In this issue:

RCAC Loan Fund lends nearly $20 million to rural communities

West Sacramento, Calif. – In the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2017, Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) closed 25 loans totaling more than $19 million to assist rural communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Read more

W.K. Kellogg Foundation funding helps increase Native Community Development Financial Institutions’ capacity to work with Native American communities

West Sacramento, Calif. – The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recently made a $1 million Program Related Investment (PRI) and a $1 million companion grant to Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) in support of the Rainmakers Investment Collaborative (Collaborative). Read more

RCAC is growing!

Join our passionate team, committed to make a difference in rural communities throughout the West! We work in diverse and low-income communities to increase access to affordable housing and safe drinking water, promote economic opportunity and job creation, and provide financing for community and economic development projects. We have several positions currently open including Financial Rural Development Specialist serving the Reno, Nevada area and Housing Rural Development Specialist serving the western U.S. For details on job opportunities at RCAC check out our Careers page.

RCAC seeks Yoneo Ono Award nominees

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 hopes to encourage further rural volunteer activities by acknowledging the accomplishments of a select few.  Award criteria and nomination form

Lead in schools

California schools built before 2010 must test their water for lead according to a new state law (AB 746), which was signed by Gov. Brown last fall. Schools can ask local water districts to test for lead contamination at no cost. There are inexpensive procedures to mitigate contamination, and various new and old funding sources are available to schools to help address adverse water results. Download a step-by-step process to provide safe drinking water to your students.

Free resource-Wastewater operator exam practice quizes

WaterOperator.org shared Royceu.com in its Newsletter #208 for Feb. 21, 2018. Royceu.com offers a selection of FREE practice quizzes to test your knowledge on various wastewater topics.

Editor’s Note: This is a for-profit site and this link to the company’s free resources does not constitute endorsement of their paid services by WaterOperator.org or RCAC.

Need financing?

RCAC offers a wide variety of loan products to assist nonprofit organizations, Tribal and public bodies and business owners with programs for affordable housing, infrastructure, community facilities and small businesses. Our Loan Fund team is easy to work with and provides quick turnaround on applications. Visit our site for details on our new Idaho SRF – Household Septic System Program, which provides low-interest rate loans and/or grants to refurbish or replace individual septic systems.

Conference and Workshop Calendar

Special Event: CalTAP fair

Join us in beautiful Long Beach, California, and learn about California Technical Assistance Providers (CalTAP) programs, funded by the California State Water Resources Control Board. These programs provide onsite technical assistance and free workshops, as well as many other resources, for water professionals throughout California. This CalTAP Fair for Water Systems qualifies for six (6) contact hours. (Lunch is one hour and on your own.)

March 15 – 8:30 am to 4:00 pm

The Westin Long Beach
333 E Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90802

Register here >>

 

Network News, published monthly, is a compilation of timely news, announcements and accomplishments produced for the rural development world at no cost to subscribers. We encourage correspondence and welcome contributions. Subscribe here

Chief Executive Officer: Stanley Keasling
Managing Editor: Sharon Wills

RCAC
3120 Freeboard Drive, Suite 201
West Sacramento, CA 95691

Network News is funded by: RCAC’s Loan Fund and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

For further information on RCAC’s services or additional office locations, visit www.rcac.org or call (916) 447-2854.

RCAC is the western RCAP partner.