Friday, May 1, 2015

FW: Publications, tools, and funding

From our colleagues at USDA-RD; focus areas include working with adjudicated youth, small business development and rural health.

 

From: Agans, Suzette - RD, Washington, DC [mailto:Suzette.Agans@wdc.usda.gov]
Sent: Friday, May 01, 2015 12:40 PM
Subject: Publications, tools, and funding

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

A Loan in the Dark: The Difficulty of Determining Local Small Business Credit Needs, by WILLIAM DOWLING
It should come as no surprise that small businesses play an important role in the U.S. economy. There are 28 million small businesses operating throughout the country, and they are responsible for nearly half of all private-sector employment and 63 percent of new private-sector jobs. Therefore, maintaining an atmosphere in which these businesses can thrive is essential to the health of the economy. Read more

 

Critical Access Hospitals - Updated with new FAQs. Visit the guide to learn about the purpose of the program, requirements and benefits of CAH status, locations of CAHs, and much more. The guide was developed by Brandon Baumbach, RAC's Rural Health Policy Specialist with input from Terry Hill, National Rural Health Resource Center; Keith Mueller, RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis; and Brad Gibbens, UND Center for Rural Health.

 

Rural Health Clinics - Includes information on the advantages of RHC designation, rules and regulations, Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement policies, and more. This guide was developed by Kathleen Spencer, RAC Information Specialist, with guidance from Bill Finerfrock, National Association of Rural Health Clinics and Chris Christoffersen, Health Services Associates, Inc.

Rural-urban poverty gap is widest among youngest Americans

An important indicator of the Nation’s long-term well-being is poverty among children; child poverty often has an impact that carries throughout a lifetime, particularly if the child lived in poverty at an early age. Like the overall poverty rate, nonmetro (rural) child poverty has been historically higher than metro (urban) child poverty, and increased to record-high levels in 2012. According to Census estimates, the poverty rate for children under 18 living in rural areas stood at 26.2 percent in 2013, more than four percentage points higher than the metro child poverty rate of 21.6 percent. In 2013, the nonmetro/metro difference in poverty rates was greatest for children under six years old (30.3 percent nonmetro and 23.9 percent metro). Child poverty is more sensitive to labor market conditions than overall poverty, as children depend on the earnings of their parents. Older members of the labor force, including empty nesters and retirees, are less affected by job downturns, and families with children need higher incomes to stay above the poverty line than singles or married couples without children. This chart is found in the ERS topic page on Rural Poverty & Well-being, updated April 2015.

 

 

TOOLS

 

Mapping a nation of regional clusters

The U.S. Cluster Mapping Portal (ClusterMapping.us) provides over 50 million open data records on industry clusters and regional business environments to promote economic growth and U.S. competitiveness.  The project is led by Professor Michael Porter through Harvard Business School's Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Economic Development Administration.

 

Wallace Center Launches Good Food Economy Digest to Highlight Innovative Food Systems Business Models
The Wallace Center has recently launched the Good Food Economy Digest, an online resource which will share stories of innovative food systems business models from around the country on a bi-weekly basis.  The stories will be of interest to those working in community economic development to understand the transformative power that investment in the good food sector can have on an economy.  The first installment describes value chains in place in New York’s Hudson Valley to meet the soaring demand for locally-sourced foods.  Click here for more information about the Good Food Economy Digest and to read the first article. 

 

AARP Releases New Livability Index Tool 
The AARP Public Policy Institute has recently developed the Livability Index, a web-based tool to measure community livability.  Users can search the Index by address, zip code, or community to find an overall livability score, as well as a score for each of seven major livability categories: housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement, and opportunity.  Users also can customize the Index to place higher or lower emphasis on the livability features of most importance to them. The Livability Index website provides resources to help consumers and policymakers use livability scores to effect change in their communities. It is the first tool of its kind to measure livability broadly at the neighborhood level for the entire country, and it is intended to inform and encourage people to take action to make their communities more livable.  Click here to access the tool.   

 

Smart Growth America and RCLCO Develop New Model to Calculate The Costs of Development Patterns  
Smart Growth America and RCLCO have developed a new model designed to help municipalities understand the financial performance of development patterns, and what strategies could generate better returns in the future. The model looks at a variety of public costs and revenues to help municipal leaders understand how a smart growth approach to development could help improve their bottom line.  Typical fiscal impact models are based on an “average cost” assumption. That is, they assume each new resident and/or employee associated with new development generates an increase in municipal operating costs equal to the average cost per resident and/or employee—regardless of the pattern or location of the new development.  The main innovation in this new model is that it identifies specific governmental functions as sensitive to geographic dispersion, and we allow the cost per capita for these cost categories to vary based on the density of the development scenario.  For more information about the model’s methodology, download an overview guide here.    

