Where: Coolidge, Arizona

Problem: Rural and Indigenous communities lack financial resources

Solution: RCAC provides technical assistance to secure grants and loans

The Pinal Hispanic Council (PHC) is in Coolidge, Arizona in Pinal County. According to the 2020 U.S. census, Coolidge has a population of around 13,324, with 52.7 percent being Hispanic. The median household income (MHI) is $51,512 and 18 percent of the population is at or below the poverty line. Pinal Hispanic Council currently provides outpatient services to children, youth, adults and families experiencing issues concerning mental health, domestic violence, child abuse and relationships.

RCAC provided technical assistance to the Pinal Hispanic Council to apply for a total of $3.75 million funding from the United States Department of Agriculture—Rural Development (USDA RD) to support the construction of a new behavioral health center. The total cost of the project is $4.75 million and PHC  committed $1 million of its own funding.

RCAC’s ongoing coordination and application assistance supported the approval of a  USDA RD loan package. This is a complex application package that can prove cumbersome for capacity-challenged rural nonprofit organizations. RD staff also have demanding workloads, so RCAC staff assisted with coordinating and tracking the application requirements.

Technical assistance for all community facility loan and grant programs is greatly needed to ensure local entities and nonprofit organizations can access these critical funds to serve their communities.