 2024 marks the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of the 1994 Tribal College and University (TCUs) Land Grant Institutions. Since their inception, USDA Rural Development (RD) has been committed to supporting these educational and community pillars. Throughout the last 3 decades RD has invested 661 loans and grants to TCUs, amounting to over $155 million in funding. Thirty-three (33) TCUs have benefited from Rural Development’s Business, Community Facilities, and Telecommunications Programs. Much of this funding has been provided through the ongoing support of USDA RD’s Community Facilities Tribal College Initiative Grants. (Photo - TCU Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico)
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Funding |
Funding Opportunities Supporting Infrastructure
for Native Americans
Community Facilities Tribal College Grant Initiative
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA Rural Development provides funding to 1994 Land Grant Institutions to make capital improvements to their educational facilities and to purchase equipment. Funds can be used by Tribal Colleges for infrastructure improvements, to purchase equipment and to develop essential community facilities. Application Deadline: Open
 CF Tribal College Grant Success story: Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) has received nine Community Facility Program obligations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Community Facilities Tribal College Grant Initiative for the construction of various campus buildings in Santa Fe, NM. Significant improvement of IAIA campus facilities and associated equipment were made to provide art education to Native American students from all over the United States. IAIA, a 1994 Land-Grant Tribal College and University, offers services and programs that serve the needs of tribal communities and their members. IAIA also received a USDA NIFA Tribal College Research Grant for an applied student internship research program geared towards agriculture support for 19 New Mexico pueblos and tribal communities.
Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program supporting the development of essential community facilities in rural areas. This includes qualified health care needs such as rural hospitals, ambulances, clinics, mobile dental units, firetrucks, and more. Also see RD’s Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program. Application Deadlines: Open
Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides this program to helps remote Alaskan villages provide safe, reliable drinking water and waste disposal systems for households and businesses. Application Deadline: Open
Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers this program to help get safe, reliable drinking water and waste disposal services to low-income communities that face significant health risks. Application Deadline: Open
Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes or grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards. Application Deadline: Open
Single Family Housing Direct Loan Program (502 Loan Program)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers this program to assist low- and very-low-income applicants obtain decent, safe and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase an applicant’s repayment ability. Application Deadline: Open
 USDA RD Single Family Housing Success Story: (Photo Above)
Martin Family Achieves Homeownership on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation Through Packaging Partnerships-“This is one more great example of how members of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, the Akwesasne Housing Authority and the USDA are continuing to build our partnership, expand our friendship and increase our collective prosperity,” said Brian Murray, USDA RD State Director for New York.
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT Office of the Under Secretary for Policy offers funding for investments in road, rail, transit, and port projects supporting state and local levels to obtain funding for multimodal, multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to support through traditional programs. This program includes zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. Application Deadlines: Round 1 FY 2024 Projects of Merit 12/2/2024 | Round 2 All Applicants 1/13/2025
Save America’s Treasures Grants – Collection and Preservation
U.S. Department of Interior (DOI)
DOI’s National Park Service, in cooperation with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, offers funding to provide preservation and/or conservation assistance to nationally significant historic properties and collections. Application Deadline: 12/12/2024
Funding Opportunities for Tribal
Community and Economic Development
Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program
Partnership for Public Service
This is a distinct paid opportunity for undergraduate, graduate, and law students to gain specialized career experience in the Office of Tribal Relations and with Department of Agriculture mission areas. Hurry, about to close! Application Deadline: 11/22/2024
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Tribal and Insular Area Grants
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality offers funding assistance to accelerate the upgrade, retrofit, and turnover of the legacy diesel fleet. Application Deadline: 12/6/2024
School Food System Transformation Grant
Project SCALES This grant provides funding to foster partnerships that improve school food systems and food options available to students. Application Deadline: 12/13/2024
Tribal Colleges and Universities Planning for Clean Energy
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
The DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Tribal Colleges and Universities for planning to transition their campuses to clean energy. Application Deadline: 12/18/2024
Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT Federal Highway Administration offers funding to address transportation safety issues identified by federally recognized Tribal Nations through a competitive, discretionary program. Projects are chosen whose outcomes will reduce fatal and serious injuries in transportation related incidents, such as motor vehicle crashes. Application Deadline: 1/15/2025
Tribal Colleges and Universities Head Start Partnership Program Grants
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS Administration for Children and Families offers grants for tribal colleges and universities to establish or enhance partnerships with Head Start programs to increase the number of qualified education staff working in American Indian Alaska Native Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Application Deadline: 1/21/2025
American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start Expansion, Early Head Start Expansion, and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grants
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS Administration for Children and Families provides funding to operate Head Start or Early Head Start programming in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, leveraging existing resources to provide a comprehensive array of health, nutrition, and social services for children and families. Application Deadline: 1/21/2025
Tribal Clean Energy Planning and Development-2025
U.S. Department of Energy
DOE’s Office of Indian Energy offer funds to conduct clean energy planning, assess the feasibility and viability of deploying clean energy technology, and conduct clean energy design and development activities. FOA. Fact Sheet. Application Deadline: 1/23/2025
New Markets Tax Credit Program
U.S. Department of Treasury
Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund offers tax incentives for investments in business and economic development projects in distressed areas, including capital investments in healthcare facilities. Application Deadline: 1/29/2025
Native American Library Services Basic Grants
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
IMLS provides funding to improve core library services in Native American communities with a primary goal of increasing access to information in a variety of formats to support needs for education, workforce development, economic and business development, health information, financial literacy, and other types of literacy skills. Application Deadline: 2/4/2025
Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
NEH offers grants to help strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities at Tribal Colleges and Universities by supporting the development of new or enhancement of existing programs, educational resources, or courses that explore, interpret, and preserve the diversity of human cultures, ideas, and practices, past and present. Application Deadline: 2/6/2025
Native Entities Capacity and Planning Grant Program
US Department of Commerce (DOC)
DOC National Telecommunications and Information Administration offers this program to fund initiatives that help Native communities to fully access and take advantage of the digital world. Webpage. Application Deadline: 2/7/2025
Rural Business Development Grants (RBDG)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers opportunities to promote economic development and job creation in rural areas. Applications compete in two categories, business opportunity grants and business enterprise grants. This program has historically included funding congressionally mandated for projects that benefit citizens/members of Federally Recognized Tribes. Federal Register. Application Deadline: 2/28/2025
RBDG Success Story: (Photo Above)
Tribes Benefit from USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Investment USDA Rural Development provided Yee Ha’ólníi Doo (a nonprofit) with a $166,440 Rural Business Development Grant to establish two business startup centers, one in Monument Valley on the Navajo Reservation and one in White Mesa, Utah to serve the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. Grant funds will help both facilities provide 24/7 computer access, workstations, training, support cultural education and more.
Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS Indian Health Service offers loan repayment for undergraduate and graduate health professional educational loans in return for full-time clinical service in Indian Health Service programs. Application Deadline: 8/15/2025
Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative
Yamaha’s mission is to provide practical support (signage, mapping) for efforts that promote safe, responsible use of off-road vehicles. Support includes methods to educate the public on proper recreational land use and wildlife conservation practices to support sustainable access to public lands. Application Deadline: Quarterly
Intermediary Relending Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development provides 1 (one) percent low-interest loans to local lenders or “intermediaries” that re-lend to businesses to improve economic conditions and create jobs in rural communities. This program has historically included funding congressionally mandated for projects that benefit citizens/members of Federally Recognized Tribes. Application Deadline: Quarterly
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development offers loans and grants to support Microenterprise Development Organizations to establish revolving loan funds. Application Deadline: Quarterly
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