Rural Community Development Initiative Grants in Michigan

The Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) grants program provides funding to assist non-profit housing and community development organizations, low-income rural communities, and federally recognized tribes in supporting housing, community facilities, and community and economic development projects in rural areas. Grant recipients utilize funds to provide technical assistance and capacity-building training to sub-grantees, helping them conduct homeownership education, entrepreneurship education, strategic plan development, alternative funding research, and board training, as well as creating instructional materials such as guides, workbooks, and videos.

Eligible applicants include public bodies, non-profit organizations, qualified private (for-profit) organizations, and federally recognized tribes. Projects must serve eligible rural communities, defined as any area outside a city or town with a population exceeding 50,000 and its adjacent urbanized areas. Applicants are required to provide matching funds equal to the amount of the grant requested, and in-kind contributions are not allowable as match.

Applications are accepted on an annual basis following the publication of a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in the Federal Register. Prospective applicants should contact the USDA Rural Development Michigan State Office to review requirements prior to preparing an application, as application development may take several weeks to months.