PUBLICATIONS
Artists Revitalize Rural Manufacturing By Janet Kagan and Jean Greer
The manufacturing base in many rural towns of the U.S. has dwindled, but in North Carolina, combined public and private support has spurred an innovative approach: combining the creative talents of seasoned artists with the skills of local workers. Read the story.
Rural Areas See Increase in Immigrants - In key parts of rural America and ag-dependent metro counties, more than 25% of the population was born in a foreign country. Read the story.
Public Lands and Per Capita Income - When rural counties in the West have protected public lands like national parks and wild and scenic rivers, their per capita income tends to be higher. A study offers some possible explanations. Read the story.
Executive Director and Board Chair Partnership Assessment - Shared by Vantage Point (Free)
Nonmetro areas declined in population, 2011-12, perhaps for the first time - Nonmetro population has grown more slowly than metro population since the mid-1990s and the gap has widened considerably in recent years. Between July 2011 and July 2012, nonmetro population declined for the first time since annual county population estimates were first recorded in the 1960s. Historically, nonmetro population grew because natural increase (more births than deaths) always offset net migration loss (more people moving out than moving in). But falling birth rates and an aging population have steadily dampened the natural increase in nonmetro population over time. Nonmetro net migration rates, which tend to fluctuate in response to economic conditions, last peaked in 2006 just prior to the housing mortgage crisis before falling dramatically. New population estimates are subject to revision, the rate of population decline for this single year is quite small, and the trend may be short-lived. Nonetheless, 2011-12 marks the first year with estimated net migration losses exceeding natural increase in nonmetro areas. A chart is available based on County-level Data Sets, updated March 2013.
Quality Employment for Women in the Green Economy: Industry, Occupation, and State-by-State Job Estimates - http://www.iwpr.org/publications/pubs/quality-employment-for-women-in-the-green-economy-industry-occupation-and-state-by-state-job-estimates/
TOOLS
Ask The Expert at USDA – a handy tool to seek and/or ask all kinds of things related to USDA. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ASK_EXPERT2 including safe cooking, SNAP Benefits, program information etc.
ATTRA - https://attra.ncat.org/index.php - Has all kinds of information on sustainable agriculture including a help line and email service. From a recent article, “..said the biggest areas of inquiry include small acreage production, water management, especially in times of drought, rotational grazing and organic systems. He said ATTRA is designed primarily to help the grower who either makes his or her living from agriculture or uses it to produce a second income.
Asset Building for Native Communities: http://www.idaresources.org/page?pageid=a047000000ArRPk
Government Information by Topic can be found at: http://www.usa.gov/.
LEARNING
WEBINAR: Preparing Data for Effective Output, Tuesday, April 16, 2013 - 3:00 pm ET
Cheri Weissman of CJW Consulting & Services. This follow-up session to March's Output is Everything! will focus on entering your data effectively to generate the output you want.
Related resources:
WEBINAR: NADO and PolicyLink to Host April 16 Webinar “Addressing Equity and Rural Poverty: The View from the Ground”
Join the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and PolicyLink on Tuesday, April 16 from 3:30-4:45 ET for the webinar "Addressing Equity and Rural Poverty: The View from the Ground." This webinar will highlight the opportunities and challenges small towns and rural communities face in combating poverty and promoting inclusive economic development. Learn about efforts being made to incorporate equity – the just and fair inclusion into society where everyone can participate and prosper – into regional and community economic development plans. Brett Schwartz, program manager at NADO, and Danielle Bergstrom, program associate at PolicyLink, will be joined by economic development practitioners who have actively pursued equity policies to address rural poverty, create jobs, and encourage long-term regional economic competitiveness. Opportunities for Q&A will follow the discussion. Click here to register for the webinar. Questions? E-mail Brett Schwartz at bschwartz@nado.org.
WEBINAR: USDA Rural Development will hold its next quarterly Tribal Consultation Webinar/Teleconference at 3:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, April 17th. In an effort to make sure Tribal communities and businesses have increasing access to capital, we will be focusing this cycle of Tribal Consultation on Rural Development’s business revolving loan programs. We have made a few policy adjustments over the last year that we would like to draw to your attention. We also encourage additional insights from Tribal leaders on these changes and perhaps changes we have not yet contemplated.
