| Title |
Organization |
Grant Deadline | Description | Category | Funding Amount | Geography | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) | USDA |
Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 19, 2022. The USDA has opened up grant applications to the RISE program, which seeks to increase equity in rural America by offering grants of up to $2 million to consortiums of local governments, investors, industry, institutions of higher education, and other public and private entities that create projects in distressed communities. Communities that have traditionally had high concentrations of employment in fossil fueled energy production and are transitioning away from this are encouraged to apply. Learn more and apply here. |
Job creation, business development, rural areas, worker training, local economies | Grant amounts are awarded competitively with a minimum of $500,000 and a maximum grant amount of $2,000,000. | National | Link | |
| Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) FY 2019 | USDA |
Deadline Passed 06/10/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Rural Housing Service (Agency), an Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications under the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) program. Applicants must provide matching funds in an amount at least equal to the Federal grant. These grants will be made to qualified intermediary organizations that will provide financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development that will support the community. |
rural development, tribal housing, facilities, development projects, non-profit housing, economic development, infrastructure, capacity building | $50,000-$250,000 | United States | Link | |
| Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages | USDA | 12/31/2023 |
Applications accepted continuously. Meant to fund water and waste disposal systems in rural Alaskan Villages. Funds must be used for development and construction of water and wastewater systems to correct dire health and sanitation conditions in those villages. Many communities in remote rural Alaska, where villages are accessible by plane or boat only, are essentially inaccessible during the long, hard winters. They lag far behind the lower 48 States in having safe and dependable drinking water and suitable waste disposal systems available. Construction costs are extremely high. This is due in part to the severe weather conditions, which makes laying pipe difficult, if not impossible. These conditions also require the use of insulated pipe, or in areas of permafrost, above ground utilidors, often with heat traced insulated pipe. The vast distances from the transportation hub of Anchorage to a village increases costs substantially as the material must be delivered by barge or air. |
Adaptation, Emergency Management, Water, Health, Natural Resources | The maximum grant is 75 percent of the project cost. | Alaska, Coastal | Link |
| Multi-Family Housing Direct Loans | USDA |
Applications accepted year round. This program provides competitive financing for affordable multi-family rental housing for low-income, elderly, or disabled individuals and families in eligible rural areas. This program assists qualified applicants that cannot obtain commercial credit on terms that will allow them to charge rents that are affordable to low-income tenants. |
housing, rural communities, multi-family housing, improvement, development | varies | Rural Areas | Link | |
| Rural Energy Pilot Program (REPP) | USDA |
Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 19, 2022. USDA has opened up grant applications for communities to further develop renewable energy through REPP. Funds can be used to support community energy planning, community efficiency and weatherization, installing and equipping community scale renewable energy. Learn more and apply here. |
Renewable energy, rural areas, efficiency, weatherization, community development | Awards to successful applicants will be in the form of cost-share grants for up to 80 percent of total eligible project costs, not to exceed $2 million. | National | Link | |
| Individual Water & Wastewater Grants | USDA |
Applications accepted continuously. The purpose of this grant is to provide water and waste disposal facilities and services to low income rural communities whose residents face significant health risks. Every effort is made to identify and fund the neediest projects. This program is only eligible in states with Colonias, and those are Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. |
Adaptation, Water, Health, Natural Resources | Generally, applicants are expected to borrow as much as they can afford to repay, as in the regular loan program. However, water and waste disposal systems can obtain up to 100 percent grants to construct basic drinking water, sanitary sewer, solid waste disposal and storm drainage to serve the residents. | Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas | Link | |
| Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Nutrition Education (FDPNE) Grant Program | USDA |
Recent Deadline: 3/22/2021. Since 2008, FNS has awarded funding each fiscal year for nutrition education projects through Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) grants. Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and State agencies (SAs) that have a direct agreement with FNS to administer FDPIR are eligible to apply for funds to conduct projects that provide nutrition information and services to FDPIR participants.
