 In Sept. 2022, a new website was launched that, for the first time, provides a live dashboard to help communities see extreme weather and other hazards from climate change they are facing, while also providing maps projecting how each community could be impacted in the future. The new Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) portal will help state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and leaders better track real-time impacts and access federal resources for long-term planning. In addition to providing more detailed, location-specific data about climate threats, the new portal also brings together multiple federal information sources and funding opportunities to help communities better prepare for and respond to climate impacts—including historic resilience funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for states and communities around the country. CMRA is designed to work in a complementary the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. It integrates decision-relevant information from across the U.S. Federal government, including:
- Climate maps and data — both historical observations and future projections;
- Non-climate data — including building codes and economic justice and social vulnerability information; and
- Federal grant funding opportunities.
A new resource will help economic development and hazard mitigation planners achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and Hazard Mitigation Plan Alignment Guide connects economic development and hazard mitigation plans so communities can be more resilient from natural hazards. The guide was a collaboration between FEMA and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).
Communities, states and federal officials can use the guide when preparing or reviewing FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plans and EDA Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS). Included in the guide are strategies to help align strategies with approved local plans. The guide includes economic development concepts to add to hazard mitigation plans. It also encourages integration of information from risk assessments and hazard mitigation ideas to use in a CEDS. Click here to view and download the guide.
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The National Park Service (NPS) along with several partner agencies and preservation nonprofits has developed guidance and tools for State, Tribal, and Local governments working with the federal government before and after a disaster. Asking the right person the right questions at the right time can help speed the distribution of resources and technical assistance to disaster-impacted communities.
Before and After Disasters: Guidance for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Leaders on Working with FEMA, NPS, and Other Federal Agencies includes four parts:
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Guide: Narrative description of preparedness, response, recovery, funding opportunities, and resources for disasters.
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Checklist: Graduated list of preparedness and response strategies and suggestions. The list is graduated into essential, enhanced, and advanced strategies.
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Glossary: Alphabetical listing of specific terms with additional descriptive information.
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Acronyms: List of abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms used throughout the other documents.
Click here to view and download the guide.
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 The new Environmental Justice Index (EJI) is the first national, place-based tool designed to measure the cumulative impacts of environmental burden through the lens of human health and health equity. The EJI delivers a single score for each community so that public health officials can identify and map areas most at
risk for the health impacts of environmental burden. Social factors such as poverty, race, and ethnicity, along with pre-existing health conditions may increase these impacts. This tool helps public health officials prioritize action for those communities most at need.
The EJI presents data for each census tract. The data used in the EJI comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to delivering a single environmental justice score for each community, the EJI also scores communities on each of the three modules in the tool (social vulnerability, environmental burden, health vulnerability) and allows more detailed analysis within these modules.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Environmental Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) are hosting 3 webinars to showcase the Environmental Justice Index (EJI):
Click here to learn more about EJI, including access to the fact sheet, FAQs, technical documentation, and more details on the EJI indicators. Click here to launch the EJI Explorer, the mapping tool.
The HUD Community Resilience Toolkit is a user-friendly guide to help recipients of HUD Community Planning and Development (CPD) funds identify opportunities to use their CPD dollars to mitigate the impacts of natural related hazards. The toolkit is divided into 6 separate sections, each related to a specific natural hazard. Each section provides an overview of the natural hazard as well as suggestions for different mitigation techniques that are eligible under different CPD programs. Additionally, the toolkit has a financing section with other funding opportunities for resilience projects. The toolkit also includes a helpful infographic highlighting how different natural hazard risks can affect communities and what a resilient community could look like.
Climate Resilience Implementation Guides
HUD developed a series of climate resilience implementation guides. These guides provide step-by-step instructions on how to implement specific resilience projects and programs to address climate hazards using Community Planning and Development (CPD) and other funding. The implementation guides are intended to help HUD grantees identify opportunities to use their CPD funding to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards. The guides cover the following topics:
HUD is hosting a webinar introducing the Community Resilience Toolkit and the Climate Resilience Implementation Guides on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, from 1-2 p.m. Register here.
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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a number of available guidance and resources on the applicability and implementation of the following requirements that apply to Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) projects and activities:
- Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, (URA)
- Section 104(d) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, (section 104(d))
- CDBG Displacement, Relocation, Acquisition, and Replacement of Housing program regulatory requirements (24 CFR 570.606)
Useful tools and resources to learn about and help navigate you through some of these federal requirements include:
Quick Informational Videos
CDBG-DR Consolidated Notice
The Consolidated Notice combines and updates requirements from several different Federal Register notices and CPD Notices that have governed CDBG-DR funds. The Consolidated Notice is applicable to recent CDBG-DR grants. These tools provide guidance applicable to recipients, including potential future recipients, of CDBG-DR funds who may be subject to the Consolidated Notice.
Online Training
Additional HUD Exchange Resources
Destructive storms are the new normal, often leaving large numbers of residents in impacted areas without power for many weeks after. Increasingly strong hurricanes and other natural disasters now have communities wondering how best to prepare for or rebuild after a disaster. What steps can local leaders take to protect their energy systems and restore power quickly?
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has supported communities with rebuilding and recovery of energy systems for over a decade, assisting before and after disasters, while discovering firsthand how communities can invest in effective, affordable, and equitable resilience. With the right tools and investments, communities anywhere can be better equipped for the next storm.
Read the full article here to learn more about:
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Case Studies in Disaster Recovery to Rebuild Stronger: NREL's disaster recovery work in Galena, Alaska and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Place-based Solutions that Address Local Hazards: NREL's replicable resilience methodology for resilience planning, which leverages NREL's disaster recovery work over the past decade.
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Resilience Planning with Community Participation: NREL is leading the effort to engage stakeholders and incorporate their input into the multiyear, multi-lab Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transition to 100% Renewable Energy (PR100) study.
NREL has expertise related to recovery and resilience. The tools described in the article offer a snapshot of resources available to communities in different stages of the resilience planning or recovery process. When a disaster does strike, NREL can help navigate the path forward for a more resilient, clean, and equitable energy system. To learn more about NREL's work, visit NREL's energy security and resilience website.