In preparation for the Quarterly Tribal Consultation event, USDA Rural Development hosted a pre-consultation briefing webinar/teleconference on Wednesday, March 20th. During the call we walked through the Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) and the Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) Program and associated policy enhancements. Our goal was to provide Tribal leaders with briefing materials and ample time to work with Tribal staff to better inform the consultation and prepare to provide comments on April 17th. We plan to have less presented information during the Consultation webinar/teleconference on the 17th, with the majority of the time being used for discussion and comments.
Instructions for accessing the webinar are included below. If you’d like to join strictly by phone, you can dial 1-800-981-3173 and enter the participant code: 4248. Background and briefing materials are available at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/AI_ANConsultation.pdf. The materials include: April 17th Agenda, PowerPoint Slides, Pre-Consultation Briefing Document: Revolving Loan Fund Programs, AN 4690 “Revolving Loan Fund Programs Ultimate Recipient Conflict of Interest”, AN 4694 “Intermediary Relending Program Processing and Servicing Clarifications”, April 17th Live Meeting Instructions
Please direct any questions or concerns to Tedd Buelow, USDA Rural Development’s Native American Coordinator, at 720-544-2911 or tedd.buelow@wdc.usda.gov.
WEBINAR: Register for the April 18 webinar on Valuing the Countryside: The Townies Guide to the Rural Enterprise (1-2 pm ET) with Brian Dabson, Pam Curry, and Leslie Schaller.
FUNDING:
Refugee Home Based Child Care is due May 21th - http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2013-ACF-ORR-RG-0568
Refugee Microenterprise is due June 10 2013 - http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2013-ACF-ORR-RG-0569
(IRS) Free tax return preparation for you by volunteers. The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the
Elderly (TCE) Programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. The IRS is also offering self-assistance service at many VITA and
TCE locations. You can find a listing of Tribal sites located throughout the country which offer self-preparation with assistance as
needed for those who are comfortable preparing their own tax returns.
FY 2013 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants (HUD) – Due May 28. Tribes are also eligible. Individual grant awards may be for up to a maximum of $500,000. Planning Grants assist
communities in developing a successful neighborhood transformation plan and building support necessary for that plan to be successfully implemented. The NOFA and application package are available at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/administration/grants/fundsavail/nofa13/cnpg
FY 2013 Planning and Local Technical Assistance (EDAP) Funding cycle 4, Due June 13;
FY2014 Funding cycle 1, Due September 13
Federally Recognized Tribes are eligible. EDAP program provides up to $100K to assist in creating regional economic development plans designed to stimulate & guide the economic development efforts of a community or region, incl. construction, non-construction, & revolving loan fund investments under the Public Works & Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs. Grants made under these programs will leverage regional assets to support the implementation of regional economic development strategies designed to create jobs, leverage
private capital, encourage economic development, and strengthen America’s ability to compete in the global marketplace. For more info., visit http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=208353
School Turnaround AmeriCorps – Due April 23 Indian Tribes, partnerships & consortia are eligible for this 3--year grant program designed to strengthen & accelerate interventions in our nation’s lowest-performing schools by engaging about 650 AmeriCorps members in 60 turnaround schools across the country. AmeriCorps members will help students, teachers, & principals to transform struggling schools by providing opportunities for academic enrichment, extended learning time, & individual supports for students leading to increased academic achievement & improved high school graduation rates & college readiness among our most disadvantaged students. For more info., read about the initiative or visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa_detail.asp?tbl_nofa_id=100.
FY14 Farm to School Grant Program (USDA) – Due April 24
Grant funding available through USDA’s Farm to School Program in order to assist eligible entities, through
grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in
eligible schools. For more info., visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/f2_2013_grant_program.htm or FY14
Grant Info. at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/pdf/F2S_Grant_RFA_2014.pdf
USDA Invites Applications For Renewable Energy System And Energy Efficiency Improvement Projects - http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2013/03/0057.xml
One-stop for all Dept of Labor open grants opportunities - http://www.dol.gov/dol/grants/funding-ops.htm - they also have an email subscription service – look to the left-hand side for the link. From there follow directions, look under Employment and Training for grant opportunities
Made in America Challenge – Due May 31, 2103 - http://www.dol.gov/dol/grants/MIIA2013.pdf - The Make it in America Challenge will provide up to $40 million in competitive grant funding through the DOC’s EDA and NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), DOL’s ETA, and the DRA. This collaboration allows applicants to submit one application to leverage complementary Federal funding sources to support the development and implementation of a regionally driven economic development strategy that accelerates job creation by encouraging re-shoring of productive activity by U.S. firms, fostering increased Foreign Direct Investment, encouraging U.S. companies to keep or expand their businesses—and jobs— in the United States, and training local workers to meet the needs of those businesses.
