rural areas and how this technology aligns with the emerging focus on value in healthcare and the second covered the impact of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) on families and communities in rural areas.

Speakers:

·        Former Governor Ronnie Musgrove, Committee Chair

·        Eugenia (Geni) Cowan, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at California State University, Sacramento

·        Karen Madden, Director of the Charles D. Cook Office of Rural Health in New York

 The National Advisory Committee on Health and Human Services is a 21-member citizens' panel of nationally recognized experts who provide recommendations on rural issues to the Secretary of the Department.  

 

Farm to School Program

Thursday, October 29, 11:00 AM EDT: Join Deborah Kane, Director of the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Office of Community Food Systems, for a review of the USDA Farm to School Program’s accomplishments and to discuss what lies ahead. Topics will include a review of new farm to school resources, preliminary results and plans for the second USDA Farm to School Census, and several new areas of emphasis, including farm to summer, farm to preschool, and incorporating traditional foods into child nutrition programs.

No registration required. To join, on Thursday, October 29 at 11:00 AM EDT:

Access webinar

Dial 1-800-988-0278 with participant passcode 1271320 for audio

This webinar will be recorded and made publicly available on the FNS Webinars and Videos webpage.

 

Newsletters and email from which we gather this information include:

v  Foundation Center RFP Service -  To subscribe 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  Orton Family Foundation – email sign-up - http://www.orton.org/sign_up

 

 

Christopher Proctor

USDA Rural Development

1400 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20250

Christopher.Proctor@wdc.usda.gov | 202-619-1739

“Committed to the future of rural communities.”

 

FW: Publications, Funding, Learning, Events, Tools

From our colleagues at USDA Rural Development; there’s an emphasis this week on economic mobility and community resources (e.g., affordable housing, health care, and other infrastructure).

 

From: Proctor, Christopher - RD - Washington, DC [mailto:Christopher.Proctor@wdc.usda.gov]
Sent: Friday, October 16, 2015 1:34 PM
Subject: Publications, Funding, Learning, Events, Tools

 

PUBLICATIONS:

Housing Policy Levers to Promote Economic Mobility

Federal, state, and local policies that provide access to safe, affordable housing can play an essential role in improving the economic well-being of low-income households, a report from the Urban Institute and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation finds. Read the report here.

 

Beyond Financial Aid: How Colleges Can Strengthen the Financial Stability of Low-Income Students and Improve Student Outcome

Colleges and universities can improve the academic and life outcomes of low-income students by building a broad, integrated financial support system, a report from the Lumina Foundation suggests. Read the report here.

 

Turnaround Arts Initiative Final Evaluation Report

Implementing high-quality integrated arts education programming into high-poverty, chronically underperforming schools can enhance school-wide reform efforts, an evaluation of a public-private partnership launched by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2012 suggests. Read the report here.

 

Engaging Philanthropy in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Lessons Learned and Ways Forward

Philanthropic organizations should play a direct role in implementing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by collaborating with UN agencies, civil society organizations, governments, and businesses, a report from the SDG Philanthropy Platform urges. Read the report here.

 

Obesity Rates Will Soar by 2025 if Governments Fail to Take Action, Says Report. Medical News Today, 10/1/15. Thirteen percent of people worldwide are affected by obesity, the US having the greatest number of severely obese people. Unless more governments take action like introducing strict regulations of marketing unhealthy foods to children and ensuring healthy foods access in schools and communities, the global obesity rate will rise another 4% in just ten years.

 

Nation’s Ag Co-ops Set Records for Income and Revenue. USDA Release, 10/7/15. A new USDA report shows that the nation’s farmer, rancher, and fishery cooperatives earned a record $6.5 billion in net income and generated $246.7 billion in total revenue last year. This is an increase of 16.5%, compared to a .4% increase in 2013. The co-ops grossing highest in revenue come from Minnesota, Missouri, and Illinois.

 

A Cross-Sectional Study on Health Differences Between Rural and Non-Rural U.S. Counties Using the County Health Rankings
Examines the rural and urban differences in health and healthcare within the U.S. using data accessed from the 2013 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Vital health factors evaluated include mortality, morbidity, health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment.

 

The Difference Between What Poor People and Everyone Else Eats. MyAJC, 10/1/15. Researchers at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity reviewed 25 studies and found that while the nearly 50 million Americans on SNAP are eating as many calories and consuming just as much soda as those without SNAP, those on SNAP are eating significantly less healthy, receiving scores of about 50/100 compared to 58/100 from those without SNAP.  

