29 Oct

Posted at 19:53h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
United States Department of Agriculture – Food and Nutrition Services Attention schools, nonprofits, and state agencies working to improve student nutrition programs! The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently opened its annual Farm to School funding opportunity through the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) office. This grant program, in alignment with the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, provides funding and technical assistance for creating and implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods. Eligible activities include training, supporting operations, planning, equipment purchases, developing school gardens, building partnerships, and implementation activities. Proposals for this program are due January 10, 2022.

03 Sep

Posted at 09:14h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
United States Department of Agriculture – Rural Development Attention rural microentrepreneurs and the organizations that support them! The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting proposals for its 2021 Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). The goal of RMAP is to support the development and success of rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises. It accomplishes this by providing loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) that provide technical assistance and financial services to eligible rural businesses. RMAP applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, with due dates occurring at the end of each quarter, from September 30, 2021 through June 30, 2022.

15 Apr

Posted at 19:19h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
United States Department of Agriculture – Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service Does your organization provide education or health care services in rural areas? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting proposals for its 2021 Distance Learning & Telemedicine (DLT) grants program. The goal of the DLT program is to enable and improve rural access to education, training, and health care through modern telecommunications technology. This 27-year-old program has helped to establish hundreds of distance learning and telemedicine systems in rural areas throughout the United States. Proposals for this year’s solicitation are due June 4, 2021.

23 Oct

Posted at 13:57h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
United States Department of Agriculture – Food and Nutrition Services Is your organization, local school district, or state agency interested in student nutrition and agricultural education? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently opened its annual Farm to School funding opportunity through its Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) office. This grant program, in alignment with the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, aims to create farm to school programs that provide eligible schools with access to local foods. Let’s take a closer look at this opportunity.

09 Jul

Posted at 18:22h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently opened applications for its Rural Cooperative Development Grant. USDA opportunities such as this can often be incredibly impactful – if not transformative – for rural communities. Let’s take a closer look at the details for this program by answering some key questions. What is the Rural Cooperative Development Grant? The Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) is intended to improve the economic condition of rural areas by assisting in the startup, expansion, or operational improvement of rural cooperatives and other business entities. Cooperatives are essential to the U.S. economy and are particularly critical to the health of rural communities. Cooperatives not only help farmers and ranchers market their products, but they can also supply rural residents with important services such as electricity, telecommunications, financial services, housing, food, and building materials.

25 Apr

Posted at 18:20h in Federal Grants, Funding Opportunities, Julie Alsup, GPC, News
COVID-19 has forced many schools, hospitals, and agencies to launch emergency operations that they did not previously offer or to expand upon services that were quickly found to be insufficient. Many limped into virtual operations without adequate technology infrastructure, software platforms, or sufficient bandwidth (both internet signal and staff capacity). The USDA Rural Utilities Services Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant is not new, but it has certainly launched itself into celebrity status. This three-year grant provides eligible applicants the funding to purchase telecommunications equipment, computer networks, and related advanced technologies to be used by students, medical professionals, and rural residents for the purpose of expanding telemedicine and distance learning to rural communities.