Related Guides on this Topic
You may also want to see this guide on a related topic: Economic Development
A recurring theme found in the literature proclaims that successful communities are built; they are not born. To ensure that a quality living environment exists in rural America along with stable economic opportunities, residents must be empowered to effect change within their communities. Therefore, community development must encompasses a broad mix of talents and tasks regarding business development, infrastructure improvements, city planning, environmental concerns and social institutions - to name a few. With the right tools and resources rural residents, working together, can create the difference between a sustainable, successful community versus one that is added to the list of dying towns across rural America.
Tools
Center for Community Leadership
Web site
Assists states, counties, cities, territories, Native American Tribes, and public and private organizations to successfully serve the needs of children and adults, especially those with disabilities, in their homes, schools and communities.
Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (FBCI)
Web site
Provides information, resources and tools to help communities and organizations establish partnerships with the VA. Includes information on pilot programs, grant seeking, and contacts as well as success stories of programs already in place to support veterans.
Community Action Links: Community Action Agencies and State Associations
Web site
Directory of Community Action Agencies (CAAs) that help low-income people and those living in poverty. Links to CAA web sites are provided for each state.
Community and Economic Development Toolbox
Web site
Provides tools to local community and economic development (CED) practitioners so they are more knowledgeable about basic CED issues and better equipped to assist in decision making and determining the future of their communities.
Community Connections (ComCon)
Web site
Clearinghouse of housing and community development information, including publications, events and other resources.
Community Development Resource Guide
Web site
A reference document that contains key resources - grants, foundation and low interest loans - that may assist with your community's projects. Emphasis is on Nebraska but also includes information for other locations.
Community Investment Futures
Web site
Works to increase the number of Community Action Agencies (CAA) doing community economic development and to expand the scope and nature of CAA community economic development.
Community Investment Network
Web site
A national information resource for individuals and organizations interested in creating, rejuvenating and maintaining healthy communities in the United States and other countries.
Community Tool Box
Web site
Practical and detailed information and curriculum to support community health and community development. Provides training and tools to help build skills on topics that include: cultural competence, community assessment, leadership, and advocacy.
Connecting Rural Communities
Web site
Provides frequently asked questions and guides on how community leaders and stake holders can bring broadband to their communities and to help their organizations use digital technology to achieve goals and improve their social and economic well-being.
Cooperative Extension System Offices
Web site
A listing of contact information for all USDA Cooperative Extension System Offices in the U.S. These offices provide practical and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service - State & National Partners
Web site
A directory of colleges and universities that comprise the nation's Land-Grant University System and who partner with the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
Energizing Entrepreneurs: E Stories
Web site
Features stories about successful entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial communities, organizations and/or initiatives.
eStrategy.gov
Web site
Develops, coordinates, and defines ways that electronic and information technology business strategies can assist the Office of Management and Budget, interagency committees and other federal agencies. Works to enhance access to and delivery of information and services to citizens, business partners, employees, agencies, and government entities.
Find a Community Action Agency
Web site
Find a community action agency (CAA) by state and county. CAAs work in communities to end poverty.
Find Youth Info
Web site
Designed to benefit Federal agencies, youth service providers, and the youth-serving community though the use of tools and resources. Provides Federally-developed, interactive tools and resources such as community assessment tools, strategies for building effective community partnerships and engaging youth, map tools for finding local and Federal youth programs, a database of model programs, plus access to publications and websites related to youth issues.
Future of Small Towns Idea Generator
Web site
Online forum to suggest and discuss ideas for dealing with the challenges facing small towns. Ideas are arranged by topic, including telecommunications, economic development, transportation, and more.
GovLoans.gov
Web site
Single point of access for information about Federal loan programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and U.S. Small Business Administration.
HHS.gov/Recovery
Web site
Provides information and resources on the programs invested in improving health and human services supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
IncludingAllKids.org
Web site
A Web Site for Youth Leadership Organizations. Assists youth organizations in actively engaging young people of all abilities. Features examples from Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the National 4-H Council, National Wildlife Federation and Wilderness Inquiry.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools
Web site
A comprehensive resource to help schools maintain a healthy environment in school buildings by identifying, correcting, and preventing indoor air quality problems.
Insight Center for Community Economic Development (CCED)
Web site
Offers resources and information to help support the development of individuals and communities through research, plus legal and consulting services.
