COVID-19 SPECIAL EDITION

In this issue:

In a time of crisis, new partnerships emerge to provide payroll relief

Like most small businesses, the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of San Luis Obispo considered March on track to be a typical month. The thriving nonprofit organization has provided critical community services for California’s central coast since 1987. Read more

RCAC joins collaborative effort to distribute cloth masks

As the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies developed plans to address the COVID-19 pandemic, Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) joined a major endeavor to distribute hundreds of thousands of cloth facemasks to water and wastewater operators in Arizona, California and Nevada. Read more

Bank of America grant funds PPE kits for water and wastewater operators in the rural west

A generous Bank of America grant is allowing Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) to procure and distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) to rural water and wastewater systems. Read more

Self-help perseveres through pandemic

More than 85 percent of the self-help grantees RCAC works with are still in construction with modified construction processes, this is no small feat. U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development has been an admirable partner and shown great flexibility, allowing grantees to change the way they work while still adhering to the program’s intent. Grantees have adopted new procedures to promote social distancing, keep jobsites as safe as possible and keep families building their homes. Read more

Looking for a new and exciting career path?

Join our passionate team and 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. Apply today!

Biomass Utilization Fund

The Biomass Utilization Fund (BUF) was allocated $17 million in federal funds to help finance new or expanding businesses located or locating in Tuolumne County that are capable of using the available biomass from the surrounding forests and provide an alternative to pile burning of forest waste. California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) partnered with Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) to lead the effort to establish a new Biomass Utilization Fund to encourage the use of forest biomass and increase community and forest resilience. HCD and SNC have entered into an agreement with RCAC to manage the Biomass Utilization Fund. Learn more about the fund and apply!

Conference and Workshop Highlights

How to Conduct Virtual Board Meetings — Free online webinar

July 1 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (Pacific Time)

In this 1.5 hour webinar, trainers will walk through critical considerations and aspects of conducting a virtual public meeting. Due to the worldwide pandemic, many communities and organizations need to hold virtual board meetings to conduct business. This webinar is intended to provide useful starting information so boards can hold successful and functional virtual meetings.

Registration information