 The Federal government operates a number of programs to make funding available to States, local leaders, and other eligible recipients who are engaged in high-speed internet-related activities for their communities. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has been working to expand access and increase connectivity across the U.S. through the Internet for All effort by increasing awareness of federal funding available for closing the digital divide.
NTIA released an update to the Federal Funding site, which serves as a comprehensive, “one-stop shop” of resources for potential applicants seeking federal broadband funding. The site includes broadband funding opportunities and information on more than 80 federal programs across 14 federal agencies. Programs include funding opportunities for high-speed internet-related activities such as planning, infrastructure deployment, and digital inclusion.
Program types include direct grants, loans, indirect support, and discounts for industry, state, local, and Tribal governments, schools, libraries, and other community institutions that are interested in expanding and improving broadband access. Visitors to the website can search for programs by agency, program purpose, and eligible recipients. In response to user feedback, the site contains information on a number of new program fields, including Matching Requirement; Complementary Federal Funding Option; Speed/Technical Requirement for Broadband Infrastructure; Criteria for Eligible Recipients; and Grant Beneficiaries.
Visitors to the site can still search for information using several resources including a searchable database, downloadable spreadsheet, a PDF guide, and an Interactive Guide to make it easier for visitors to more quickly find resources that meet their needs.
In Sept. 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is establishing a new national office charged with advancing environmental justice and civil rights. The new office will dedicate more than 200 EPA staff in EPA headquarters and across 10 regions towards solving environmental challenges in communities that have been underserved for far too long. These staff will engage with communities with environmental justice concerns to understand their needs, as well as Tribal, state, and local partners; manage and disburse historic levels of grants and technical assistance; work with other EPA offices to incorporate environmental justice into the agency’s programs, policies, and processes, as allowed by law; and ensure EPA funding recipients comply with applicable civil rights laws. The new office will oversee the implementation and delivery of a $3 billion climate and environmental justice block grant program created by the Inflation Reduction Act, a critical component of the law’s historic $60 billion investment in environmental justice. The office also will ensure EPA’s implementation of other funding programs provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and regular appropriations meet or exceed the President’s Justice40 Initiative. Read the EPA press release here.
 The new interactive online All Hazards Waste Management Planning Tool (AHWMPT) helps users develop pre-incident waste management plans for both natural and man-made disasters. The tool is designed primarily for planners at the local, state, and tribal levels, as well as owners and operators of large facilities (e.g., chemical plants). New features include improved estimation of waste volumes based on specific information about structures in impacted areas, updated and more detailed information on waste management facilities, the ability to add information on transportation options, and integration with other EPA disaster debris systems. Click here to access the tool.
In Sept. 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced the 21 winners of the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge, the most impactful regional economic development competition in decades. The Regional Challenge provides each award winner funding to rebuild regional economies, promote inclusive and equitable recovery, and create thousands of good-paying jobs in industries of the future such as clean energy, next-generation manufacturing, and biotechnology. The Build Back Better Regional Challenge winners in FEMA Region 3 include:
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EDA announced it was awarding 51 "Build to Scale" grants (totaling $47 million) to organizations that support technology entrepreneurs, catalyze innovation, and fuel economic growth. The 2022 awardees will leverage an additional $48 million in matching funds from a variety of private and public sector sources. These EDA investments support advanced manufacturing, bioscience, clean energy and blue economy clusters in regions throughout the United States. The 2022 Build to Scale program was comprised of two competitions––the Venture Challenge and the Capital Challenge. The Venture Challenge supports programs that enable high-growth technology entrepreneurship and foster inclusive access to proven entrepreneurship support models. The Capital Challenge increases access to capital in communities where risk capital is in short supply by providing operational support for early-stage investment funds, networks, and training programs that focus on both traditional and hybrid equity-based financing.
2022 Venture Challenge Grant Recipients in FEMA Region 3 include:
2022 Capital Challenge Grant Recipients in FEMA Region 3 include:
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The Anchor Economy Initiative at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia examines how hospitals and higher education institutions sustain jobs, drive economic growth, and support equitable regional development in 524 regions across the U.S. A new Anchor Economy Dashboard has been created to improve the understanding of anchor institutions' role in the economy. The dashboard:
- Provides new estimates of the regional economic impacts of the higher education and hospital sectors for the 524 regions that compose the United States.
- Offers a reliance index that describes each region’s economic dependence on anchor institutions and allows for comparisons of this dependence across regions of different sizes.
- Supplements these core measures with variables that provide additional context for understanding the importance and role of anchor institutions in regional economies.
- Provides all of this information as raw data and customizable summaries to allow for direct comparisons of these data points across all regions in the U.S. for the first time.
A companion report, Anchor Impact: Understanding the Role of Higher Education and Hospitals in Regional Economies, provides an overview of the data contained in the Anchor Economy Dashboard, describing the data, discussing initial insights, and demonstrating the potential of the dashboard for studying the regional and community impacts of anchor institutions.
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Get Started! A Guide to USDA Resources for Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers, a new multi-agency guide for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assistance for underserved farmers and ranchers is now available. Minority, women, veteran, beginning, or limited resource producer farmers or ranchers can use this guide to learn about available assistance and targeted opportunities. The guide includes programs offered through the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Risk Management Agency. The guide is also available in Spanish, Hmong, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese on farmers.gov/translations. |
Organizations interested in better understanding extreme heat in their communities are encouraged to apply for the 2023 Urban Heat Island (UHI) mapping campaign program, managed by NOAA’s National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS), in partnership with CAPA Strategies LLC. In the seventh year of the program, NIHHIS and CAPA Strategies will support community-led citizen science campaigns in cities and counties across the United States, as well as internationally. These campaigns will allow participants to map the hottest areas of their communities and learn where action is needed to protect those most affected by high temperatures.
The data are used to create maps that provide a detailed analysis of the distribution of heat in the morning, afternoon and evening. The maps and community reports also reveal how factors in urban environments — such as lack of green space and tree canopy or concentrated areas of pavement and buildings — can create neighborhood-level islands of heat that contribute to health inequities within a community.
Applications are due by 5 PM EDT on Friday, December 16, 2022. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by early February 2023. Learn more about the UHI campaigns and how to apply. For more information about the recent campaigns, join the NIHHIS-CAPA Urban Heat Island Mapping Results Webinar on November 17 from 1-2 p.m.
