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

 

Community Development Loans

Low interest, long- and short-term loans available for Tribes, Tribal communities and individual Native Americans in Arizona and New Mexico for small business, housing and community facility projects.

Details and Lending Contacts

  • Recent News

    Nov 19, 2019

    Report finds race is strongest predictor of safe water access

    A new report titled, “Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States” by DigDeep, a nonprofit organization that focuses on safe drinking water, and the US Water Alliance has produced some alarming findings that are getting national attention.

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  • Upcoming Events

    Feb 4 - 6

    2020 National Self-Help Housing Conference

    This will be a great opportunity for self-help grantees to learn and network with other grantees and USDA RD. There is no registration fee. Book your room online at www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/ALBUQ/G-RCAC. Use group code “G-RCAC” before January 20, 2020 to get the Self-Help Conference rate of $96.00 a night. 

    View Event  | Register

  • Making an Impact

    Success Story Highlight

    A week in the lives of Hawaii circuit riders

    Circuit rider programs are unique in RCAC’s world. Unlike project based technical assistance programs, the circuit rider program employs a team of locally based circuit riders that travel from community to community to target work one-on-one with local utility operators.

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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.

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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