 

National Advisory Committee Tackles Delivery System Reform, Child Poverty

From September 9-11, 2015, rural experts gathered in rural Minnesota for the 78^th Meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS). This group serves as a voice for rural health and human services and is tasked with gathering input at the local, grassroots level and taking what they learn to make recommendations to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell.

 

How ‘Dry’ Are Food Deserts?
Oct 13, 2015 -- Discusses the impact of access to healthy foods on the health of people living in food deserts, particularly those from low-income, low-food-access communities. Provides differing opinions on the causes of poor health for people living in these communities.
Source: The Daily Yonder

 

MedPAC Discusses Policy Options to Preserve Emergency Care in Rural Areas
Oct 9, 2015 -- A recent MedPAC public meeting included discussion on policy options aimed to preserve access to emergency care in rural communities, including a 24/7 emergency department model and a 24/7 ambulance service model.

 

Bill Aims to Recruit Doctors at VA Clinics
Oct 2, 2015 -- Describes a proposed bill, the Veterans Access to Care Act, which would designate Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities as health professional shortage areas, thus allowing the VA to offer financial incentives to healthcare professionals who agree to work in a shortage area for at least two years.

 

Health Resources and Services Administration Strategic Plan, FY 2016 - FY 2018
Identifies five goals that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will focus on in order to address healthcare access and service delivery issues. Includes information on HRSA's work related to rural health.
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration

 

How to Finance Transition to Renewable Energy

The question of how to finance a global transition from fossil fuels to clean energy is the most critical and difficult issue in the upcoming United Nations climate negotiations, according to EcoWatch.

 

 

FUNDING:

School Food Support Initiative Purpose: Program support from three prominent school food experts for five school districts that want to build healthier meal programs and improve health of community’s children. Eligibility: All schools participating in National School Lunch Program and committing to focus on scratch cooking. Schools should serve 3000 to 12000 students and be located within 20 miles of a Life Time destination or Whole Foods Market. Funding: Up to $600,000 for five schools. Deadline: October 30, 2015.

 

USDA Seeks Applications for $16.8M in Grants to Empower SNAP Participants to Make Healthy Eating Choices (aka Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grant (FINI)) Purpose: Funds local, state and national organization efforts that enable SNAP participants to better afford healthy foods. Eligibility: Please see link. Funding: $16.8M in grants. Deadline: Webinar for applicants, October 14, 2:00pm. Applications due December 16, 2015. The November GoodGreens meeting will focus on FINI, including speakers representing Midwest FINI grantees from 2015.

 

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grants Purpose: Fund research and education projects for farmers, ranchers, extension agens, nonprofits, students, and communities. Eligibility: Researchers, academics, nonprofits, producers. Funding: Varies by U.S. region. Deadline: Varies by region.

 

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) AmeriCorps State and National Grants FY 2016

AmeriCorps has been an important part of advancing Administration priorities, including the Promise Zones. AmeriCorps has announced a funding opportunity that may be of interest to your organization or community.

Intent to Apply: A notification of intent to apply is REQUIRED and is due Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 5:00 PM EST.

Deadline: Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 5:00 PM EST.

A separate Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity for Indian Tribes for either fully operational or planning grants will be released later in the Fall with an application deadline of Spring 2016.

Please visit the Corporation for National and Community Service website for details.

 

U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Community Food Projects Grant Program

The 2016 USDA Community Food Projects Grant Program Request for Applications (RFA) has been released, with $8.4 million in grant funding available. Applications are due Monday, November 30, 2015 at 5:00 PM EST. The New Entry Sustainable Farming Project is providing free one-on-one technical assistance and resources to organizations interested in applying for the Community Food Projects Grant Program through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. View the Community Food Projects Grant Application.

 

HHS Announces $685 Million to Support Clinicians Delivering High Quality, Patient-centered Care
Sep 29, 2015 -- Announces the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative, a $685 million federal investment designed to support healthcare organizations by helping equip them with the tools to improve quality of care, increase patients' access to information, and reduce costs. This includes funding for the National Rural Accountable Care Consortium to provide education and training for rural providers who may want to transition into Accountable Care Organizations.
Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

 

Improving Healthcare Systems Research Grants
Offers funding to research the comparative effectiveness of innovative features of healthcare systems (e.g. use of innovative technology, deployment of personnel, incentives, organizational policies) that affect quality, outcomes, and/or efficiency of care. Studies that examine effects on certain populations, including low-income and rural populations, will receive priority.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Letter of Intent (Required): Nov 12, 2015
Application Deadline: Feb 16, 2016
Sponsor: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

 

Solid Waste Management Grant Program
Offers funds to organizations to provide technical assistance that will reduce or eliminate pollution of water resources in rural areas, and improve planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Dec 31, 2015
Sponsor: USDA Rural Development

