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

 

EFC logo

 

Loan Programs & Rates

Do you need financing for affordable housing, environmental infrastructure, community facilities or small businesses? RCAC’s Loan Fund could be a perfect fit! Our rates are competitive, our staff is easy to work with and they provide quick turnaround on applications. Give us a call to discuss your project in detail. RCAC is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), with an Aeris rating of 4 Stars AA plus Policy Plus.

Programs & Rates At-A-Glance

  • Recent News

    May 23, 2019

    Affordable housing in northern California after wildfire last year still elusive for many families

    By some estimates, more than 1,000 families are still homeless around Paradise in rural Butte County after losing their homes in the Camp Fire wildfires, contributing to a growing homelessness crisis.

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  • Upcoming Events

    May 29

    Financial Policies and Procedures for Small Water Systems

    “Do We Have a Policy for That?” Your financial policies are the blueprint to building a successful, sustainable water utility. Are yours up to date and complete? Polishing your policies can be the cornerstone to providing guidance in decision making, promoting staff efficiency and productivity, and safe guarding assets.

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  • Making an Impact

    Success Story Highlight

    RCAC loans help rural communities expand healthcare services

    Española, N. M. – When Felicia Rodriguez found herself pregnant at age 16, she was very nervous, as are many expectant mothers. And that didn’t change when in later years she gave birth to two more children. Despite the anxiety surrounding childbirth, Rodriguez also remembers the profound joy at the thought of her newborn. At each birth, Rodriguez was at a hospital, but as a Medicaid patient, she was still responsible for covering some of the costs. Moreover, there were logistics to consider ...

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    Video Highlight

    Arctic Box Repair

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.

Irma Casteneda_Chaparral-web

  • 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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