Friday, Jan 11 2013 7:55PM
Rural towns may benefit from hosting CIRD workshops to improve their communities.
The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) is accepting applications from rural municipalities facing community design problems and plans to host workshops in 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The CIRD will provide a $7,000 grant and assistance to rural communities that submit applications. The workshops will bring together neighborhood leaders and CIRD professionals, who will instruct local organizations on how to strengthen economic community development. For example, CIRD specialists will broach topics relating to economic stimulation, job growth, housing and transportation issues and infrastructure.
Communities that are chosen to participate in these programs will also be required to provide $7,000 in matching funds, which will go toward improving a rural town or city's particular shortfalls, the USDA reports.
Several organizations provide grant funding to rural communities, but many of these grants are devoted toward a particular economic category, such as building affordable housing or providing access to clean water systems. The CIRD grant, in contrast, can be used for a wider variety of needs, ensuring that each individual community has funding to meet its unique goals.
For more information, check out this resource: The U.S. Department of Agriculture