In this issue:

A tribute to our friend and RCAC board member Richard Elías

On Saturday, March 28, 2020, we lost Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) Board Member Richard Elías. He passed away in his sleep. His death was sudden and shocked us all. We are heartbroken and his loss is deeply felt. Read more

A message from Suzanne Anarde, RCAC Chief Executive Officer

Dear friends and colleagues,

Like you, we continue to monitor the ever changing COVID-19 situation with concern. First and foremost, we are focused on the safety and health of our staff, their families and the communities we serve. We are monitoring Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updates, public health department warnings, school closures, staff health, at-risk or vulnerable staff and their families and tracking the number of corona virus cases in areas where we work. Read more

RCAC brings rate setting expertise to Gooding, Idaho

Like many rural American towns, Gooding Idaho walks a fine line when managing its water and wastewater systems. Gooding’s systems have many of the same needs as a larger city, less the greater number of connections that help spread the costs. Read more

New research prioritizes 10 lessons learned from rural water and wastewater partnerships

In March 2020, RCAP released a new report, “Resiliency Through Water and Wastewater System Partnerships: 10 Lessons from Community Leaders,” which looks at community utility partnerships from a rural and tribal perspective. As small communities across the country seek solutions for common economic, operational and compliance challenges, this research highlights the experiences of those who chose water and/or wastewater system partnerships as a solution. Read the 10 lessons here

Call for nominations!

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’s Board of Directors presents the award to the honoree during a reception held in their community, and a cash award is donated to a local charitable organization of the honoree’s choice. Nominate a rural volunteer today!

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. Check out our job opportunities

Celebrating 30+ years of lending

RCAC provides financing for affordable housing, environmental infrastructure, community facilities or small businesses. 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 and download our programs and rates at-a-glance flyer. RCAC is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), with an Aeris rating of 4 Stars AA plus Policy Plus. Learn more about our lending products

Conference and workshops

Special notice about COVID-19

RCAC is continually monitoring the COVID-19 situation, Center for Disease Control (CDC) updates and local public health department recommendations. Based on the latest information and out of an abundance of caution and concern for our staff and the communities we serve, we have made the decision to postpone in person workshops and transition some to online classes. Please check our website and your email for updates.

Thank you for your patience.

Visit the CDC website for more resources on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

RCAC trainings


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: Suzanne Anarde
Executive Editor: Dawn Van Dyke
Managing Editor: Sharon Wills

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

RCAC is the western RCAP partner.