The following is from Christine Sorensen, rural development coordinator for the U. S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development in Pierre, S.D. Read on for valuable resources for rural communities, including several grant opportunities.

Resources for rural communities, February 3, 2014

By Heidi Marttila-Losure February 3, 2014

NEWS

The “Stronger Economies Together” (SET) economic development coaching and supper for the Brookings Area Commute Region comprised of Brookings, Deuel, Hamlin, Kingsbury and Moody counties that was originally scheduled for January 30^th was postponed to Thursday, February 13^th.

The SET coaching will remain at the same time and location:

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Volga Community Center, 109 Samara Ave., Volga

4:00-6:30 PM with a complimentary full meal provided

Plan to attend this unique opportunity to receive coaching and technical assistance to further the region’s rural economic development. Please RSVP as to your attendance.

The South Dakota Department of Education’s office of Child and Adult Nutrition Services is seeking sponsors and sites for the Summer Food Service Program. Community organizations, nonprofits, schools and local governments can apply to be sponsors if they operate in low-income areas, serve a group of mostly low-income children or operate a summer camp with a high proportion of low-income participants. Parks and recreation departments, city and county health departments, libraries and neighborhood service agencies participate as sites or sponsors. Organizations interested in reviewing sponsor responsibilities can watch the Summer Food Service Program Overview. To learn more about serving as a sponsor or site, call Child and Adult Nutrition Services at (605) 773-3413. For more information and to register for training, go to http://doe.sd.gov/cans/sfsp.aspx. The deadline to register for training is March 3. In addition, sponsors are always looking for partners to help provide activities and educational programs to encourage continued student participation throughout the summer. For organizations interested in potentially collaborating with a sponsor in this way, a list of last year’s Summer Food Service Program sites is available online

Black Hills Garden Education Collaboration: Come connect with organizations that want to help you launch a youth gardening project. Meet master gardeners interested in acting as horticultural advisors for your project. February 27, 6:30-8:00 PM MT, SDSU West River Ag Center, 1905 North Plaza Drive, Rapid City, SD 57702. Please RSVP Chris at 782-3290 or Christina.zdorovtsov@sdstate.edu. For additional details on the Black Hills Garden Education Collaboration see this article: https://igrow.org/news/black-hills-garden-education-collaboration/

PUBLICATIONS

The 2014 Governor’s Conference on Tourism is a wrap! On SDVisit.com you can find links to some of the videos played during Secretary Hagen’s and Governor Daugaard’s addresses as well as PDFs of several of the presentations, information about this year’s award winners, and notes from the Wednesday morning Round Table Discussions. Some of the same information can be found on SouthDakotaTourismConference.com.

Resource List for Dialogue and Action on Racism and Civil Rights – The resources are for individuals, community leaders and groups, law enforcement officials and elected leaders who want to learn about, organize dialogue, and take action to address specific aspects of structural racism.

Done Recruiting? Start Retaining – Provides five strategies to retain rural physicians. Date: 01 / 2014

Source Book: Rural Health Workforce Development Grant Program, 2010-2013
Describes 20 initiatives funded under the Rural Health Workforce Development Grant Program in the 2010-2013 funding cycle. Includes information on program services, community characteristics, outcomes, challenges addressed, partners involved, and implications for other communities. Organization: Health Resources and Services Administration

Top 10 Tips for Inclusive Engagement – Broad—and deep— engagement with community members is a fundamental building block of a successful Heart & Soul Community Planning project. Learn the top ten tips for success by visiting our blog. Orton Family Foundation. READ BLOG >

5 Lessons for Engaging the Hard to Reach – Find five lessons from North Fork Valley that will help broaden civic participation in your town on our Cornerstones blog. READ MORE > Orton Family Foundation

Rural Health Centers Utilize Tax Credit Program to Expand Primary Care Services Jan 30, 2014 — Healthcare Finance News article tells how the New Markets Tax Credit Program, established by Congress in 2000 to spur new or increased investments into operating businesses and real estate projects located in low-income communities, provides an alternate form of funding for rural health centers.

Flex Monitoring Team Launches New Website, Communications Services Jan 28, 2014 — The Flex Monitoring Team has launched a new website at flexmonitoring.org, offering quick and easy access to their entire collection of resources aimed at improving the accessibility, viability, and quality of health care for rural residents and communities.

TOOLS

2013 American Indian Population and Labor Force Report Released: On January 16, 2014, the US Department of the Interior released the 2013 American Indian Population and Labor Force Report with data primarily for 2010. This is the first time the Report has been released since 2005.

Make the Connection: Shared Experiences and Support for Veterans Provides veterans with resources and support for overcoming mental health issues and other challenges. Especially in rural areas, help for veterans depends on support from everyone who interacts with veterans, including local health care providers that have direct contact with veterans. Organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes A list of rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes. RUCA codes classify U.S. census tracts using measures of population density, urbanization, and daily commuting. The most recent RUCA codes are based on data from the 2010 decennial census and the 2006-10 American Community Survey decennial census.