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by Wynne Kwan, Community Planning & Capacity Building Coordinator, FEMA Region 3
Greetings Recovery partners!
Since the last Forward Recovery edition at the end of July, we've seen across the country major flooding and landslides in Alaska, and Hurricanes Fiona and Ian ramble through Puerto Rico and the Southeast, respectively. Here in FEMA Region 3 (R3), we activated for Hurricane Ian to ensure we were prepared to support R3 response and recovery needs resulting from Ian's impacts. In the Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC), I was activated as a Federal Disaster Recovery Officer (FDRO) to maintain situational awareness and identify potential intermediate and long-term recovery implications. Fortunately, Ian's impact on the R3 was minor (compared to the devastation in Florida), and my RRCC activation was short-lived. However, my activation early in the response phase represents a trend at FEMA in which recovery implications are considered during response operations. It seems that the Interagency Recovery Coordination (IRC) team and Recovery Support Functions (RSFs) are getting out to major disasters sooner to support with coordination of resources. With these changes, the Interagency Recovery Coordination world is ever evolving. Two quick updates:
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Community Planning and Capacity Building (CPCB) Recovery Support Function (RSF) Gets a New Name: In other news, the Community Planning and Capacity Building RSF will be renamed and rebranded as the “Community Assistance” RSF, starting Nov. 1, 2022. This simplified name more succinctly describes the role of the RSF: to provide and coordinate recovery assistance at the community level. The nomenclature also relates to existing FEMA terms of art, such as Individual and Public Assistance, which are understood by both Federal and SLTT partners. The important work and the mission, which has not fundamentally changed, of the RSF will continue moving forward.
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National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), Third Edition Update: The timing of the name change works well with the update of the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF). I had an opportunity to review a preliminary of the NDRF Third Edition in September. This updated draft, led by FEMA's Recovery Directorate’s Interagency Coordination Division (ICD), began in November 2021 with a series of visioning sessions. It outlines the strategy for how the whole community builds, sustains, and coordinates the integrated delivery of recovery core capabilities. This updated draft frames recovery operations while highlighting the links between recovery and steady-state activities. The development team worked with hundreds of partners to develop a forward-facing document that will enhance recovery and build in resilience. Based on discussions and feedback received from key federal partners, the updates to the NDRF seek to better reflect and focus on whole-of-nation disaster recovery; pre-disaster recovery planning; equity at all levels of recovery; climate resilience; and recovery support and resource alignment. After all the necessary reviews and approvals, including a national public review and comment period, the NDRF Third Edition is anticipated to rollout in August 2023.
As always, feel free to reach out - either directly or to the Region 3 NDRF mailbox (FEMA-R3-NDRF@fema.dhs.gov). In the meantime, take care!
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is launching the Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) initiative. Through the support of the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the American Rescue Plan funding, the BRECC initiative will create a knowledge-sharing and peer-learning community of practice to empower local leaders and other champions to develop new ideas, approaches and fundable projects as coal communities seek to retool local and regional economies.
NACo is partnering with the West Virginia Community Development Hub and Colorado-based Community Builders to develop this national network and support forum. A cross-sector Advisory Council of government, business, and nonprofit experts will ensure BRECC activities and resources reflect the pressing needs and emerging opportunities for BRECC participants. The BRECC team will build on previous NACo and partner programming and efforts to convene and support coal-reliant communities through four core activity areas:
- BRECC National Network of local, state and national stakeholders focused on coal communities
- The Coalition of 20 local government leaders building a peer-to-peer learning leadership network
- Team-based Challenge cohorts receiving coaching and individual capacity building for 15 coal communities
- Storytelling campaign to share local experiences with a national audience
Register to participate in the kickoff BRECC National Network session, which will be held on Thurs., Nov. 3, 2022, 3-4 p.m. Click here for more information about BRECC and to sign up for updates on all BRECC programming.
The Rural Opportunity Zone and Recovery Playbook is a new blueprint to attract private investment - through Opportunity Zones (OZ) and beyond - to empower local communities and drive growth, targeted to rural economic developers and community champions. This playbook profiles a compelling group of rural innovators that have managed to launch projects through OZ capital and other investment types and lays out best practices for developing a strategy to attract private capital for community benefit projects.
Based on more than a dozen expert interviews and three years of on-the-ground work with local rural communities in Utah, this resource offer concrete steps communities can take: 1) plan for social impact, 2) build your team, 3) understand investors, 4) leverage incentives, 5) create a community vision and project menu, and 6) connect with investors. Additional insights focus on the importance of a regional approach, the power of attracting local investors, and case studies that demonstrate how successful businesses and communities have leveraged private capital. Click here to view and download the playbook.
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After suffering historic blows to their fiscal stability from the COVID-19 pandemic, municipal governments appear to be on the path to recovery for fiscal year 2022, according to a City Fiscal Conditions report just released by the National League of Cities (NLC). Though it’s not the only factor, this is largely attributable to the funds available to them through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). While these will continue to be available for several years, other forces currently in play could bring financial turbulence in coming years. City governments are doing relatively well compared to a couple of years ago, but uncertainties cloud the road ahead.
The 2022 report from NLC is the latest in a series that began 37 years ago. The NLC report is based on a survey of finance officers in cities with populations greater than 10,000 and all but 200 of the largest cities in the country.
Click here to read and download the full report.
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Developed by Headwaters Economics, Neighborhoods at Risk is an easy-to-use website with interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities identify neighborhoods that may be more impacted by climate change. It shows where people may experience unequal impacts from hurricanes, flooding, and extreme heat.
Free to use, Neighborhoods at Risk helps communities:
- Prioritize capital improvements.
- Conduct vulnerability assessments.
- Inform land use and policy decisions.
- Develop mitigation plans.
- Support grant proposals.
Headwaters Economics had additional Analysis Tools that are free and easy to use to help users better understand socioeconomic data and trends for their communities, counties, states, or regions. These include:
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Economic Profile System: Provides access to 17 socioeconomic reports.
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Wildfire Risk to Communities: Offers interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities understand, explore, and reduce wildfire risk.