 

Water and Waste Disposal Technical Assistance and Training Grants
Grants for organizations that assist communities with water or wastewater operations through technical assistance and/or training.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Dec 31, 2015
Sponsor: USDA Rural Development

 

Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
Provides loan repayment programs for health professions educational loans in return for full-time clinical service in Indian health programs.
Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Application Deadline: Aug 12, 2016
Sponsor: Indian Health Service

 

 

LEARNING:

Consortial Leadership to Scale and Sustain Innovation

Scaling change. Short- and long-term impact. Indicators of success. Dissemination. Effect. Sustainability.  Foundation officers frequently utter these phrases. In most cases, these words reflect a heartfelt concern for change in the desired area, and, to be sure, big bucks often are put behind such efforts. Still, scaling and sustaining innovation in colleges and universities is challenging work. Consortial leadership can make it easier, yet, as we have found, it is often overlooked and underestimated as a change strategy.

 

Systems Thinking for Social Change

What makes a good old-fashioned mystery so much fun? In part, the enjoyment lies in the opportunity to gather clues along the way and figure out who committed the crime and why. In his book Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results, systems thinking pioneer David Peter Stroh, a founding partner of Bridgeway Partners and director of www.appliedsystemsthinking.com, draws a parallel between efforts to solve seemingly intractable social problems and the mystery stories many of us love. Instead of asking "Who done it?" however, Stroh suggests that those working to bring about social change should ask, "Why have we not been able to solve the complex social problems that plague us in spite of our best intentions and efforts?"

 

Women in Agriculture USDA Fact Sheets detail the important contributions that women have made in agriculture across the U.S. To continue building the next generation of women in agriculture, the USDA has established a women in agriculture mentoring network. Email AgWomenLead@usda.gov or follow the hashtag #womeninag.

 

EVENTS:

DOE Loan Program Support for Distributed Energy Projects

The US Department of Energy, the American Council on Renewable Energy, Stern Brothers, The Willdan Group and B2BWebinars.com are pleased to announce the upcoming webinar, DOE Loan Program Support for Distributed Energy Projects, taking place on Thursday, November 5, 2015 at 1:00pm Eastern Time.

 

Food Waste: Current and Emerging Solutions

Hosted by the Institute of Medicine, is a webinar reviewing food waste issues like major contributors; the health, environmental, social, and economic impacts of food waste; and emerging strategies to reduce food waste. The webinar will include speakers from the Natural Resources Defense Council, ConAgra Foods, Wal-Mart, and the USDA. The webinar is October 20, 2015, at 1pm ET. Register at the link.

 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service Farm to School Program

Thursday, October 29, 11:00 AM EDT: Join Deborah Kane, Director of the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Office of Community Food Systems, for a review of the USDA Farm to School Program’s accomplishments and to discuss what lies ahead. Topics will include a review of new farm to school resources, preliminary results and plans for the second USDA Farm to School Census, and several new areas of emphasis, including farm to summer, farm to preschool, and incorporating traditional foods into child nutrition programs.

No registration required. To join, on Thursday, October 29 at 11:00 AM EDT:

Access webinar

Dial 1-800-988-0278 with participant passcode 1271320 for audio

This webinar will be recorded and made publicly available on the FNS Webinars and Videos webpage.

 

Beyond Beauty: The Opportunities and Challenges of Cosmetically Imperfect Produce

Thursday, October 22
3:30 - 4:45pm ET (12:30 - 1:45 PT)

Free! Register Now

JoAnne Berkenkamp at Tomorrow’s Table and The Real Food Challenge have been exploring the market - from farmer to processor to college foodservice - of produce that is healthful and delicious, if a little imperfect.  Looking at "imperfects" from the farmer's perspective, this first phase of their research explores realities on the farm and in the marketplace for fruit and veggies that go beyond beauty.

TOOLS:

USDA-ARS Online Tool to help growers select the right cover crop.

The new chart combines information from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and includes more than 50 cover crop species that can help reduce soil erosion, increase organic matter, and control weeds.

 

Updated Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) Compass Map shows federal investments in local food across the country and includes data on farmers markets and food hubs.  Zoom in on a city or town to see how communities are using federal resources for local food expansion. 

 

Newsletters and email from which we gather this information include:

v  Foundation Center RFP Service -  To subscribe 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  Orton Family Foundation – email sign-up - http://www.orton.org/sign_up

 

 

Christopher Proctor

USDA Rural Development

1400 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20250

Christopher.Proctor@wdc.usda.gov | 202-619-1739

“Committed to the future of rural communities.”