Local Community Action Agency Directory
Web site
A directory of local community action agencies (CAAs) developed by VirtualCAP.org that provides contact information by either state or agency name.
Locate In-Person Services
Web site
Contains an A-Z list of government offices and services used to locate such services and offices by state or local area. Website is also available in many other languages.
Main Street Project
Web site
Works to document the strengths and challenges facing people in increasingly diverse rural communities, give voice to their hopes and aspirations, and provide creative and practical tools to turn possibilities into realities.
National Association for State Community Services Programs State Contacts
Web site
Provides contacts for state community services programs funded through the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE/WAP).
National Rural Transit Assistance Programs (RTAP)
Technical assistance
Serves as a federal-state-local partnership providing training and technical assistance products and services for distribution and replication by the states' rural transit agencies and operators. Offers access to information and expertise, including a list of state Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) contacts.
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
Web site
A source of material on service-learning that includes: funding opportunities, hot topics, fact sheets, resources, tools, and information about upcoming conferences.
Organizational Effectiveness Series Manuals Available for Download
Web site
A series of 14 organizational effectiveness manuals available for download in English and Spanish. Topics include: strategic planning, starting a nonprofit, program evaluation, board development, grantwriting, leadership development, volunteer management, technology development and needs assessment.
Philanthropy Index
Web site
Tool for measuring a rural community's potential for creating a charitable fund. Includes a step-by-step process, lists of resources, and examples of successful programs.
Renewing the Countryside
Web site
Success stories about rural entrepreneurs and communities. Features stories of everyday people making a difference in their rural communities. Organized by state and topic.
RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
Web site
Provides resources and training to help leaders and citizens in rural communities and regions across the U.S. embrace entrepreneurship as a core rural economic development strategy.
Rural & Small Libraries
Web site
Provides a variety of resources to support advocacy, sustainability and grantwriting for rural libraries including reports, training, and online discussion.
Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) Tools
Web site
Offers the ability to assess the physical environment features and amenities, town characteristics, community programs, and policies that could potentially influence levels of physical activity among residents in rural communities.
Rural Development Strategies
Web site
Links to publications and tools from the USDA Economic Research Service that address rural development strategies. Covers infrastructure improvement, business assistance, education and training, amenity-based development, community development, and funding for local rural development strategy.
Rural Development Virtual Library
Web site
Contains resources to enhance development and asset-building strategies for rural communities and their residents.
Rural Development: Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
Web site
Describes grant and loan programs available through USDA Rural Development as part of the ARRA. Programs support community facilities, broadband initiatives, business and industry, and 502 home loans. Includes information on application procedures, eligibility requirements, and how to contact your State Rural Development Office.
Rural People, Rural Policy
Web site
Lists publications and resources addressing rural policy issues and rural capacity building. Includes information on grants focused on rural issues.
Rural Renewal Monitor
Web site
Collects news articles about innovative rural development efforts, challenges faced by rural communities, and rural policy developments.
RuralTransportation.org
Web site
Designed to serve rural transportation stakeholders, including local elected officials and regional development professionals. Includes links to publications and resources, examples of state models for rural transportation planning, and more. Produced by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO).
Small Towns, Big Ideas: Case Studies in Small Town Economic Community Development
Web site
Identifies and documents fifty small towns that were implementing successful or innovative approaches to community economic development. Includes a full report and a searchable database of case studies about planning and implementing economic development strategies in small towns with populations of fewer than 10,000 residents.
State Brownfields and Voluntary Response Programs: An Update from the States
Web site
Explores the evolving landscape of state environmental, financial, and technical programs, including the incentives designed to promote brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. This tool looks at multiple components of state brownfields and voluntary response program(s), and provides a synopsis of each state's response program(s) and contact information. Appendix A provides a review of state program changes that resulted from the federal brownfields law and Appendix B provides a condensed state-by-state reference guide.
State Rural Development Council Success Story Database
Web site
Database of initiatives and projects conducted by State Rural Development Councils (SRDCs). Searchable by state, topic and organization.
Transportation Toolbox for Rural Areas and Small Communities
Web site
Designed to assist public and private stakeholders in planning, developing, and improving rural areas and small communities, especially through transportation and related projects. It is a project through the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Transportation to address long term rural transportation needs.
USDA Recovery Act Information
Web site
A website that will allow people to learn about, share, and discuss American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding in states and communities throughout the country.
