Success Stories Archive

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 provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. For more than 40 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.

Success Stories

Success stories are a compilation of staff written success stories and case studies that highlight our impact in rural communities.

Thursday, Nov 19, 2020

Wells Fargo funding ensures Hawaii families receive essential housing counseling services

Even during the best of times, Hawaii Community Assets (HCA) faces an uphill battle to provide housing counseling for its service area. Jeff Gilbreath, HCA’s director of lending and development, said the cost of living in Hawaii is consistently among the highest in the world, making economic mobility for would-be homeowners seem out of reach.
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Wednesday, Oct 28, 2020

Workshop-in-a-box leads to big collaborations for RCAC

Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s long running “workshop-in-a-box” (WIAB) has recently been a source of unexpected opportunities in rural Utah. Funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA), RCAC created the workshops in 2012 in partnership with USDA and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Building Rural Economies program adapts and thrives in the new normal

RCAC’s BRE program has been a resounding success since it first launched in 2015. The BRE team served 30 plus communities; and their efforts generated millions in investments and created or saved hundreds of jobs. The team is known for its adaptability when dealing with diverse communities in the rural West.
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Tuesday, Sep 22, 2020

Wells Fargo Foundation grant supports housing counseling services to Northern California Tribes

Dana Novoa, NCIHA’s sole housing counselor, travels as far as Butte County, a three-hour journey one way, to provide services for Tribal families.
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Thursday, Aug 20, 2020

Backup generators invaluable during crises

Utilities in Lake County, California, have proven resilient in the face of adversity during the past several years. Wildfires have consistently posed the largest, but not the sole, threat. The summer of 2019 marked the first Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), creating a new set of challenges for small water systems.
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Success Stories

Wells Fargo funding ensures Hawaii families receive essential housing counseling services

Workshop-in-a-box leads to big collaborations for RCAC

Building Rural Economies program adapts and thrives in the new normal

Wells Fargo Foundation grant supports housing counseling services to Northern California Tribes

Backup generators invaluable during crises