The overall goal of the FDPNE grant program is to improve the likelihood that persons eligible for FDPIR will make healthy food choices consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and USDA MyPlate Guidance. The project requirements for FDPNE grants are loosely based on the SNAP Education Plan Guidance. FNS selects components of The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for development of FDPNE program goals.
Nutrition education services are a combination of educational strategies and learning experiences, accompanied by supporting policy, systems, and environmental interventions, designed to facilitate the voluntary adoption of food choices and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to the health and well-being of participants.
In the context of this grant program, nutrition education should focus on how USDA Foods in the FDPIR food package may be used to contribute to a healthy diet. The Indian Tribal Organization (ITO) or State Agency (SA) shall work with appropriate organizations and partners such as: extension agents, registered dieticians, diabetes coordinators, and public health nutrition professionals to provide food and nutrition information, recipes, or cooking demonstrations, as appropriate for households who participate or are eligible to participate in the FDPIR program. The ITO or SA shall provide nutrition education and information specific to the foods included in the FDPIR food package to improve the health of FDPIR participating households.
|
health education, food justice, human health, diet, noncommunicable disease, nutrition, exercise, | $2,000 - $214,000 | National | Link | |
| Multi-Family Housing Loan Guarantees | USDA | 12/31/2023 |
This program accepts applications on a continuous basis. The program works with qualified private-sector lenders to provide financing to qualified borrowers to increase the supply of affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in eligible rural areas and towns. Construction, improvement and purchase of multi-family rental housing for low to moderate income families and individuals is the primary objective for this program. Funding may also be available for:
|
housing, rural communities, development, infrastructure | varies | Rural Areas | Link |
| Emergency Watershed Protection Program | USDA |
Applications accepted continuously. The Emergency Watershed Protection Program responds to emergencies created by natural disasters. The program is designed to help people and conserve natural resources by relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural occurrences. All projects undertaken, with the exception of the purchase of floodplain easements, must have a project sponsor. |
Water, Natural Resources, Adaptation, Disaster, Emergency Management, Health | Varies | Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska | Link | |
| United Fresh Start Foundation Community Grants Program | USDA |
Deadline passed as of April 20, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The initiative extends the foundation’s work beyond the school day, to provide children with access to fresh fruit and vegetables afterschool, on the weekends, during summer breaks and in other creative venues. The program provides $25,000 in grants to local community organizations and groups that share the United Fresh Start Foundation’s commitment to increasing kids’ access to fresh produce, helping them develop healthy habits to last a lifetime. Grants will support programs, events and/or activities that increase children’s access to fresh produce. |
food justice, distribution, nutrition, education, diet, health, noncommunicable disease,accessibility, local, fresh, economy, school, youth | Grants are available up to a maximum of $2,500. | National | Link | |
| Rural Housing Site Loans | USDA | 12/31/2023 |
Applications accepted year round. Rural Housing site loans provide two types of loans to purchase and develop housing sites for low- and moderate-income families:
|
housing, rural communities, development | Varies | Rural Areas | Link |
| Regional Conservation Partnership Program | USDA |
Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 13, 2022. The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination of Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to the resource concerns they seek to address. This year’s funding includes updates that encourage projects to address climate change, benefit historically underserved farmers, and support urban agriculture. |
Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Farming, Forestry, Ranching, Watershed, Collaboration | $250,000-$10,000,000 | National, International (US Territories) | Link | |
| Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program | USDA |
Deadline passed as of June 28, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change Challenge Area RFA focuses on the societal challenge to adapt agroecosystems and natural resource systems to climate variability and change and implement mitigation strategies in those systems. In the Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change Challenge Area RFA, specific program areas are designed to achieve the long-term outcome of reducing the use of energy, nitrogen, reducing GHG emissions from practices, and water in the production of food, feed, fiber, and fuel; reduce GHG emissions from these agroecosystems; and increase carbon sequestration. Project types supported by AFRI within this RFA include multi-function integrated research, education, and/or extension projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants. |
Education, Natural Resources, Research, Adaptation, Mitigation, Land, Health, Energy, Water | Varies | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest | Link | |
| Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership | USDA |
