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Rural Community Development Initiative Grants is sponsored by USDA Rural Housing Service. This program awards grants to qualified private, nonprofit, and public (including tribal) intermediary organizations to carry out financial and technical assistance programs.
The intermediary provides a program of financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development in rural areas.
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**Official websites use** A **. gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
**Secure websites use HTTPS** Rural Development U.S. Department of Agriculture * Rural Business-Cooperative Service * Rural Utilities Service * Healthy Food Financing Initiative * Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development * Substantially Underserved Trust Area (SUTA) * Cybersecurity for Water and Wastewater Systems * Community Facilities Programs * Multifamily Housing Programs * Single Family Housing Programs * Telecommunications Programs * Water & Environmental Programs * Program Support Services * General Terms and Conditions * General Terms and Conditions - Legacy View all General Terms and Conditions * For Water & Environmental Engineers * Rural Development Disaster Assistance View all Programs & Services * Stakeholder Announcements ### **Ohio Feed Mill Modernizes with USDA Lending Partnership** Towering over the main intersection of Baltic, Ohio, is the Gerber & Sons, Inc. feed mill.
Since it first started in 1905, this family-owned business in rural Holmes County has produced custom feed mix and bulk feed for local livestock and poultry farmers...
* Publications for Cooperatives * Regulations and Guidance View all Regulations and Guidance * Guaranteed Underwriting System (GUS) * LINC Contact and Resources View all LINC Training Library * RD Forms Help and How To Videos ### Human Resources Inquiries ### **Existing Home Loan Borrower Inquiries** PO Box 66889 St. Louis, MO 63166 1. [](https://www.
rd. usda. gov/) 3.
Community Facilities Programs 4.
Rural Community Development Initiative Grants * Community Facilities Programs * Multifamily Housing Programs * Single Family Housing Programs * Telecommunications Programs * Water & Environmental Programs * Program Support Services * General Terms and Conditions * General Terms and Conditions - Legacy * For Water & Environmental Engineers * Rural Development Disaster Assistance # Rural Community Development Initiative Grants Program Application Period: Applications will be accepted after the publication of a funding notice.
To begin, contact a program official in your state (see contact tab below) to review the requirements for completing an application. The preparation process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the application and the completeness of the materials provided. For state specific information: Federal Register NoticeGrants.
gov Posting **What does this program do? ** RCDI grants are awarded to help non-profit housing and community development organizations, low-income rural communities and federally recognized tribes support housing, community facilities and community and economic development projects in rural areas. **Who may apply for this program?
** * Non-profit organizations * Qualified Private (for-profit) Organizations * Federally recognized Tribes **What is an eligible area? ** Any area other than a city or town with a population greater than 50,000, and the area adjacent to such a city or town. **How can funds be used?
** To improve housing, community facilities, and community and economic development projects in rural areas. Rural Community Development Initiative grants may be used for, but are not limited to: **Training sub-grantees to conduct**: 1. Homeownership education 2.
Business entrepreneur education **Providing technical assistance to sub-grantees on** 2. Finding alternative funding sources 4. Creating training tools, such as videos, workbooks, and reference guides **What kind of funding is available?
** * Minimum grant award is $50,000; maximum grant award is $500,000 * Grant funds are limited and are awarded through a competitive process **Are matching funds required? ** * Matching fund requirement equal to amount of grant * In-kind contributions cannot be used as matching funds * Partnerships with other federal, state, local, private and nonprofit entities are encouraged **How do we get started?
** * Applications are accepted on an annual basis through a Notice of Funding Opportunity(NOFO) in the Federal Register * Program Resources are available online (includes forms needed, guidance, certifications etc.) **Who can answer questions? ** **What governs this program? ** Code of Federal Regulation;2 CFR 200 and Guidelines announced in NOFO, published in the Federal Register.
NOTE: Because citations and other information may be subject to change please always consult the program Instructions listed in the section above titled "What Law Governs this Program?" You may also contact your State Officefor assistance. **NOTE**: If state specific forms are not shown above, please refer to the application materials listed below to start the process of applying.
Please ensure that your state is selected in the dropdown menu above to find the State Office contact information for this program and speak to a Community Programs Specialist before attempting to fill out any forms or applications. This will save you valuable time in the process. **Application Information:** An application package can be downloaded from Grants.
gov For more information about this program, or to file an application, contact the Rural Development State Office contact. There are no other additional requirements at the national level. If there are additional state-specific requirements they will be listed above.
Please find your State Office contact or select your state in the dropdown menu above to find your local contact for this program. * Report Fraud on USDA Contracts * Architectural Barriers Act * USDA Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement * Non-Discrimination Statement Rural Development U.S. Department of Agriculture
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; State governments; For-profit organizations other than small businesses; City or township governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); Small businesses; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Special district governments; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Independent school districts; County governments; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Private institutions of higher education. The intermediary organization must have been legally organized for a minimum of 3 years and have at least 3 years prior experience. The intermediary is required to provide matching funds. All recipients and beneficiaries must be located in a city or town with a population of 50,000 or less. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $50,000 - $500,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Rural Community Development Initiative Grants is funded by USDA Rural Housing Service. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
USDA's Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant funds nonprofits to capitalize a revolving loan fund for household wells and septic systems: 1 percent fixed, 20-year terms, $15,000 maximum per household. The application window closes September 30, 2026. The program is chronically under-subscribed for one structural reason — the 10 percent priority-point contribution cannot be in-kind. Here is the full instrument analysis and what it takes to win.
Read articleWhile applicants chase fixed federal deadlines, USDA Rural Development keeps roughly $4.1 billion moving through programs with no deadline at all — Community Facilities, Water & Waste Disposal, and Business & Industry loans that accept applications year-round. But 2026 brought a quiet shake-up: REAP grants paused, RBDG's competitive window closed. Here is the map of what's open, what's frozen, and how rural organizations should work a rolling pipeline.
Read articleOn July 2, 2026, USDA Rural Development rescinded the FY2025 RCDI funding notice to rewrite it around new policy priorities — voiding pending applications for a small-but-strategic program that builds the capacity of rural nonprofits. Here is what RCDI funds, why the mid-cycle pull fits a larger 2026 pattern, and the concrete moves intermediaries should make now so they are ready the day a new NOFO drops.
Read article