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Library of Trails Benefits. Offers a collection of studies on the positive impacts of trails on businesses, public health, and quality of life.
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Populations at Risk: Generates customized socioeconomic reports about populations more likely to experience adverse social, health, or economic outcomes due to race, age, gender, poverty status, or other factors.
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A cascading hazard refers to a primary event, such as heavy rainfall, seismic activity, or rapid snowmelt, followed by a chain of consequences that may range from modest (lesser than the original event) to substantial. Also, the type of cascading damage and losses may be more severe than if they had occurred separately. Currently, research on disasters has focused largely on those triggered by natural hazards interacting with vulnerable human systems (e.g., populations and organizations) and the built environment. Compounding and cascading natural hazards, whether acute or chronic in nature, can be further amplified by other events, such as public health outbreaks, supply chain disruptions and cyberattacks.
Resilience for Compounding and Cascading Events explores strategies that would enable the nation to be better prepared for and respond to these disasters so that affected communities can not only rebuild, but do so in a manner that increases their resilience to future events. Click here to read and download the full report.
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A climate budget integrates greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) targets and considerations into a city’s management processes and financial budgeting, providing a central and comprehensive governance system for implementing emission reductions. This enables all city departments to mainstream climate targets into policies and decision-making.
Climate Budgeting: Transforming Governance to Mainstream Climate Action identifies key enablers for decision-makers to get started and make climate budgeting a reality. The report provides examples from cities that have successfully taken steps to implement climate budgets, and reflections and recommendations for other cities considering this approach. It demonstrates how climate budgets can improve governance, and summarizes research with C40 climate budget pilot cities on the factors that have supported them in implementing a climate budget to date. The report was developed in a collaboration between Arup, C40 Cities and the climate budget pilot cities: Barcelona, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Montréal, Mumbai, New York City, Oslo, Stockholm, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and Tshwane. Click here to read and download the report.
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The need for capital to support development in many communities is pressing. Most cities and regions include neighborhoods that lack investment and face growing racial disparities in access to jobs, amenities, and affordable housing. Recent federal investments in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, American Rescue Plan Act, and Inflation Reduction Act are providing unprecedented new funding to local and state governments to upgrade and expand infrastructure, build new housing, create jobs, support local businesses, and move toward a more sustainable and resilient future. This new funding could change American communities for the better, but without careful planning and alignment with community goals, it could exacerbate inequities.
The Capital for Communities Scorecard, developed by the Urban Institute, assesses the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of a proposed real estate development or operating business investment. The tool’s results can support projects that strengthen communities, benefit residents, and redress racial and geographic inequities in access to opportunity. See a demonstration of the Capital for Communities Scorecard during the webinar, "Using the Capital for Communities Scorecard to Boost Social Impact and Equity," on Oct. 31, 2022, from Noon-1 p.m.
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 The financial well-being of a community depends on residents’ ability to manage their daily finances, weather economic shocks, and pursue opportunities for upward mobility. With access to financial data at the local level, financial well-being advocates can make informed decisions to strengthen their residents’ financial health and address stark racial disparities.
Local leaders looking to make data-informed decisions about wealth gaps can turn to a new tool that illustrates disparities at the community level. The Urban Institute developed the new Financial Health and Wealth Dashboard, which aims to help local leaders and changemakers answer questions about the financial health of residents and identify local solutions to tackle the multiple facets of financial well-being. The tool includes race demographics at the local, state and national levels and users can compare different communities. It also offers racially disaggregated data at the city level for 107 of the country’s largest cities.
Using Washington, DC as a case study, the dashboard highlights proven strategies that can inform DC leaders’ efforts to strengthen their residents’ financial health, including:
- Ensuring family-sustaining wages and helping residents avoid and manage debt to stabilize daily finances;
- Protecting against eviction and helping residents build credit safely to weather economic shocks;
- Supporting programs that help residents build wealth and assets, leveraging workforce investments to improve job quality, and resolving heirs’ property issues to pursue opportunities for upward mobility
Click here to visit the dashboard. The Urban Institute is hosting a webinar, "Launching Urban's Financial Health and Wealth Dashboard: Leveraging Local Data to Improve Financial Well-Being," on Nov. 9, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. Click here to register.
Build Change, with its mission to greatly reduce death, injuries, and economic losses caused by housing and school collapses during natural hazards, has improved housing resilience worldwide for over 1 million people. Its work has been documented in The Build Change Guide to Resilient Housing: An Essential Handbook for Governments and Practitioners, which has been designed to support governments, funders, and practitioners with comprehensive guidance and practical tools to carry out successful resilient housing programs at scale.
Build Change is expanding its work to increase disaster resilience in the U.S. for the first time with its Climate Resilient Housing Initiative. The initiative aims to make 10 million people more resilient by 2030, through facilitating approaches that improve the resilience of both new and existing housing through measures that strengthen their ability to withstand disasters and climate hazards and reduce the carbon footprint of the housing sector. A first-of-its-kind collaboration between governments, banks, and philanthropists to forge partnerships, catalyze action, and drive investment to ensure climate resilient housing for all, the initiative is actively seeking partners in the public, private and social sectors who are interested in collaborating to find solutions toward inclusive, affordable and resilient housing for vulnerable Americans through technological, financial and policy solutions. For more information about how to be involved, contact the initiative at advocacy@buildchange.org.
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Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, a bold philanthropic effort that seeks to accelerate the pace of wealth accumulation for Black individuals and families and address systemic underinvestment in Black communities, launched a tool that aims to provide better access to data about racial wealth inequities in the United States. With interactive maps and graphs, the Black Wealth Data Center, or BWDC, allows users to compare data across race, sex, education and location and explore topics including employment, homeownership, assets and debt. The BWDC website allows users to sift through data on a national level or dive into specific zip codes, making it a powerful tool to help elected officials better understand their communities and constituencies to develop and implement effective programs and policies to increase racial wealth equity.
The BWDC focuses on increasing accessibility to data sets related to assets and debt, business ownership, education, employment and homeownership. The BWDC also features accompanying content based on that data, such as commissioned reports, news articles, case studies, panel discussions, lectures, and additional analysis tools.