Deadline passed as of May 24, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The 2014 Farm Bill replaced the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program with the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership as an enrollment option under ACEP – WRE. WREP continues to be a voluntary program through which NRCS signs agreements with eligible partners to leverage resources to carry out high priority wetland protection, restoration and enhancement and to improve wildlife habitat. |
land, easement, property, restoration, habitat, management, conservation, climate change, wetland, riparian, estuary, swamp, marsh, pond | Varies. | National | Link | |
| Community Connect Grant | USDA |
Deadline to Apply, April 15, 2019. Deadline for 2020 Unknown. This program helps fund broadband deployment into rural communities where it is not yet economically viable for private sector providers to deliver service. The Community Connect program helps rural communities extend access where broadband service is least likely to be commercially available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for people and businesses. The projects funded by these grants help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the Internet for jobs, education, healthcare, public safety and community development |
development, economy, rural communities, | Unknown | National | Link | |
| Water & Waste Disposal Loan Guarantees | USDA | 12/31/2023 |
Applications accepted year round. This program helps private lenders provide affordable financing to qualified borrowers to improve access to clean, reliable water and waste disposal systems for households and businesses in rural areas. Funds may be used to Construct or improve facilities for:
|
water quality, water quantity, waste disposal, rural communities, business, development | varies | Rural Areas | Link |
| Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities: First Funding Pool | USDA |
Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 8, 2022. Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot projects must focus on the on-farm, on-ranch or forest production of climate-smart commodities and associated reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and/or carbon sequestration. Proposals from $5 million to $100 million are in the first funding pool and should include large-scale pilot projects that emphasize the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production and include direct, meaningful benefits to a representative cross-section of production agriculture, including small and/or historically underserved producers. Learn more and apply here. |
Rural communities, agriculture, forestry, farmers, ranchers, emissions reduction, climate solutions, resilience | $5 million to $100 million | National | Link | |
| Conservation Stewardship Program | USDA |
Applications accepted continuously. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance—the higher the performance, the higher the payment. |
Stewardship, Conservation | A person or legal entity may not receive more than $200,000 during fiscal years 2014 through 2018. $150 million total program funding. | All 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean and Pacific Island areas. | Link | |
| Rural Energy for America Program Energy Audit & Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants | USDA | 03/31/2023 |
Deadline: March 31, 2023. Provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. This program helps increase American energy independence by increasing the private sector supply of renewable energy and decreasing the demand for energy through energy efficiency improvements. Over time, these investments can also help lower the cost of energy for small businesses and agricultural producers. |
rural development, infrastructure, renewable energy, sustainable | Unrestricted Grants (up to $500,000) | National | Link |
| Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee | USDA |
Deadline Passed 09/30/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. The Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program (Broadband Program) furnishes loans and loan guarantees to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide service at the broadband lending speed in eligible rural areas. For more information on other programs administered by RUS Telecommunications please visit : http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/telecom-programs. Broadband loans provide funding on a technology-neutral basis for financing:
|
broadband access, internet, implementation, development, rural communities | varies | Rural Areas | Link | |
| Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities: Second Funding Pool. | USDA |
Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 10, 2022. Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot projects must focus on the on-farm, on-ranch or forest production of climate-smart commodities and associated reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and/or carbon sequestration. Proposals from $250,000 to $4,999,999 are in the second funding pool and are limited to particularly innovative pilot projects. These projects should place an emphasis on: enrollment of small and/or underserved producers; and/or monitoring, reporting and verification activities developed at minority-serving institutions. Learn more and apply here. |
Rural communities, innovation, underserved communities, agriculture, forestry, farmers, ranchers, emissions reduction, climate solutions, resilience | $250,000 - $4,999,999 | National | Link | |
| USDA Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans | USDA |
The USDA Rural Business Cooperative-Service Agency is accepting applications for Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations. |
Renewable energy, Agriculture, small businesses | Unknown | National, agriculture & small rural business | Link | |
| Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants | USDA |