USDA Rural Tour
Web site
Relays findings and comments from rural citizens on how to best rebuild and revitalize America as provided to federal officials while touring rural America.
USDA Service Centers
Web site
Provides the address and contact information of the USDA Service Centers and other Agency offices (Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Rural Development) that serve specific locations within states.
VirtualCAP
Web site
Provides information and resources that can be used by Community Action Agencies and others to help low-income persons and families move toward self-sufficiency and to reduce poverty in communities across the United States.
Funding
2009 National e-Commerce Extension Initiative: Program Implementation Mini-Grants
Funding to expand the adoption of e-commerce strategies by communities, small/micro businesses, and entrepreneurs across the country.
AmeriCorps National Planning Grants
The Corporation awards these grants directly to organizations to assist them in developing an AmeriCorps program in more than one state.
AmeriCorps State and National Grants
Funding is available to support multi-state programs addressing critical community needs through service of professionals, paraprofessionals, and pre-professionals in communities with shortages of these professionals.
Building Healthy Communities Grant Program
Grants for community improvement projects.
Calvert Foundation Loan Program
Loans to community organizations that act as financial intermediaries, including loan funds, microfinance institutions, affordable housing developers and social enterprises.
Community Development Transportation Lending Services (CTAA)
Provides loan funding to support transit services in rural areas.
Do Something Awards 2010
This program honors and funds the efforts of dynamic leaders age 25 and under.
Do Something Community Action Projects
Grants to help young people implement or expand a community action project, program, or organization.
Do Something Disaster Grants
Grants to young people across the US and Canada with a project idea around the themes of disaster preparedness and emergency response.
Ethyl Grant Program
Funding for rural communities and schools.
FedEx Social Responsibility Program
Core giving areas are emergency and disaster relief, pedestrian and child safety, education, and health and human services.
FY 2009 EDA American Recovery Program Pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Grants that will promote comprehensive, entrepreneurial and innovation-based economic development efforts.
Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Grants for eligible property owners to make energy and green retrofit investments in the property, to ensure the maintenance and preservation of the property, the continued operation and maintenance of energy efficiency technologies.
HOPE VI Main Street Program
Grants to small communities to assist in the rehabilitation and new construction of affordable housing in conjunction with an existing program to revitalize an historic or traditional central business district.
HUD State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
Funding for revitalizing neighborhoods, expanding housing, improving community facilities and services, acquiring property such as land and buildings, and improvements to property.
Jenny's Heroes Community Grant Program
Grants to individuals who submit the best ideas for tangible, lasting community projects.
Kroger Company Foundation
Capital campaigns, start up grants, and funding for special projects. Focuses only on areas where company has operations.
Learn and Serve America Summer of Service FY10
Grants for collaborative efforts to implement community-based service-learning projects during the summer months.
Midwest Assistance Program Loan Fund
Provides low-cost, short and intermediate term loans for community water and wastewater projects through its Community Revolving Loan Fund.
Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards
Grants to community groups who are committed to improving their local environment by planting trees, bushes and shrubs to make their communities a better place to live.
RGK Foundation Grants
Grants that support projects in the broad areas of education, community, and medicine/health.
Stimulus Assistance: USDA Rural Development Programs
Grant, loan, and loan guarantee assistance to rural residents, rural communities, and rural utility systems.
USDA Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program
Funding to construct, enlarge, or improve essential community facilities for health care, public safety, and public services in rural areas.
William T. Kemper Foundation Grants
Provides grants for health, human services, the arts, and the environment.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this topic that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
2009 Report to the Secretary: Rural Health and Human Service Issues
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
Reports to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on issues related to rural America. Examines three key topics: workforce and community development, creating viable patient-centered medical homes, and serving at-risk children.
Date: 04 / 2009
A Compass for Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What Users of Data for Rural Areas Need to Know
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
An introduction to the American Community Survey for those who use rural social, economic, and housing data.
Date: 08 / 2009
Baby Boom Migration and Its Impact on Rural America (Executive Summary)
Author(s): John Cromartie, Peter Nelson
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
An analysis of the migration shift of baby boomers that indicates a propensity to migrate to nonmetro counties as people reach their fifties and sixties and projects a shift in migration among boomers toward more
isolated settings, especially those with high natural and urban amenities and lower housing
costs.