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FEMA Publishes Support Materials for Emergency Management Partners
New support materials are available to governments to help them apply for a FEMA grant program to make them more resilient. The materials aid state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management with submitting more successful Hazard Mitigation Grant Program applications. Materials also help them reduce the time it takes to receive awards. FEMA anticipates the guides will help HMGP funding reach more communities.
These materials provide an overview of program requirements, sample applications and step-by-step instructions that aim to reduce barriers. Guides are especially beneficial to disadvantaged communities that may have difficulties accessing the program. The support materials include information for the most requested HMGP project types for various mitigation activities such as acquisition, elevation, flood risk reduction, hurricane wind retrofitting, and soil stabilization. FEMA plans to develop more application support materials for additional project types.
FEMA Released October 2022 Edition of the National Flood Insurance Program Manual
FEMA announced the updated edition of the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Risk Rating 2.0 Flood Insurance Manual effective Oct. 1. The Flood Insurance Manual is available here.
FEMA's regular updates to the Flood Insurance Manual reflect an ongoing effort to deliver clear guidance in an easy-to-understand format. The updated edition of the Flood Insurance Manual does not change flood insurance coverage or supersede the terms and conditions of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy. The guidance in this edition reflects the NFIP’s existing underwriting requirements and its current rating methodology, Risk Rating 2.0. The October 2022 edition of the Flood Insurance Manual clarifies and enhances guidance provided in the October 2021 Risk Rating 2.0 edition of the Flood Insurance Manual.
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Upcoming FEMA Region 3 Coffee Break Webinars
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 3 is hosting a webinar series for hazard mitigation planners and other partners interested in reducing risk in their communities. These “Coffee Breaks” are hour-long webinar sessions hosted every other month to provide mitigation best practices and highlight the work happening at federal, regional, state, and community levels to reduce risk across the region.
Coffee Break webinars are open to everyone involved in hazard mitigation, resiliency, or risk reduction planning in the public and private sectors, which includes community planners, emergency managers, floodplain managers, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technicians, government officials, contractors, and anyone else involved in the development and implementation of hazard mitigation and risk reduction strategies.
Click here to register for any or all of the following upcoming FEMA Region 3 Coffee Break Mitigation Webinars:
- Utilizing University Partnerships in Hazard Mitigation Planning. Nov. 16, 2022, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Increasing Resilience through Land Use Planning and Building Codes. Jan. 18, 2023, 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
- Discovering Mitigation Alternatives. Mar. 22, 2023, 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
- Refining Your Hazard Mitigation Plan's Scope of Work. May 17, 2023, 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
- Preparing for Climate Change Impacts. July 19, 2023, 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
- Exploring the Hazard Mitigation Planning Process. Sept. 20, 2023, 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
- Conducting a Risk Assessment. Nov. 8, 2023, 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
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FEMA Resource Reports and Advisories
Federal Agency Funding Opportunities Lists/Resources
Funding Opportunities Opening Soon!
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Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership Program: Three programs to enhance grid flexibility and improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change: Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants; Smart Grid Grants; and Grid Innovation Program. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) expects to release the final Funding Opportunity Announcement for FY22 and FY23 funding that will solicit concept papers and applications later this year.
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Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants: Helps rural communities use the unique capabilities of telecommunications to connect to each other and to the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. Application Window: Projected Winter Opening.
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Community Connect Grants: Provides, on a “community-oriented connectivity” basis, broadband service that fosters economic growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care and public safety benefits. Application Window: Projected Spring Opening.
The GrantStation Insider is filled with the latest national and regional grant opportunities, as well as upcoming federal deadlines that will assist the serious grant-seeker. This newsletter is delivered each week on Thursday. Click here to subscribe.
FY2023 Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Funding Opportunities
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced FY2023 assistance opportunities for agricultural producers and private landowners for key programs, such as the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). While NRCS accepts applications for these programs year-round, producers and landowners should apply by state-specific, application dates to be considered for this year’s funding. Application Deadline for FY2023 AMA, EQIP, and RCPP18: Nov. 1, 2022, Application Deadline for CSP Classic: Jan. 1, 2023.
USDA Rural Development offers funding for construction, improvement or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. Application Deadline: Nov. 2, 2022.
The components of the Cities of Opportunity (CoO) initiative provide a proven approach, a customized process, practical tools, expert consulting and training to support city leaders and their communities in their efforts to identify and address the most important issues related to health equity. The CoO Mayors’ Institute is a year-long cohort comprised of city mayors and their teams, selected through a competitive application process. CoO provides cohort members with: training; hands-on assistance; consulting; peer-to-peer learning opportunities; and access to faculty experts to help formulate multi-year plans. The 2023 Mayors’ Institute will focus on how infrastructure, land use planning, zoning and the built environment are critical to advancing health equity. Application Deadline: Nov. 4, 2022.
The purpose of this program is to help small rural hospitals with 49 beds or fewer implement quality and operational improvement efforts to align with value-based care. Application Deadline: Nov. 8, 2022.
The new State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) was established by the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to help address the unique challenges state, local, and territorial governments face when defending against cyber threats. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), a Fact Sheet, Frequently Asked Questions page, and an Information Bulletin for State Administrative Agencies are available for review. Application Deadline: Nov. 15, 2022.
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative of the Museums for America program. It is designed to support small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, policy development and institutional planning, technology enhancements, professional development, community outreach, audience development, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Inspire! has three project categories: (1) Lifelong Learning; (2) Institutional Capacity; and (3) Collections Stewardship and Access. Application Deadline: Nov. 15, 2022.
The Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC) program is designed to build the capacity of African American museums and support the growth and development of museum professionals at African American museums. The AAHC program supports projects that nurture museum professionals, build institutional capacity, and increase access to museum and archival collections at African American museums and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Application Deadline: Nov. 15, 2022.
CityStart helps local governments develop a municipal financial empowerment blueprint based on stakeholder and community engagement. In this equity-focused iteration of CityStart, the CFE Fund will partner with Black-majority city and county partners, as well as cities and counties with significant Black populations, to address residents' financial empowerment needs, prioritizing the financial stability needs of Black residents. Learn more at an informational webinar on Oct. 13, 2022, 3-4 p.m. Application Deadline: Nov. 18, 2022.
