Sustainable Community Grants
Northeast SARE and the Northeast Center for Rural Development offers grants to organizations such as community nonprofits, Cooperative Extension, local governments, educational institutions, planning boards, farming cooperatives, and incorporated citizens’ groups.
The purpose of the Sustainable Community Grants program is to reconnect rural revitalization and farming. Projects can address diverse issues such as land use, nutrition, employment, markets, education, farm labor, public policy, and environmental quality. We seek proposals that will bring together farmers, local government, citizens, community nonprofits, extension, civic and environmental organizations, and others who contribute to community vitality. Projects should support appropriate growth, improved quality of life, a cleaner environment, and farm diversity and profitability.
For instance, a town conservation commission may need to address farmland erosion but has no budget for technical support, mapping, or education; a community nonprofit that works to bring local food into the schools may need to invest in training cafeteria staff or testing recipes. Or perhaps an extension agent sees and opportunity to address farm labor by offering winter workshops in hiring, retention, and applicable regulations. In short, any activity that strengthens the connections between farms and their communities will be considered. Projects can address pre- and post-farmgate activities as well as projects on the farm.
To apply, you must be affiliated with an organization such as a community nonprofit, Cooperative Extension, local government, an educational institution, a planning board, a farming cooperative, or an incorporated citizens’ group. You must also be able to accept responsibility for the grant on behalf of the organization and be in a position to sign a performance contract, manage the grant, submit interim and final reports using the World Wide Web, and respond to any inquiries. All applications must come from an individual within an organization. Unaffiliated individuals may not apply.
The service area of the organization must be within the region served by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. This region is made up of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
2008 Sustainable Community Grant application
2008 Sustainable Community Grant applications must be postmarked by November 27, 2007.
Faxed or e-mailed proposals will not be accepted.
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