US Department of Labor announces availability of nearly $26 million in grants to help juvenile offenders gain the skills necessary to enter the workforce -to improve the long-term labor market prospects of youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The "Face Forward"grants are designed to give youth a chance at success by offering support services, training and skills development that can help them obtain employment and overcome the stigma of a juvenile record. "Part of the American spirit is a belief in second chances, especially when it comes to young people," said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris. "With these grants, we can encourage young people to ‘Face Forward' and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities."
Approximately 26 grants of up to $1 million each will be awarded to serve juvenile offenders between the ages of 16 and 24. Eligible participants in grantee programs must be between ages 16 and 24, currently reside in the geographic area to be served, and must have been involved in or currently involved in the juvenile justice system or be candidates for state juvenile diversion programs. Participating juveniles cannot have been involved with the adult federal, state or local criminal justice systems or convicted of a sex-related offense other than prostitution.
Any nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, unit of state or local government, or any Indian and Native American entity eligible for grants under Workforce Investment Act Section 166, in areas with high poverty and crime rates, that meet the requirements of the solicitation may apply. The solicitation for grant applications, which includes information about how to apply, is available at http://www.grants.gov.
Grants available from US Labor Department to provide job training, employment services for 2,600 homeless veterans - availability of up to $5 million to fund 16 or more Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program grants. Approximately 2,600 veterans will receive job training and related services to help them succeed in civilian careers. Funds for the grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to state and local workforce investment boards, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, and faith-based and community organizations. Because these groups are intimately connected with their local economies and the needs of homeless veterans, they can offer occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services. Awards will range from $100,000 to $300,000 each. HVRP is recognized as extraordinarily efficient and effective, and is the only federal program that focuses exclusively on the employment of homeless veterans. The solicitation for grant applications is available at http://www.grants.gov. For more information, visit that site and http://www.dol.gov/vets/, or contact grants officer Cassandra Mitchell at 202-693-4570.
Princess Grace Foundation-USA Seeks Nominations for 2013 JustFilms Documentary Awards - Priority will be given to social justice films by Native/Indigenous peoples of the Americas, with grant amounts contingent on the size of the project budget.... Deadline: June 1, 2013
National Art Education Foundation Seeks Applications for 2013 Art Educator Grants - Grants and scholarships ranging up to $10,000 will be awarded to NAEA members for programs and activities that support classroom-based arts education.... Deadline: October 1, 2013
Gates Foundation Seeks Proposals to Accelerate Common Core Implementation Across Teacher Networks - Grants ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 will be awarded to organizations working to accelerate implementation of the Common Core across a robust teacher network....Deadline: April 22, 2013
Centiva Invites Applications From K-12 Schools for Environmental Projects - Grants totaling $3,000 will be awarded to projects that improve the environment; make schools healthier places to learn, play, and work; and save money through reduced use of natural resources.... Deadline: April 20, 2013
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Invites Applications for 2013 RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize - With the goal of raising awareness and inspiring locally driven change across the country, up to six communities will receive a $25,000 cash prize and have their success stories shared broadly.... Deadline: May 23, 2013
Alliance for Global Good Invites Proposals for Innovation Fund - Grants of up to $90,000 will be awarded to help medium-sized nonprofits in the United States in implementing mission-relevant revenue-generating strategies.... Deadline: May 31, 2013
National Weather Association Invites Applications for K-12 Meteorological Education Projects - Grants of $750 will be awarded to help teachers improve K-12 education in meteorology and related sciences.... Deadline: June 1, 2013
Suzette M. Agans
Rural Development | Community and Economic Development
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Stop 3254 | Washington, D.C. 20250
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"
