Creating vibrant, healthy and enduring rural communities

Our mission

RCAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions.

Our vision

RCAC envisions vibrant, healthy and enduring rural communities throughout the West.

Core Values

  • Leadership: identifies innovative strategies to further rural community and economic development and inspires partners to achieve great outcomes
  • Collaboration: achieves superior results by respectfully and inclusively identifying partners
  • Commitment: works with passion and dedication to improve rural communities and the lives of their low-income residents
  • Quality: produces exceptional work products to help our partners meet their goals
  • Integrity: practices the highest professional standards and cultural competency in our work

Field offices and Environmental Finance Center

Project highlights map

 

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Yoneo Ono Outstanding Rural Volunteer Award

RCAC seeks nominations for the Yoneo Ono Rural Volunteer Award. The award honors rural people who have made significant lifelong contributions to their community in volunteer capacities. RCAC’s Board of Directors presents the award to the honoree during a reception held in their community, and a cash award is donated to a local charitable organization of the honoree’s choice. Nominations for the 2020 award are open until May 8!

Criteria and Nomination Form

  • Recent News

    Mar 30, 2020

    A tribute to our friend and RCAC board member Richard Elías

    On Saturday, March 28, 2020, we lost Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) Board Member Richard Elias. He passed away in his sleep. His death was sudden and shocked us all. We are heartbroken and his loss is deeply felt.

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  • Upcoming Events

    March 16

    Special notice about COVID-19

    RCAC is continually monitoring the COVID-19 situation, Center for Disease Control (CDC) updates and local public health department recommendations. Based on the latest information and out of an abundance of caution and concern for our staff and the communities we serve, we have made the decision to postpone in person workshops and transition some to online classes. Please check our website and your email for updates.

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  • Making an Impact

    Success Story Highlight

    RCAC celebrates safe drinking water program accomplishments

    Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s (RCAC) Agua4All program staff recently celebrated a major milestone: the first school project under the California State Water Resource Control Board’s Drinking Water for Schools (DWFS) grant. RCAC provided technical assistance to the Round Valley Unified School District in Covelo, California. The DWFS grant is itself a product of RCAC and partners’ advocacy work.

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    Video Highlight

    BRE: Lewistown, Montana's transformation

Programs & Services

RCAC works with low-income rural communities, where unemployment rates are high, housing is often sub-standard, and poverty is commonplace. Many of these communities also face daunting challenges to access affordable, safe drinking water and other vital infrastructure. Rural communities are often overlooked in the policy arena because they lack the resources, training or social network that larger communities have in place. RCAC includes Tribes and Native communities in all program areas.

Construction worker looking towards progress.

RCAC’s staff lives and works throughout the West. Our local presence allows us to develop partnerships with communities to identify needs, set goals, and select the best options to meet the goals. RCAC provides tools, through our programs and services, to create change and growth, but the communities chart their own course.

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  • Lending

    RCAC makes loans for affordable housing development, environmental infrastructure, community facilities and small businesses.

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  • Environmental

    RCAC works to make small community water, wastewater and solid waste systems sustainable.

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  • Housing

    RCAC partners with nonprofit housing organizations to develop, finance and operate affordable single- and multifamily housing.

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  • Native Communities

    RCAC works with Tribes and Native communities to maintain and develop drinking water, wastewater, solid waste and housing services.

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  • Community & Economic Development

    RCAC supports communities to create a vision, set goals and implement an action plan for community and economic development projects.

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    Programs & Services

  • Invest in & support RCAC

    We welcome donations and grants of any size for operating and program support. Help us meet the ever increasing demand for funds needed to sustain rural communities and small businesses. An investment in RCAC’s Loan Fund is an investment in your community.

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  • California Lenders License

    Licensed by the California Department of Business Oversight — #60DB0 83068

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  • How are we doing?

    Please take a few minutes and complete our customer satisfaction form to let us know how we’re doing. We are here for you.

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