Medicare Telehealth Payment Eligibility Analyzer Helps providers determine geographic eligibility for Medicare telehealth services. Identifies HPSAs located in rural census tracts, consistent with ORHP’s definition of rural. Organization: Health Resources and Services Administration

Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guides Consists of nine guides which enable healthcare organizations, both small and large, to address electronic health record safety in a variety of areas. Guides include: high priority practices, organizational responsibilities, contingency planning, system configuration, system interfaces, patient identification, computerized provider order entry with decision support, test results reporting and follow-up, and clinician communication. Organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

Tribalhealthcare.org – Provides training tools for community representatives and consumer-oriented education materials to assist American Indians and Alaska Natives in understanding their rights and opportunities under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). Produced by the National Indian Health Outreach and Education Initiative.

LEARNING

Producers & Food Processors- Register for February Classes!

Food Entrepreneur Workshop in Mitchell, Feb. 5, 12, & 19 from 1-4 p.m. (Can register for individual classes. Topics include- Food Safety & Processing for Farmers Markets, Starting a commercial licensed Kitchen & introduction to food labeling, & enhancing your farmers market & community supported agriculture marketing.)

Details: http://igrow.org/news/food-entrepreneur-workshops-in-mitchell/
Registration Form: http://igrow.org/events/food-entrepreneur-workshop-mitchell-feb.-5/

Food Package Labeling Workshop in Sioux Falls, Feb. 11 from 1-4 p.m.

Details: http://igrow.org/news/food-package-labeling-workshops-in-sioux-falls/
Registration Form: http://igrow.org/events/food-package-labeling-workshops-sioux-falls/

Farmer’s Market Workshop– Feb 28, Rapid City, 8:15 AM-4 PM

Details & Registration Form: http://igrow.org/events/farmers-market-workshop-rapid-city/

Also coming soon:

Food Entrepreneur Workshop– Mar 11, 18 & 25, 1-4 PM, Aberdeen

If you represent a funder, lender, food hub or other regional food system initiative or enterprise and you are working with (or want to work with) your local or state development finance agency, consider suggesting that they attend this new “Food Systems Finance” course being offered through the Council of Development Finance Agencies More Info

With new health insurance marketplaces open, the SBA and Small Business Majority are hosting free Affordable Care Act 101 weekly webinars so small business owners can learn the basics of the Affordable Care Act and how they can enroll in health insurance marketplaces. More Info

Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) Webinar: Tribal Experience using Next Generation Broadband – February 24 – 2:00 EST See more details and registration information below. Registration: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/436807866 Conference #: 800-779-9573 Participant Code: 6549153

WEBINAR: Small Town Downtown Economic Development Strategies, February 5 from 2:00-3:15 ET
Across the country, small towns are rediscovering and reclaiming their main streets and downtowns by pursuing innovative community and economic development projects. Once abandoned sidewalks, storefronts, and plazas are now bustling with activity as residents find their way back downtown, once again making these spaces the social, civic, and economic centers of their communities. Join the NADO Research Foundation for a free webinar highlighting three small towns (Greenville, KY, Claremont, NH, and Millen, GA) that are investing in their downtowns through streetscape improvements, historic preservation, brownfields remediation, and tourism initiatives. Click here to register. The NADO Research Foundation has applied for 1.25 AICP CM credits; registrants will be notified once the webinar receives approval. Contact Brett Schwartz at bschwartz@nado.org with any questions.

WEBINAR: “Latest Innovations at Workforce Boards” February 5 (2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST). Registration

Workforce Boards are facing increasing pressure to create and deliver relevant, effective, engaging services and programs to both employers and job seekers, all while operating in a period of fiscal stringency.
Participants will learn how Workforce Investment Boards across the country are innovating with technology, partnerships and funding to deliver effective new programs and services to their customers.
Join us to learn more about:
• How to collaborate with education, employer, foundation and economic development partners
• Technologies and tools that deliver better talent matching and placement
• The latest and most effective funding models
• Best practices from some of the country’s leading Workforce Investment Boards
• The most promising new trends
WEBINAR: Building Leadership for the Long Haul, Thursday, February 13, 2014, 3-4:15 PM EST Register now!

What’s the difference between a plan that’s put into place and one that’s put on a shelf? People. If you want something to show for your hard work, you need to build strong local leadership and grassroots support.
Join CommunityMatters® and the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) on February 13th for a free webinar on Building Leadership for the Long Haul. This webinar will focus on how to grow effective local leaders who can nurture volunteers, corral resources and build the public support that can move community design or planning work from paper to practice. Read more on our blog >
Milan Wall, Co-Director of the Heartland Center for Leadership Development. Milan Wall will share research on keys to thriving communities and effective leadership. And, he’ll describe characteristics of effective local leaders, roles and responsibilities to guide community action, and tips for recruiting new leaders in a changing world.