USDA Rural Development offers program funding designed to increase the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. Stakeholder Announcement. Application Deadline: Nov. 21, 2022.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new Thriving Communities Program (TCP) aims to ensure that disadvantaged communities adversely or disproportionately affected by environmental, climate, and human health policy outcomes have the technical tools and organizational capacity to compete for federal aid and deliver quality infrastructure projects that enable their communities and neighborhoods to thrive. TCP facilitates the planning and development of transportation and community revitalization activities and provides tools to ensure that under-resourced communities can access the historic funding provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). For fiscal year (FY) 2022 funding, TCP offers two separate response opportunities for potential applicants: a Letter of Interest and a Notice of Funding Opportunity, which are described below.
For Those Interested in Receiving Support - Submit a Letter of Interest
Beginning in 2023, TCP will provide technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to teams of community partners that may lack the staffing or technical expertise to scope, fund, and develop infrastructure projects that advance broader community goals. TCP will provide two years of deep-dive assistance to selected communities to help them plan and develop a pipeline of comprehensive transportation, housing, and community revitalization activities. Interested applicants must identify community partners and together submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) by December 6, 2022, to be considered for selection.
Learn More About the Call for Letters of Interest
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For Those Interested in Providing Support - Apply to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
In addition, through TCP, DOT will fund organizations to provide technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to enable selected recipient communities to plan and develop transportation and community revitalization activities. DOT is currently seeking applications for “capacity builders” to provide this support starting in early 2023. A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is open October 6, 2022, through November 22, 2022, for those wishing to apply to become a capacity builder.
Learn More About the Notice of Funding Opportunity
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The purpose of this program is to support integrated rural health care networks that have combined the functions of the entities participating in the network, including skilled and experienced staff and a high functioning network board, in order to address the health care needs of the targeted rural community. Application Deadline: Nov. 22, 2022.
Solicitation notices and guidance for competitive and non-competitive funding opportunities by the EPA Brownfields Program.
The National Center for Mobility Management provides grants and technical assistance to support communities that are ready to take concrete steps toward implementing transportation solutions to help underserved residents become more fully engaged in economic opportunities, improve their health and well-being, and/or become more integrated into their community. Application Deadline: Nov. 23, 2022.
The mission of CREATE ACTION is to amplify the efforts of local organizations through funding, storytelling, and collaboration with Sony. CREATE ACTION grants support organizations in the United States and Canada serving their local communities in areas such as STEAM/academic enrichment, workforce development, and nonprofit services for underserved and under-represented groups. One grant will be awarded each month through March 2023. Guidelines and the online application are available on the CREATE ACTION website. Application Deadline: Nov. 30, 2022; Dec. 31, 2022; Jan. 31, 2023; Feb, 28, 2023; and Mar. 31, 2023.
This program funds projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail. See the FY 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for more information. Application Deadline: Dec. 1, 2022.
The Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) funds fair housing organizations and other non-profits that assist individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination. FHIP provides funds to eligible organizations through competitive grants under several initiatives to carry out enforcement activities to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices and inform individuals of their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. Application Deadline: Dec. 5, 2022.
The purpose of the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program is to increase the knowledge of agricultural science and improve the nutritional health of children. The program’s goal is to increase the capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education within host organizations or entities, such as school cafeterias and classrooms, while fostering higher levels of community engagement between farms and school systems by bringing together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system. The initiative is part of a broader effort to not only increase access to school meals for low-income children, but also to dramatically improve their quality. Application Deadline: Dec. 8, 2022.
Mosaic is a national grantmaking initiative that seeks to amplify the power of the environmental field in the United States by strengthening movement infrastructure. Mosaic has launched a $5.5 million Movement Infrastructure request for proposals (RFP) to support local to national movement infrastructure that enhances diverse and collaborative engagement on four major policies and efforts intersecting with the environmental and justice communities—the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Justice40, and 30x30. The goal is to move resources quickly to maximize the climate, environmental, and community benefits now possible, and ensure no community bears disproportionate burdens as this effort unfolds. Mosaic seeks proposals that advance six areas of field-wide movement infrastructure: communications, leadership development, advocacy tools and training, data and information, relationships and trust, and philanthropic innovation. Application Deadline: Dec. 9, 2022.
Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants (BLAG) enable State and local governments to permanently protection historic battlefield lands through fee simple acquisition or through the purchase of an interest in the land through a preservation covenant. ABPP administers Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants using funds appropriated from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Application Deadline: Dec. 31, 2022.
This program helps qualified, private nonprofits provide technical assistance and training to identify and evaluate solutions to water and waste problems; helps applicants prepare applications for water and waste disposal loans/grants; and helps associations improve the operation and maintenance of water and waste facilities in eligible rural areas. Application Deadline: to RD State Office on Dec. 31, 2022.
USDA Rural Development offers funds to organizations to provide technical assistance and/or training to improve the planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas. Application Deadline: Dec. 31, 2022.
USDA Rural Development loan and grant program that provides zero-interest loans and grants to current and former eligible Rural Utilities Service borrowers to then use the funds to help local businesses finance projects to create and retain jobs or finance community facility projects. Application Deadline: to RD State Office on a quarterly basis - Dec. 31, 2022, Mar. 31, 2023, and June 30, 2023.
USDA Rural Development program provides loans and grants to a non-profit entity, tribe or institution of higher education as a Microenterprise Development Organization (MDO) to establish revolving loan funds to provide loans to rural microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs. Application Deadline: to RD State Office on a quarterly basis - Dec. 31, 2022, Mar. 31, 2023, and June 30, 2023.
USDA Rural Development program which provides low-interest loans to local lenders or “intermediaries” that re-lend the funds to businesses to improve economic conditions and create new opportunities in rural communities. Application Deadline: to RD State Office on a quarterly basis - Dec. 31, 2022, Mar. 31, 2023, and June 30, 2023.
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, released today a notice of federal funding availability for Public Health AmeriCorps through AmeriCorps’ State and National program. The 2023 grants competition prioritizes programs working to address community public health needs, including health inequities exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic, and is open to nonprofit, faith-based, tribal and community-based organizations; higher-education institutions; state, local and territorial government entities, including local public health departments. Application Deadline: Jan. 4, 2023.