Date: 08 / 2009
Blueprint for Action: Developing Livable Communities for All Ages
Sponsoring organization: MetLife Foundation
A guide providing communities with detailed procedures and practical solutions in the areas of housing, planning and zoning, transportation, health and supportive services, public safety and civic engagement.
Date: 2007
Blueprint for the Rural South
Author(s): Lionel J. Beaulieu
Sponsoring organization: Southern Rural Development Center
Describes the goals to strengthen the capacity of the region’s 29 land-grant institutions to address critical contemporary rural development issues impacting the well-being of people and communities in the rural South.
Date: 07 / 2007
Breakthrough Performance: Ten Emerging Practices of Leading Intermediaries
Sponsoring organization: White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Highlights the outcomes from the Intermediary Summit held in February 2008. Presents ways in which grassroots faith-based and community organizations can collaborate to implement practices relevant to their communities.
Date: 06 / 2008
Building Better: A Guide to America's Best New Development Projects
Sponsoring organization: Sierra Club Foundation
Highlights a variety of development projects nationwide because of their ability to offer transportation choices, revitalize neighborhoods and preserve local values.
Date: 11 / 2005
Burden of Poverty in Rural America
Author(s): Beth Landon
Sponsoring organization: American Public Human Services Association
Discusses how poverty impacts health. Identifies key rural economic development areas and how they may strengthen the health and wellness of rural communities.
Date: 10 / 2009
Catalytic Community Development
Sponsoring organization: Rural Sociological Society
Presents a new "catalytic" model of community development that changes traditional roles of developers in order to more effectively involve rural communities in development efforts. The brief includes six specific characteristics of catalytic development in addition to policy actions needed for its success.
Date: 01 / 2006
CDBG Works for Rural Communities
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
A special issue that focuses on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). State, county, and local community development practitioners share their stories of how the CDBG program has worked for their communities.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 11 Issue 01
Date: 2006
Collaboration Is Key For Rural Challenges
Author(s): Jocelyn Richgels, Kristine Sande
Sponsoring organization: American Public Human Services Association
Discusses how collaborative efforts can help mitigate the significant challenges rural communities face when providing health and human services with fewer and different kinds of resources than their urban counterparts.
Journal citation: Policy & Practice
Date: 10 / 2009
Collaborations to Enhance Community and Population Well-Being
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
Chapter from the 2005 Report to the Secretary: Rural Health and Human Services Issues. Discusses ways the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can support collaborations among community organizations and local rural leaders to improve the well-being of rural communities and residents. Includes examples of successful rural collaborations.
Date: 04 / 2005
Collective Leadership Framework: A Workbook for Cultivating and Sustaining Community Change
Sponsoring organization: W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Helps organizations use community-based collective leadership as a tool for making community change.
Date: 2007
Comments on the National Broadband Plan, Rural Internet and Broadband Policy Group
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Comments and recommendations on the National Broadband Plan from the Rural Internet and Broadband Policy Group - organizations dedicated to rural broadband and rural development.
Date: 01 / 2009
Community Services Block Grant: Annual Report, 2007
Author(s): Jenae Bjelland, Madelaine Criden, Meg Power, Jennifer Clark
Sponsoring organization: National Association for State Community Services Programs
Reviews how the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)-funded network of state and local agencies helped individuals and families overcome economic insecurity in FY 2007.
Date: 05 / 2009
Connecting Rural Communities: Volunteering and Neighboring
Author(s): Mary Conley
Sponsoring organization: Points of Light Foundation
A monograph on the nature and practice of volunteering in rural America. Includes some of the effective strategies and solutions to address local needs and connect families to critical resources.
Date: 2005
Demystifying the Rehabilitation Act: What Faith-Based and Community Organizations Need to Know About Using Federal Financial Assistance to Serve People with Disabilities
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Labor
Provides information for faith-based and community organizations that received financial assistance to serve people with disabilities from the United State Department of Labor. Includes a list of national resources that can help organizations deliver services to people with disabilities.
Date: 2008
Effective Rural Governance: What Is It? Does It Matter?
Author(s): Nancy Stark
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Defines effective governance and lists eight key principles of effective rural governance. Includes examples of rural governance efforts that address these principles.
Date: 2005
Entrepreneurship Development in Rural America: Insights into Triple Bottom Line and Wealth Creation Impacts of Entrepreneurship Strategies
Author(s): Deborah Markley, Nancy Stark
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
Addresses rural entrepreneurship as an economic development strategy for achieving positive outcomes in the community's economy, environment and civic livelihood.