Past deadline: May 15, 2019. The DLT Program provides financial assistance to enable and improve distance learning and telemedicine services in rural areas. DLT grant funds support the use of telecommunications-enabled information, audio and video equipment, and related advanced technologies by students, teachers, medical professionals, and rural residents. These grants are intended to increase rural access to education, training, and health care resources that are otherwise unavailable or limited in scope. |
telecommunications, rural, telemedicine | $500,000-$50,000 | National | Link | |
| USDA Housing Preservation Grants | USDA |
Deadline Passed. Latest Deadline: July 11, 2022. The USDA is seeking applications for grants to preserve and repair housing for very-low- and low-income families living in rural areas. The funds are being made available through USDA Rural Development's Housing Preservation Grant program. USDA does not provide funding directly to homeowners under this program. |
Infrastructure, public health, rural housing | Varies | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest | Link | |
| Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans & Loan Guarantees | USDA | 12/31/2023 |
Applications accepted year round. This program provides financing for the construction, maintenance, improvement and expansion of telephone service and broadband in rural areas. For more information on other programs administered by RUS Telecommunications please visit : http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/telecom-programs |
telecommunications, infrastructure, development, broadband, construction, rural communities | varies | Rural Areas | Link |
| New Beginning for Tribal Students Program | USDA |
Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: March 30, 2022. New Beginning for Tribal Students makes competitive grants to land-grant colleges and universities to provide identifiable support specifically targeted for tribal students. A land-grant college or university that receives this grant shall use funds for, but not limited to, recruiting; tuition and related fees; experiential learning; student services, including tutoring; counseling; academic advising; and other student services that would increase the retention and graduation rate of tribal students enrolled at the land-grant college or university. Learn more and apply here. |
Tribal students, higher education, experiential learning, academic success | Up to $500,000 | National | Link | |
| Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program | USDA |
Past Deadline: May 16, 2019. Beginning farmer education for adult and young audiences in the United States can generally be traced back to the advent of the 1862 and 1890 Morrill Land-Grant Acts. But, for the first time, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub .L. No. 110-234, Section 7410) appropriated $75 million for FY 2009 to FY 2012 to develop and offer education, training, outreach and mentoring programs to enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. The Agriculture Act of 2014 provided an additional $20 million per year for 2014 through 2018. The reasons for the renewed interest in beginning farmer and rancher programs are as follows: the rising average age of U.S. farmers; the 8% projected decrease in the number of farmers and ranchers between 2008 and 2018; and the growing recognition that new programs are needed to address the needs of the next generation of beginning farmers and ranchers. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka the 2018 Farm Bill) reauthorized the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and provides mandatory funds for which supports education, mentoring, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers. |
ranchers, Farm Bill, outreach, programs food | $600,000- $50,000 | National | Link | |
| Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP) | USDA |
The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP) encourages private landowners to voluntarily make their land available to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation. States and tribes approved for funding of this Farm Service Agency (FSA) program use the funds as incentives to encourage private landowners of farms, ranches, and forests to make that land available to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation. This may include hunting or fishing. The overall goal of VPA-HIP is to enhance wildlife habitat and management and to boost local economies through activities that attract wildlife enthusiasts. |
Conservation, recreation | varies | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest | Link | |
| Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) | USDA |
he Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) helps the owners of non-industrial private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters. The EFRP does this by authorizing payments to owners of private forests to restore disaster damaged forests. The local FSA County Committee implements EFRP for all disasters with the exceptions of drought and insect infestations. In the case of drought or an insect infestation, the national FSA office authorizes EFRP implementation. |
forest restoration, forest management, private forests, non-industrial forests, natural disasters, forest health | National | Link | ||
| Alaska Native-Service and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program | USDA | 03/28/2023 |
Deadline: March 28, 2023. The purpose of this program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs in food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines. Priority will be given to those projects that enhance educational equity for underrepresented students; strengthen institutional educational capacities; prepare students for careers related to the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of the United States; and maximize the development and use of resources to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs. Learn more here. |
Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, agricultural sciences, career development, equity, youth | $150,000 - 1,000,000 | Alaska, Hawaii | Link |