The Competitive Grants for Rail Vehicle Replacement Program (Rail Program) assists States and local governmental authorities in funding capital projects to replace rail rolling stock. The purpose of the Rail Program is to modernize America’s transit system, focusing on maintaining a State of Good Repair for fixed-guideway rail transit. Eligible projects are the replacement of rail rolling stock. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will host a webinar to discuss the requirements of the funding opportunity and how to apply: Nov. 3, 2022, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Register here. Application Deadline: Jan. 5, 2023.
The Farm to School Grant Program provides funding to plan, establish, and/or sustain a Farm to School program that improves access to local foods and nutrition/agriculture resources in schools. U. S. Department of Agriculture USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will conduct two webinars providing additional information and resources for this grant program.
Application Deadline: Jan. 6, 2023.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Public Programs is accepting applications for the Public Humanities Projects program. The purpose of this program is to support projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life for general audiences through in-person, hybrid, or virtual programming. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history. Application Deadline: Jan. 11, 2023.
Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants support the implementation of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans that are expected to achieve the following three core goals: 1. Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood; 2. People: Improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to employment and income, health, and children’s education; and 3. Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families’ choices about their community. Application Deadline: Jan. 11, 2023.
The Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) awards grant funds to eligible national and regional nonprofit organizations and consortia to purchase home sites and develop or improve the infrastructure needed to set the stage for sweat equity and volunteer-based homeownership programs for low-income persons and families. Through this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), HUD is making $12,500,000 of FY 2022 SHOP Program grant funds available to national and regional nonprofit organizations. Application Deadline: Jan. 23, 2022.
HUD is providing Capital Advance funding and project rental subsidies for the development and ongoing operation of supportive rental housing for very low-income persons, aged 62 years or older. This funding, leveraged with other financing sources, will expand affordable housing opportunities that are physically designed and that have a robust set of services that will allow seniors to live independently and age in community. Application Deadline: Jan. 25, 2022.
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The BRIC program guiding principles are supporting communities through capability- and capacity-building; encouraging and enabling innovation; promoting partnerships; enabling large projects; maintaining flexibility; and providing consistency. Application Deadline: Jan. 27, 2023.
The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribal governments, and local governments to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Application Deadline: Jan. 27, 2023.
The purpose of this program is to promote the planning and development of integrated rural health care networks to: (i) achieve efficiencies; (ii) expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services and associated health outcomes; and (iii) strengthen the rural health care system as a whole. Application Deadline: Jan. 27, 2023.
The purpose of this grant program is to increase the number of rural family medicine, internal medicine, and other high need specialty residency training programs and Rural Track Programs (RTPs) in order to support expansion of the rural physician workforce in areas of demonstrated need. Application Deadline: Jan. 27, 2023.
This program assists rural small businesses and agricultural producers by conducting and promoting energy audits and providing Renewable Energy Development Assistance (REDA). Application Deadline: Jan. 31, 2023.
The National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program (Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) Program) is an annual competitive grant program that awards grants to eligible entities for projects for the replacement, removal, and repair of culverts or weirs that meaningfully improve or restore fish passage for anadromous fish. Anadromous fish species are born in freshwater such as streams and rivers, spend most of their lives in the marine environment, and migrate back to freshwater to spawn. Application Deadline: Feb. 6, 2023.
The GusNIP Nutrition Incentive Program presents the opportunity to bring together stakeholders from various parts of the food and healthcare systems to foster understanding of how they might improve the health and nutrition status of participating households. Application Deadlines: Mar. 15, 2023.
USDA Rural Development funding for agriculture producers and rural small businesses to purchase, install, and construct renewable energy systems or complete energy efficiency improvements. Application Deadline: Mar. 31, 2023.
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) has published the Fiscal Year 2021-2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Research and National Technical Assistance projects. This NOFO makes $1.5 million available for Research and Evaluation (R&E) projects and $1.0 million available for National Technical Assistance (NTA) projects. Application Deadline: There are no submission deadlines under this NOFO. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the termination of this NOFO or publication of a superseding RNTA NOFO.
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) offers this new Multi-State Funding for applicants to highlight partnerships across multiple states and provide a plan that showcases the economic impact of proposed project. Application Deadline: Accepted on a Rolling Basis.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) offers three programs that promote digital inclusion and advance equity for all to ensure all communities have affordable access and can use the internet to improve their lives.
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State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program: A $60M formula grant program for states, territories and tribal governments to develop digital equity plans.
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State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program: A $1.44 billion formula grant program for states, territories, and tribal governments. It will fund an annual grant program for five years in support of digital equity projects and the implementation of digital equity plans.
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Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program: A $1.25 billion grant program. It will fund annual grant programs for five years to implement digital equity projects.
The State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program is currently open. The other two programs will open later. Download the Program Information Sheet.
The Local and Tribal Road Safety Mentoring, Assistance, Training, and Communication Help (MATCH) Program provides FREE, broad-based technical assistance to local and tribal agencies facing roadway safety challenges. The program connects agencies requesting assistance with volunteers who have specific expertise to help successfully address the identified challenges. Fill out and submit this form to request technical assistance. The form must be submitted by a public agency. Once the application form is submitted, the MATCH Coordinator will then contact the requestor to gather more information and determine the best approach for providing technical assistance.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and FedEx have teamed up to create the Small Business Readiness for Resiliency (R4R) Program. This program helps small businesses prepare for a disaster and offers immediate relief funding for those prepared businesses when a disaster strikes their region. More than 100 grants of $5,000 each are expected to be distributed between June 2022 and May 2023.
Virtual Living Room® is an Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) grant program that blends rural technology, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) resources, and local support to encourage veteran use of advanced medical technologies. Virtual Living Room® saves veterans travel time and costs while enabling connections to skilled physicians and other providers in the VA medical system such as telehealth and other online resources. Application Deadline: Ongoing.
Housing Assistance Council (HAC) provides short-term loans at below market interest rates to local nonprofits, for-profits, and government entities that are working to develop affordable housing for low-income, rural communities. Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
USDA Rural Development is seeking applications to implement projects supported by regional economic and community development planning to help the people of rural America build back better. Covered programs include Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program, Community Facilities Loan Guarantee Program, Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loan and Grant Program, Water and Waste Disposal Loan Guarantees, Rural Business Development Grants, and Community Connect Grants. Applicants must meet the requirements and deadlines under the covered programs.