Date: 02 / 2009
Farm Bill Programs for You and Your Community
Author(s): Traci Bruckner, Kim Preston
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
Provides farmers and ranchers information on farm bill programs that can help them get started in farming or ranching, establish high-value niche markets, implement conservation-based farming or ranching systems as well as transition to organic farming or ranching.
Date: 03 / 2009
Financing Brownfield Redevelopment in Small Towns and Rural Areas: Helpful Hints and Examples
Author(s): Charles Bartsch, Barbara Wells
Highlights how some rural communities have developed successful ways to finance the redevelopment and reuse of brownfield sites.
Date: 04 / 2006
Grey Gold: Do Older In-Migrants Benefit Rural Communities?
Author(s): Nina Glasgow, David L. Brown
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Examines both the micro and macro aspects of rural retirement migration: the development and impact of rural retirement destinations; and the social and economic dynamics of older in-migration.
Date: 2008
Implementing A New USDA Rural Development Program Targeting Small Rural Hospitals and Their Communities: Recommendations of the RUPRI Health Panel
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Mary K. Wakefield
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Lists recommendations for implementing a new USDA
Rural Development program, included in the Senate Farm Bill proposal, should it be enacted into law. The goal of this program is to strengthen rural health care delivery systems, to provide necessary health care services to rural residents in a cost-effective manner.
Date: 03 / 2008
Learning from Concentrated Poverty in America: A Synthesis of Themes from the Case Studies
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve System
A chapter from The Enduring Challenge of Concentrated Poverty in America that profiles 16 high-poverty communities from across the country, including immigrant gateway, Native American, urban, and rural communities. Highlights how place matters with multiple examples.
Date: 2008
Long-Term Impacts of Retiree In-Migration on Rural Areas: A Case Study of Cumberland County, Tennessee
Sponsoring organization: University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service
A summary of a report commissioned by the Institute for Public Service to inform state, local, and regional officials, and other interested individuals about the various impacts of a substantial influx of in-migrant retirees (IMRs) on a rural community.
Date: 01 / 2007
Maximizing Program Services Through Private Sector Partnerships and Relationships: A Guide for Faith and Community-Based Service Providers
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Provides faith and community-based organizations with guidance about the aspects of engaging corporate givers and foundation grantmakers.
Date: 02 / 2006
Moving Home: Manufactured Housing in Rural America
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
A data review of rural manufactured housing units, residents, and related issues. Includes short pieces written by local rural housing providers, national organizations, and a representative of the manufactured housing industry, highlights some of the pros and cons of using these structures to provide affordable, sustainable homeownership.
Date: 11 / 2005
Mythology Feeds Debate on Future of Small Towns
Author(s): Milan Wall
Sponsoring organization: Home Care Technology Association of America
Dispels the myths surrounding the development of small towns.
Date: 12 / 2008
Opportunities for Creating Livable Communities
Author(s): Mia R. Oberlink
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Provides a framework for understanding the most common barriers to implementing livable communities for older adults. Includes references to transportation barriers in rural communities.
Date: 2008
Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities
Sponsoring organization: National League of Cities
Offers for communities ideas for creating connections, encouraging dialogue, celebrating different cultures, involving youth and the media, and focusing on city employees and policies. The Neighborhood Alliance Program in Owensboro, Kentucky, Youth in Government/Youth in Action in Hampton, Virginia, and the Unity Project in Clarksburg, West Virginia are among the Southern programs highlighted.
Date: 02 / 2006
Planning for the Future: A Handbook on Community Visioning
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Helps communities to conduct community planning and community development. Includes a list of recommended readings and resources that can be used to help implement different parts of a community vision.
Date: 2006
Power of Rural Philanthropy
Author(s): Alan McGregor, Bethany Chaney
Sponsoring organization: Southern Rural Development Initiative
Discusses the power of homegrown rural philanthropy. While noting that a recent study showed two-thirds of rural counties with fewer than $1 million in philanthropic assets, the report points with optimism to a growing base of homegrown assets and provides examples of successful efforts. The report concludes with recommendations and resources for building philanthropic assets in rural areas.
Date: 2005
Preparing for the Future: A Guide to Community-Based Planning
Author(s): Gene Theodori
Sponsoring organization: Southern Rural Development Center
Describes the social and economic status of rural areas and offers a model for facilitating a community-based planning process.
