Building Rural Economies

RCAC’s programs and services deliver solutions to complex community needs. Our local presence allows us to develop partnerships with communities to identify needs, set goals, and select the best options to meet those goals. RCAC and our partners provide the tools to create change and growth, but the communities chart their own course. Collaboration, plus community effort will equal community change. How can we help you?

RCAC’s Loan Fund is a financial resource for rural communities. The Loan Fund fills financing gaps and serves in unconventional markets. We offer loans for affordable housing development, environmental infrastructure, community facilities and small businesses in rural locations.

Decent housing, safe drinking water, education, financing, jobs, community facilities, leadership, families are the many facets to RCAC's work.

RCAC expands the knowledge base of the rural public through education and training. Our training expertise is in technical, financial, and administrative issues that affect rural communities. We take great pride in our professional trainer team's capacity and effectiveness. Our trainers maximize audience participation to keep trainings relevant and memorable.

RCAC's news and publications are a compilation of timely news, announcements and accomplishments produced for the rural development world.

Sub-standard housing and poverty are commonplace in low-income rural communities. Many of these communities also face daunting challenges to access safe, clean drinking water and to develop other vital infrastructure. These issues are often overlooked in policy because rural communities lack the resources, training or social networks that are found in urban areas. Learn how you can advocate for the under-served population in the West.

Founded in 1978, RCAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that partners with rural and Indigenous communities to achieve their vision and well being through technical assistance, training, financial resources and advocacy. For more than 45 years, our dedicated staff and active board, coupled with our key values: leadership, collaboration, commitment, quality and integrity, have helped effect positive change in rural communities across the West. Learn more about who we are and how we operate.

Building Rural Economies

The BRE program partners with local organizations in communities across the rural West working to:

Implement community economic development projects that help encourage additional investments
Develop the supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem needed for local business to thrive
Increase local entrepreneurship and job creation

Smart Growth (Sustainable Communities)

BRE’s Smart Growth focus builds the capacity of local partner organizations to identify, plan and implement catalytic community economic development projects. The community workshops, training and technical assistance BRE staff provide throughout this process empower partner organizations and their communities to build economic resiliency and create long-term sustainability.

Activities

Recharge Our Community’s Economy (ROCE) Workshop Series
Leadership Institute
Board Training
Strategic Action Planning
Partnership Development
Grant Planning
Capital Campaign Development
Asset Mapping
Project Feasibility Analysis

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

BRE’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystems focus builds the capacity of local partner organizations to develop and expand entrepreneurial ecosystems. The small business workshops, training and technical assistance BRE staff provide throughout this process increase the resources partner organizations have available to help entrepreneurs achieve their business startup and expansion goals.

Activities

Start, Grow, Revive Your Business (SGR) Workshop Series
Business Planning
Budgets Development
BreakEven Analysis
Developing a Business Pitch
Staffing Plan Development

Business Support

BRE’s Small Business Coaching focus provides targeted technical assistance to new and existing small businesses and non-profits that need direct coaching to improve operational sustainability, plan for the future and access capital needed to grow. These direct services help provide access to small business coaching in communities across the rural West.

Activities

Demand & Unique Value Proposition Analysis
Customer Identification
Business Plan Preparation
Operational & Management Skills Growth
Systems Analysis & Implementation
Marketing & Social Media Advertising
Financial Analysis & Planning
Training on Best Practices for Business Recovery

(Read more about Lewistown, MT in “Sew Pieceful in Lewistown, Montana” here.)

For more information, please contact RCAC’s main office at (916) 447-2854 and request Carol Cohen, assistant director – economic development, or complete our Request for Assistance.