Foundation Grants
Community Vital Signs
About Us
Bank Brings Together Experts to Discuss Funding for Rural Projects
Foundation: Bloomberg Philanthropies
"Too often, small towns and rural communities do not receive economic investments that are needed to bring good ideas to reality," says Jason Smith, a senior community development advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond in Virginia.
That's why the bank is creating a Rural Investment Collaborative to help those communities get the money they need, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
"On the demand side, rural regions have less people who can develop strong project proposals with a business case to attract investment," Smith says in a press release.
"On the supply side, different sources of capital are not well aligned to finance strong rural proposals."
That's especially true in small towns and rural areas, where "a deal requires money from 10 different places, with different hoops to jump through and the need for matching funds to make a project work," according to the press release.
The Rural Investment Collaborative will work with a steering group of rural hubs across the Fifth District to provide training that can help more communities develop strong project proposals.
"Current systems make it hard for small communities to access capital," Smith says.
"For example, sometimes a deal requires money from 10 different places, with different hoops to jump through and the need for matching funds to make a project work."
Read the Entire Article
Selected Foundation News
A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.
Research supports arts education integrated into traditional classrooms and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs for growing industries.CTE is a viable and growing partner with the arts in...more
The Seattle Black Film Festival (SBFF) is back once again to bring Seattleites a taste of Black cinema from local, national, and international filmmakers.The documentary is composed of interviews of...more
Foundation: Arkansas Community Foundation
The Faulkner County Urban Farm Project (UFP) has been awarded three competitive grants totaling $3,600 so far in 2025.The grants will bolster its efforts to address food insecurity and promote food...more
Jamestown Tarp Skunks Announce 2025 Season Schedule.The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League team will begin their season at home against the Batavia Muckdogs at 6:30 p.m., May 29.July 25th's show...more
Lincoln Commons will be a community gathering space in central Sioux Falls.The project is the first step in a multipronged partnership to turn a green space into a neighborhood asset.The goal was to...more
Preparations Underway for 13th Annual Warren Gives Event.The annual 16-hour online donation event set for Wednesday, May 14th, starting at 6:00AM.This year's event features 110 participating...more
The Community Foundation of Teton Valley is thrilled to announce 2025 Competitive Grant Awardees.Awardees gathered at the Teton Geo Center to celebrate the $85,000 granted to support critical...more
Foundation: Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, Cemala Foundation
Residents are being invited to provide input regarding the "vision for the Future of Downtown Greensboro" The Thrive35 Vision Plan that's now under discussion will take community suggestions into...more
Coastside Gives aims to raise $1.6 million and hit the 10-year mark in a big way.Event's strength lies in its collaborative nature, executive director says.Event also raises awareness about the wide...more
The Lawton Community Foundation is awarding $41,750 in scholarships to 19 high school seniors.The students, their parents, community partners and donors will be honored at a breakfast hosted by the...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
10 Social Enterprise Success Stories across Europe
EU-Startups features 10 success stories about social enterprises across Europe making positive, social impact while making money at the same time.