Date: 05 / 2009
Recreation, Tourism, and Rural Well-Being
Author(s): Richard J. Reeder, Dennis M. Brown
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
Assesses the effect of recreation and tourism development on socioeconomic conditions in rural recreation counties. The findings imply that recreation and tourism development contributes to rural well-being, increasing local employment, wage levels, and income, reducing poverty, and improving education and health.
Date: 08 / 2005
Regionalism, Assets, and Entrepreneurship: The Future of Rural Economies
Author(s): Brian Dabson
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses how rural people and places have an important role in applying resources that will lead to economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social equity for all Americans.
Date: 04 / 2009
Rural Development and the 2007 Farm Bill
Author(s): Tadlock Cowan
Summarizes the 2007 Farm Bill and describes its impact on rural issues involving child day care, broadband connection, health care facilities, rural definitions, and the environment.
Date: 01 / 2008
Rural Development: Community Development Technical Assistance Handbook
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
Provides information and guidance concerning the community development technical assistance process and the delivery of these services to Rural Development clients.
Date: 11 / 2005
Rural Development: Executive Summary, July 2006
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Describes the current state of rural development, discusses and evaluates current key rural development programs available to communities and individuals through the USDA, and concludes with a discussion of general policy alternatives.
Date: 07 / 2006
Rural Development: July 2006
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
This paper describes the current state of rural development, discusses and evaluates current key rural development programs available to communities and individuals through the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and concludes with a discussion of general policy alternatives.
Date: 07 / 2006
Rural Health and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Rural Health Provisions Booklet or Full Summary)
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Summarizes the funding available for rural communities through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Full Summary includes a table of contents.
Date: 2009
Rural Renewal – As Near as Your Own Young People
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
An executive summary of detailed surveys completed by high school and middle school youth in 39 rural communities in Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas highlighting how broadly communities are missing out on their very best asset - youth.
Date: 2009
Small Towns Big Ideas: Case Studies in Small Town Community Economic Development (Report only)
Author(s): Will Lambe
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center
Identifies and documents fifty small towns that were implementing successful or innovative approaches to community economic development.
Date: 12 / 2008
Solutions for America: Inventing Civic Solutions
Sponsoring organization: Pew Partnership for Civic Change
A how-to guide on launching and sustaining successful community programs in rural America.
Date: 2005
Standing Together: An Emergency Planning Guide for America's Communities
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
A guide for small, rural and suburban communities to both prepare for and successfully respond to major local and regional emergencies - whether they be hurricanes, floods, terrorist attacks, major infectious outbreaks, hazardous materials spills, or other catastrophic occurrences.
Date: 2005
Sustainable Communities for All Ages: A Viable Futures Toolkit
Sponsoring organization: Blue Moon Fund
Aimed at designing solutions to meet the needs of older generations that will also meet the needs of younger generations. Examples from around the country include developing new school curricula that encourage young people to go into health care fields, designing walkable communities that improve the health of all generations, and having after school programs share sites with senior centers. A user guide complements the toolkit.
Date: 2009
Theories of Poverty and Antipoverty Programs in Community Development
Author(s): Ted Bradshaw
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Rural Poverty Research Center
Reviews five theories of poverty
and discusses how each will lead to different antipoverty strategies.
Journal citation: Volume 3 Issue 4 Pages: 10-12
Date: 2006
Turning Around Downtown: Twelve Steps to Revitalization
Author(s): Christopher B. Leinberger
Sponsoring organization: Brookings Institution
This paper lays out the fundamentals of a downtown turnaround plan and the unique "private/public" partnership
required to succeed. Beginning with visioning and strategic planning to the reemergence of
an office market at the end stages, these 12 steps form a template for returning "walkable
urbanity" downtown.
Date: 03 / 2005
Turning Bases Into Great Places: New Life for Closed Military Facilities
Author(s): Mary Kay Bailey, Rosemary Monahan, Ilana Preuss, Aimee Storm, Megan Susman
Sponsoring organization: Environmental Protection Agency
Provides advice to communities near military bases that are closing to reducing operations. It notes that many of the most successful military-base redevelopment projects share several important traits, including: 1) planning for redevelopment early; 2) keeping the public involved throughout the redevelopment process; and 3) using the base's location, infrastructure, historic buildings and environmentally sensitive lands to the best advantage. The use of smart growth principles in base redevelopment is emphasized.