                    

 

FUNDING

 

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE is offering funding to schools, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers, and nonprofits in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. Planning grant applications are due 5/20/2015. Click here for guidelines and instructions.

 

THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE is offering grants to nonprofit and public agencies for an Americorps youth internship specifically targeting youth that have been adjudicated in the juvenile justice system. This program will give disconnected youth (at least 17 but under 25 years old) the opportunity to participate in a national service program and provide them with meaningful mentoring while they are serving. Deadline: 5/20/2015. Click here to visit the program website for details.

 

Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program - Application deadline: May 21, 2015
Provides funding to community-based, outreach education and extension programs at land-grant colleges and universities that provide individuals and families based in rural areas with information on health, wellness, and prevention. Sponsor: U.S. Department of Agriculture

 

Ribbons of Hope Seeks Applications From Organizations That Benefit Women and Girls - DEADLINE: May 31, 2015

A grant of $100,000 will be awarded to a nonprofit organization working to promote the well-being and future prospects of women and girls....

 

2015 SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Application

The U.S. Small Business Administration is thrilled to announce a second round of the Growth Accelerator Fund contest. In 2015, they will again be awarding $50,000 prizes to the winners of the contest. New this year, special consideration will be given to any accelerator models which support manufacturing and the White House Power Initiative. The main premise of the competition is to ensure that a diverse set of entrepreneurs from all walks of life have the opportunity to participate in our innovation economy, so the SBA encourages applicants that fill geographic, industry, and economic gaps in the accelerator and entrepreneurial ecosystem space, as well as those run by or that support women or other underrepresented groups. THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JUNE 1, 2015.  Learn more

 

BusinessUSA's Access Financing Wizard

To help you identify what government financing programs may be available to help you start or expand your business, check out the "Access Financing" Wizard from BusinessUSA. In a few quick steps, this wizard will guide you to government resources to access financing for your business! Learn more

 

Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Invites Applications for 2015 Regional Artist Fellowships - DEADLINE: June 15, 2015

Grants of $20,000 will be awarded to enable Native artists in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, or Wisconsin to create new works with the potential to transform their communities....

 

Chesapeake Bay Trust Accepting Mini-Grant Proposals for K-12 Environmental Education Programs - DEADLINE: June 12, 2015

Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to schools in the Chesapeake Bay watershed area that provide meaningful educational experiences, teacher professional development, and programs that advance environmental literacy ....

 

Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) / State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Hard-to-Reach Beneficiary Project - Letter of Intent (Optional): Apr 30, 2015; Geographic Coverage: National
Application deadline: Jun 14, 2015
Funds to develop a plan that can be used by the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) programs to better serve hard-to-reach populations.
Sponsor: Administration for Community Living

 

National Minority Aging Organizations - Technical Assistance Centers Consortium - Letter of Intent (Optional): May 18, 2015; Application deadline: Jun 15, 2015
Grants to increase the efficiency of the National Minority Aging Organizations (NMAO) Technical Assistance Centers Program to disseminate culturally competent health promotion and disease prevention information.
Sponsor: Administration on Aging

 

Environmental Health Services Support for Public Health Drinking Water Programs to Reduce Drinking Water Exposures - Application deadline: Jun 22, 2015
Offers funding to state and local health departments to identify and address drinking water issues and reduce exposures associated with drinking water contamination, especially in communities and populations using small drinking-water systems (e.g. private wells, springs, cisterns, tankered water). Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

ACS Invites Nominations for Women Chemists Committee Rising Star Award - DEADLINE: June 30, 2015

The annual prize, which includes a $1,000 travel stipend, recognizes up to ten women scientists who are approaching the midpoint of their careers and have demonstrated outstanding promise....

 

$3 Million Available to Coal-impacted Communities under White House POWER Initiative

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced the availability of $3 million in planning assistance to communities impacted, or which may be impacted, by contractions in the coal economy. These funds are made available as part of the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative, a new interagency effort to assist communities negatively impacted by changes in the coal industry and power sector.

Successful applications will enable affected communities to develop detailed strategies to diversify their economies, create jobs in new or existing industries, attract new sources of job-creating investment, and/or how to provide a range of workforce services that result in industry-recognized credentials for high-quality, in-demand jobs. Funding will be available until expended or until September 30, 2015.

For more information, please contact your EDA state representative. To apply for this funding, please follow instructions here Read more

 

 

 

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