This program provides funding to assist in the development of essential community facilities in rural communities with extreme unemployment and severe economic depression. An essential community facility is one that provides an essential service to the local community, is needed for the orderly development of the community, serves a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings. Application Deadline: Open.
USDA Seeks Applications to Support Regional Economic and Community
Development Planning to Help Rural People
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking applications to implement projects supported by regional economic and community development planning to help the people of rural America build back better. The 2018 Farm Bill authorized USDA to make this funding available under the Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) initiative. It can be used to implement projects that are supported by multi-jurisdictional and multi-sectoral strategic community investment plans. In fiscal year 2022, this funding is available under the following USDA Rural Development programs:
To be eligible for SECD reserved funding, applicants must meet the requirements and deadlines under the
covered programs. Applicants must also submit a Form 1980-88 to USDA. See additional requirements below.
For more information on requirements and deadlines under the covered programs, visit www.rd.usda.gov. For additional information on SECD funding, see page 57409 of the Oct. 15, 2021, Federal Register.
The Community Innovation (CI) grant program is a flexible program that invests in great ideas and the people who power them across our region. CI grants fund the most promising ideas, across issue areas that have the potential to make our region better for everyone. Through this program, the Bush Foundation aims to:
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Develop, test and spread great ideas: CI grants invest in efforts to develop and test ideas to solve problems and create opportunity, and then spread the best ideas across communities.
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Inspire, equip and connect leaders: Great ideas spread through people. CI grants invest in efforts to inspire, equip and connect leaders to more effectively lead change.
There is no application deadline for our Community Innovation grants — applications are accepted year-round. The Bush Foundation strongly suggests that all potential applicants schedule a call with the Bush Foundation team before putting together an application.
T-Mobile partnered with Smart Growth America and Main Street America, two consulting partners with a combined experience of over 60 years working to help build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities. With our Hometown Grant program, we’re investing big in small towns by awarding up to 100 towns a year with project funding—up to $50,000 each. Applications will be open on a quarterly basis with the following schedule:
- Spring: Applications open January – March
- Summer: Applications open April – June
- Fall: Applications open July – September
- Winter: Applications open October – December
USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Emergency Rural Health Care Grants are designed to help broaden access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines, rural health care services, and food assistance through food banks and food distribution facilities. Recovery Grants provide immediate relief to address the economic conditions arising from the COVID-19 emergency. Application Deadline: Until all funds are exhausted.
Community Response Projects are supported for up to $5,000 over a 6-month time frame and will be awarded to community-based organizations that provide supports to people with developmental disabilities who have been affected by a local, statewide, or national, natural disasters. This can include, but is not limited to, addressing concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Community Response Project funding should be used to develop training or increase accessibility to information for individuals with developmental disabilities and their family members. This funding opportunity is year round/ongoing/rolling.
USDA Rural Development helps private lenders provide affordable financing to qualified borrowers to improve access to clean, reliable water and waste disposal systems in rural areas. Application Deadline: Ongoing.
USDA Rural Development loans and loan guarantees for the construction, maintenance, improvement, and expansion of telephone service and broadband in rural areas. Application Deadline: Ongoing.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.
The electric program makes insured loans and loan guarantees to nonprofit and cooperative associations, public bodies, and other utilities. Insured loans primarily finance the construction of electric distribution facilities in rural areas. The guaranteed loan program has been expanded and is now available to finance generation, transmission, and distribution facilities. The loans and loan guarantees finance the construction of electric distribution, transmission, and generation facilities, including system improvements and replacement required to furnish and improve electric service in rural areas, as well as demand side management, energy conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems. Application Deadline: Ongoing.
Who may apply? Most retail or power supply providers serving qualified rural areas, including:
- State and local governmental entities
- Federally recognized tribes
- Nonprofits including cooperatives and limited dividend or mutual associations
- For-profit businesses (must be a corporation or limited liability company)
This program helps very small, financially distressed rural communities with predevelopment feasibility studies, design and technical assistance on proposed water and waste disposal projects. Application Deadline: Ongoing.
Who may apply?
- Most state and local governmental entities
- Nonprofits
- Federally recognized tribes
The Emergency Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program, an FAIC program supported under a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, aims to support museums impacted by disasters. The goal of a CAP is to improve the care of collections for museums with limited resources. Two assessors, a collections care/conservation specialist and a building specialist, are selected by the affected museums. The assessors will provide specific guidance on prioritizing what actions will have the greatest impact for collections care. The Emergency CAP focuses on providing recommendations for assessing risk, improving impacted facilities, and other recovery strategies to help care for collections affected by an emergency incident.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and the assessments are completed on a timeline established by the requesting museum. Over a two-day site visit, the two assessors will evaluate what are the most immediate collections threats and later provide a report to the institution with their recommendations for moving forward. Institutions should apply as soon as they are able.
This program is available for U.S./Tribal/Territory museums of any size with at least one full time staff member or volunteer(s) totaling 40 hours per week. Collections must be made available to the public through exhibitions or research regularly. Larger institutions will receive a more narrowly focused report due to the amount of information that can be gathered during a two-day site visit. Museums interested in applying for an Emergency CAP should contact program staff at cap@culturalheritage.org or 202.750.3346.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) Program is offering up to $2.5 million to provide tools and resources that integrate technology into all levels of society. The S&CC program is intended to bring increased levels of economic opportunity & growth, safety & security, health & wellness, accessibility & inclusivity, and overall quality of life to communities.
Competitive applicants should work alongside community stakeholders to identify and define challenges they are facing to establish research priorities. NSF highly encourages research that addresses fundamental technological and social science dimensions of smart and connected communities and considers the sustainability of the research outcomes beyond the life of the project.
All interested in conducting science & technology research and development are welcome to apply. No match is required. Applications for the Smart and Connected Communities program are rolling and will be awarded on a first-come basis.
USDA Rural Development partners with lenders to guarantee loans to help eligible entities expand meat and poultry processing capacity and finance other food supply chain infrastructure. Fact Sheet. Federal Register. Application Deadline: Until funds are exhausted.
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