Community and Economic Development Part II

This is a continuation of my last post on development opportunities and resources.  There are a few funding opportunities—both grants and loans— and other resources.  I know that everyone always want s grants to fund projects and programs.  But there are a lot of loans and grant/loan combination opportunities, especially through the USDA.  You should consider these when planning community development projects.

The Georgia Pacific Foundation awards grants to communities in which they operate in four categories: education, environment, enrichment and entrepreneurship.  These are pretty broad categories; you can probably fit just about any community project into the guidelines.  For example, they’ll consider proposals that address housing shortages, purchase firefighting equipment and for literacy programs.   You can find eligible communities here.  Submit your proposals by October 31.

The Community Transportation Association is a non-profit that issues low interest loans for transportation or transportation-related projects.   It looks like they define transportation-related quite broadly.  They’ve issued loans on projects ranging from a community health center renovation to a vehicle maintenance building.  I don’t see any deadlines.  This looks like a good way to finance a variety of community improvements.

As I mentioned, the US Department of Agriculture has several loan/grant programs for community construction and development projects.  The Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program can help create and maintain employment and improve the economic climate in rural communities.  The program can “improve, develop, or finance business, industry, and employment and improve the economic and environmental climate in rural communities.”  Businesses can apply or public entities (communities, counties, etc.) can apply on their behalf.  Contact your local USDA Community Development office for more information.  They will accept applications through September 15.  USDA Community Development also has $100 million for their Community Facilities Loans and Grants for Rural Libraries program.  You can use funds for land purchase, library construction, equipment such as shelves, computers and for distance learning.  I don’t see any deadline; contact your local office for information.

Volunteers can be a great resource for your community.  And older volunteers can bring a life time of experience to any project.  Senior Corps is a federal program that supports and coordinates community volunteer efforts.  Look at their website for ideas.  They are currently accepting proposals to establish or expand senior volunteer programs through RSVP.  They are especially interested in volunteer programs that will provide in-home, non-medical independent living support to those in need, assist children and youth to succeed academically, and energy efficiency projects.  I don’t see a deadline; contact the program directly from the web page for more information.

It’s hard to implement community improvement projects unless you have an interested and involved community!  I came across this great guide: Developing Effective Citizen Engagement: A How-To Guide for Community Leaders.   The guide is based on the idea that “local governments, community organizations and public agencies make better decisions and have greater positive impact on their communities when they increase the frequency, diversity, and level of engagement of community residents.”  The guide was prepared specifically for rural communities; topics include the basic principles of engagement and how to develop a citizen engagement plan.

March 23, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Grant Advice, Training and Tools

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