Date: 01 / 2006
Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Housing and Community Development Strategies in Rural Population Loss Counties
Author(s): Mark Kudlowitz, Lance George
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Rural communities that are experiencing population loss are engaged in community development and community marketing strategies to serve the needs of the remaining population, revitalize communities, and encourage in-migration. This report illustrates strategies used in Great Plains states and highlights some communities and organizations that have been successful.
Date: 03 / 2007
Why Some Rural Communities Prosper While Others Do Not
Author(s): A. M. Isserman, E. Feser, D. Warren
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
Focuses on rural prosperity that occurs in some communities to provide answers and insights on the rural condition and rural policy.
Date: 05 / 2007
Organizations
American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
National organization
Works to educate members of Congress, the media, and the broader public on what is happening in the states regarding welfare, child welfare, health care reform, and other issues involving families and the elderly.
American Public Works Association (APWA)
National organization
An international educational and professional association of public agencies, private sector companies, and individuals dedicated to providing high quality public works goods and services.
Case Foundation
National organization
Mission is to achieve sustainable solutions to complex social problems by investing in collaboration, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
Center for Digital Government
National organization
A national research and advisory institute on information technology polices and best practices in state and local government.
Center for Rural Affairs (CRA)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities throughout the nation. Foundation is based in Nebraska.
Center for Rural Design (CRD)
Academic/Research
A multi-disciplinary research and design studio that helps communities find innovative solutions to problems in rural areas in Minnesota, the Midwest, and globally.
Center for Technology in Government
Academic/Research
Works with government to develop information strategies that foster innovation and enhance the quality and coordination of public services.
Community Action Partnership (CAP)
National organization
National organization representing the interests of the 1,000 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) working to fight poverty at the local level.
Community Development Society (CDS)
National organization
Provides leadership to professionals and citizens across the spectrum of community development.
Community Leadership Association (CLA)
National organization
Enhances the capacity of community leadership programs to strengthen and serve their communities by offering resources, information, and a national discussion of leadership issues.
Community Voices: HealthCare for the Underserved
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to make health care available to all, through work at eight sites throughout the country. Helps ensure the survival of safety-net providers and strengthens community support services.
Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA)
National organization
Supports the common interest and goals of states, with major emphasis on community development, affordable housing, local economic development and state-local relations.
CSREES Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDC)
Federal government
A component of USDA that promotes economic and community development by working to strengthen the capacity of local citizens to guide the future of their rural communities.
E-governance Institute
Academic/Research
Explores how the internet and other information technologies (IT) impact the productivity and performance of the public sector and how e-government fosters new and deeper citizen involvement within the governing process.
Economic Development Administration (EDA)
Federal government
Works to generate jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically-distressed rural and urban areas of the United States. Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA)
Federal government
Directs business, adults, youth, dislocated workers, and workforce professionals to training and employment services. Administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs, and unemployment insurance benefits. Also includes support and resources for rural areas.
Federal Reserve System's Community Affairs Program
Federal government
Engages in outreach, educational and technical assistance activities to help financial institutions, community-based organizations, government entities and the public understand and address financial services issues affecting low and moderate income persons and communities.
Heartland Center for Leadership Development
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to develop local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future. Focused on practical resources and public policies for rural community survival. Provides training and services in leadership, community development, strategic planning, evaluation, and energizing entrepreneurship.
Insight: Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED)
National organization
A national research, consulting, and legal organization dedicated to building economic health in vulnerable communities. Develops and promotes solutions that help people and communities become economically secure.
Institute for Rural Journalism & Community Issues (IRJCI)
National organization
A multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, multi-state effort, based at the University of Kentucky to help non-metropolitan journalists define the public agenda for their communities, grasp the local impact of regional and national issues, and interpret rural issues for national media.
Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN)
National organization
A "first-stop shop" providing environmental management, planning, funding, and regulatory information for local government elected and appointed officials, managers and staff. Manages a toll-free telephone service (877/865-4326).
National Association for County and Community Development (NACCED)
National organization
National organization composed of county government agencies that administer community development, economic development, and affordable housing programs.
National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP)
National organization
Works to assist states in responding to poverty issues. Provides training and technical assistance to state and local CSBG and WAP staff. NASCSP members are state administrators of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE/WAP).
National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP)
National organization
Works to improve the visibility, coordination, professional status and resource base of community and economic development extension programs and professionals.