WEBINAR: February 27th WCRL webinar (1-2 pm ET) presented by Josh Humphries and Robert Donnan – Sharpen Your Pitch: How to Present a WealthWorks Value Chain to Investors. This webinar builds on a very successful workshop Donnan and Humphries did last fall. There will also be a related guide published soon. This will be valuable for anyone interested in sharpening the way you present your wealth creation work to potential investors. Register here and please share the link with your colleagues.

Community Development Academy, March 24-28, 2014, St. Louis, MO Sponsor: University of Missouri Extension

RECORDED WEBINAR: Owning Our Future, the links to both the recording and the pdf of the slides can be found here.

FUNDING

FSA Microloans serve financial operating needs of small, niche & beginning farmers. Find out more http://t.co/vJ7cFc5RgL

Applications are now open for the 2014 Wells Fargo NEXT Awards for Opportunity Finance, with a new theme: The Future of Housing Finance. Applicants should be CDFIs that have innovative strategies to expand housing opportunities in low-income communities that address any number of issues impacting the housing market today. Awardees not only receive substantial monetary awards, but benefit from the great credibility and visibility the awards bring, including a comprehensive PR and marketing campaign and celebration of their work at the 2014 OFN Conference in Denver. Visit the NEXT Awards Web site to download application guidelines, to complete an online application, and to learn about past Awardees including Opportunity Fund, Capital Impact Partners (formerly NCB Capital Impact), Housing Partnership Network, and Freedom First Federal Credit Union, the 2013 Awardees. Applications are open through March 13.

2014 Healthy Communities Small Grant Program (due March 3, 2014): This is for community health projects $25,000 or less. There is a single application round/deadline for what is designed to be a fairly minimalist approach in terms of application. This RFP is for projects with one year or less duration that are either at pilot stage or simply do not require a large amount of funding to achieve meaningful impact. Projects should be planned for a starting date of May 1, 2014.

2014 Matching Assets to Community Health (MATCH) Grant Program (due May 6, 2014): Through this MATCH grant program introduced last year, Wellmark Foundation is continuing a challenge grant approach to use our available grant funding as a catalyst to allow awarded projects to leverage other funding (corporate, private, governmental, individuals, families, community foundations, United Ways, local giving circles, etc.) to consider support in the area of local health status improvement. This challenge grant approach can create a powerful platform to engage others in considering how they can advance health locally. Challenge grant support can go as high as $75,000, but has to be used to purposely leverage a dollar-for-dollar match. Projects should be planned for a starting date of December 15, 2014. Letters of Interest as the initial application step are due by May 6^th and project duration is applicant determined and can support projects up to 24 months in duration. Additional information can be found below and at www.wellmark.com/foundation:

Grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities– Museums, libraries, and cultural organizations are invited to apply for grants to support public programs in the humanities, particularly those with an emphasis on education and racial equity.

Support for economic, environmental, and social justice projects – The Norman Foundation provides grants for general support, projects, and collaborative efforts. They also welcome innovative proposals designed to build the capacity of social change organizations. Priority is given to organizations with annual budgets of under $1 million.

RedRover Seeks Applications From Emergency Shelter Organizations to Help Victims of Domestic Abuse and Their Pets– DEADLINE: MAY 15, 2014
Grants of up $3,000 will be awarded to help victims of domestic violence and their animal companions stay together during times of crisis….

Singing for Change Accepting Letters of Interest for Social and Environmental Problems – DEADLINE: ONGOING (Letters of Interest)
Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to progressive, nonprofit organizations that address the root causes of social or environmental problems….

AstraZeneca Healthcare Foundation Invites Proposals for Community Cardiovascular Health Projects -DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 27, 2014
Grants of $150,000 and up will be awarded to nonprofit organizations in the United States for projects/initiatives designed to improve cardiovascular health at the community level….

Horses and Humans Foundation Issues Call for Research on Therapeutic Effects of Horses on Veterans – DEADLINE: MAY 15, 2014
Grants averaging $50,000 each will be awarded for research projects designed to investigate the therapeutic effects of equine-assisted activities on military veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and/or traumatic brain injury….

NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program – Application deadline: Feb 27, 2014
Offers loan repayment assistance to registered nurses, nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses, and nursing school faculty who agree to work in underserved areas.
Sponsor: Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service

Rural Interprofessional Health Professions Summer Preceptorships – Application deadline: Mar 1, 2014
Offers a paid, 6-week educational experience for healthcare professions students who want to learn more about healthcare provision in rural settings. Sponsor: National Center for Rural Health Professions

System-level Workforce Capacity Building for Integrating HIV Primary Care in Community Health Care Settings – Demonstration Sites – Application deadline: Mar 10, 2014 – Awards funding to Ryan White grantees for the development and implementation of demonstration sites designed to adapt and re-align workforce systems to improve the provision of care for people living with HIV. Sponsor: Health Resources and Services Administration

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program – Application deadline: Mar 20, 2014
Provides loan repayment funding to primary health care professionals who agree to serve in Health Professional Shortage areas of the U.S. Sponsor: National Health Service Corps

VA Offers $600 Million in Funding to Support Services for Homeless Veteran Families

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the availability of up to approximately $600 million in grants for non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that serve very low-income Veteran families occupying permanent housing through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.

Required services include outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits, and providing or coordinating efforts to obtain needed entitlements and other community services. Grantees secure a broad range of other services for participants, including legal assistance; credit counseling; housing counseling; assisting participants in understanding leases, securing utilities, and coordinating moving arrangements; providing representative payee services concerning rent and utilities when needed; and serving as an advocate for the Veteran when mediating with property owners on issues related to locating or retaining housing. Grantees also offer temporary financial assistance that provides short-term assistance with rent, moving expenses, security and utility deposits, child care, transportation, utility costs, and emergency expenses.

VA announced the availability of funds today through a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) in the FEDERAL REGISTER. VA is offering $300 million in FY 2014 funds and $300 million in FY 2015 funds, subject to available appropriations. VA will make award decisions based on a national competition.

Funding Community Design and Development Projects – Need some cold, hard cash for a community design project? Find great resources for securing funds in our January call notes and recording.

Champions for Healthy Kids Program, Deadline: March 15, 2014. Funder: General Mills

Grant Proposals for Youth Creativity Programs. Deadline: April 15, 2014. Funder: Lego Children’s Fund

Support for Organizations Assisting Low-Income Communities, Deadline: Open. Funder: The Kresge Foundation

Support for Vulnerable Children Programs Worldwide, Deadline: Open. Funder: Dorothea Haus Ross Foundation

Bush Foundation Accepting Applications for Community Innovation Grant Program – DEADLINE: MARCH 13, 2014. Grants of up to $200,000 will be awarded to inclusive, collaborative projects that address a local need or opportunity in Minnesota, North or South Dakota, or the twenty-three Native nations that share the same geography….

Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie’s Education Foundation Accepting Nominations for 2014 Outstanding Teacher Grants – DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2014
Grants will be awarded to outstanding California public school teachers in recognition of their contributions to the state’s children….

Home Depot Accepting Applications for Historically Black Colleges and Universities Improvement Grant Program – DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 10, 2014 (Letters of Intent). The Retool Your School program supports campus/facility improvement projects at historically black colleges and universities likely to have an impact on the lives of students, faculty, and alumni for generations to come….

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Invites Nominations for 2014 NCRP Impact Awards – DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2014
The annual awards program celebrates foundations of all shapes and sizes that have demonstrated leadership, an ability to innovate, and a commitment to solving the country’s toughest problems….

DOL Releases Upcoming Competitive Grant Opportunities

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) released its upcoming competitive grant opportunities for FY2014. The ETA document outlines dates of when opportunities will be announced. Click here to view the full list of opportunities and instructions on how to apply.

Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Funding Opportunity – Application deadline: Feb 16, 2014
Offers funding for local health departments to develop the capacity to deliver effective Stanford model of Chronic Disease Self-Management Program or Arthritis Self-Management Program. Sponsor: National Association of County and City Health Officials

Grants for Transportation of Veterans in Highly Rural Areas – Application deadline: Mar 3, 2014
Awards grants to organizations that assist veterans in rural areas with transportation to VA medical centers and other VA and non-VA facilities for medical care.
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

DOC Releases Details on Next Phase of the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) recently published a notice in the Federal Register outlining a competition to designate up to 12 communities as Manufacturing Communities through the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership. Under this second phase of IMCP, selected communities will be able to compete for $1.3 billion in federal dollars and assistance from nine cabinets and agencies. In order to earn the Manufacturing Community designation, communities must demonstrate best practices in attracting and expanding manufacturing by bringing together stakeholders and creating broad-based prosperity. Selected communities will receive preferential consideration for $1.3 billion in federal grants from many federal agencies. Eligibility for the second phase of IMCP is not contingent on having been awarded funding under the first phase. Manufacturing Communities will be designated for a period of two years with an option to apply for renewal based on performance. The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. ET on March 14. Guidelines on application content, submission, review, and the selection process are included in the notice. In addition, an interagency group of federal partners involved in manufacturing initiatives has developed an IMCP Playbook that pulls together existing planning grant and technical assistance resources and best practices in economic development. Click here to view the playbook. Feedback on the playbook may be sent to Tom Murray at murray.tom-hq@epa.gov.