National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
National organization
Advocates for a regional approach to community, economic and rural development. Provides a network for its members to share ideas and innovations.
National Center for Rural Health Works
National organization
Develops tools for local residents to measure the economic impact of their health care system and to identify new health care services needed by their community. Provides training workshops and technical assistance to help clients understand and use these tools.
National Community Action Foundation (NCAF)
National organization
Advocates for the nation's Community Action Agencies and the low-income Americans they serve.
National League of Cities (NLC)
National organization
The National League of Cities is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States. Its mission is to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance.
National Rural Water Association (NRWA)
National organization
The National Rural Water Association is a non-profit federation of State Rural Water Associations. Their mission is to provide support services to our State Associations who have more than 22,000 water and wastewater systems as members.
Office of Community Services (OCS)
Federal government
Works in partnership with states, communities, and other agencies to provide a range of human and economic development services and activities in order to reduce the causes and the characteristics of poverty and to assist persons in need.
Regional, Public and Community Affairs Division, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Federal government
Studies the factors underlying growth and development in the regional economy, spanning rural, suburban, and urban places. Formerly named the Center for the Study of Rural America. Part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
Nonprofit/Foundation
(website temporarily unavailable) Provides technical assistance services and training related to rural solid waste programs, housing, economic development, comprehensive community assessment and planning, and environmental regulations.
Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides grants, loans and equity investments to community development corporations (CDCs) for neighborhood redevelopment.
Small Community Water Infrastructure Exchange (SCWIE)
National organization
A network of water funding officials, both public and non-profit environmental funding and technical assistance officials under the auspices of the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities (CIFA). Posted on the website are the names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses for all the key small community contacts in each state.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Federal government
Responsible for national policy and programs that address America's housing needs, that improve and develop the Nation's communities, and enforce fair housing laws.
United Way of America
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works to improve people's lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities. Includes contact information and links for local United Way organizations.
United Way y la Comunidad Latina
Nonprofit/Foundation
La misión de United Way es mejorar la calidad de vida por medio de la movilización de la capacidad humanitaria y caritativa de las comunidades.
USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
Federal government
Advances knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities through national program leadership and federal assistance.
USDA Economic Research Service (USDA ERS)
Federal government
Provides economic analyses to support a competitive agricultural system, safe food supply, a healthy, well-nourished population,
harmony between agriculture and the environment, and enhanced quality of life for rural Americans.
USDA Rural Development
Federal government
Helps improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America through programs that support essential public facilities and services, encourage economic development and offer technical assistance and information.
USDA Rural Development's Office of Community Development
Federal government
Promotes self-sustaining, long-term economic and community development in areas of pervasive poverty, unemployment, and general distress.
Utility Wind Interest Group (UWIG)
Nonprofit/Foundation
A non-profit corporation whose mission is to accelerate the appropriate integration of wind power into the electric system through the coordinated efforts and actions of its members, in collaboration with wind industry stakeholders, including federal agencies, trade associations, and industry research organizations. Membership is open to utilities and other entities that have an interest in wind generation.
Terms & Acronyms
Block Grants Grants administered by the federal government to provide states with funding for a particular purpose, for example the delivery of maternal and child health services.
Brownfield Abandoned, idled, or underused industrial or commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by environmental contamination or the fear of such contamination.
Capacity building Efforts to develop human skills or society infrastructures with a community or organization.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) provides funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that enables state and local governments to target their own economic development priorities. Although the rehabilitation of affordable housing has traditionally been the largest single use of the grants, the program is also an increasingly important catalyst for economic development activities that expand job and business opportunities for lower income families and neighborhoods.
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) A federal anti-poverty block grant available through the Office of Community Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (DHHS). It provides a range of services and activities to assist low-income individuals and families to promote self-sufficiency, family stability and community revitalization.
Community-Based Services Services, such as meals on wheels and adult day care, designed to help people remain independent and in their own homes.
E-Government (E-Gov) An abbreviated term to represent electronic government which uses improved Internet-based technology to make it easy for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, save taxpayer dollars, and streamline citizen-to-government communications.
Gentrification The process by which higher-income households displace lower-income residents, changing the essential character of the community.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) A program funded by the Department of Energy that reduces heating and cooling costs for low-income families, particularly for the elderly, people with disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of their homes while ensuring their health and safety.
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