Welcome to USDA Rural Development

Rural Development works with a wide variety of public and nonprofit organizations to provide funding options to communities throughout rural America. Organizations eligible to apply for funds include local and state governmental entities, nonprofit groups (such as community development organizations), associations, private corporations, and cooperatives operating on a not-for-profit basis, as well as federally recognized Native American and Alaskan Native groups. These program areas provide a variety of financial services to communities and individuals.

For example, Rural Development's Community and Economic Development Programs assist rural communities and regions to create self-sustaining, long-term economic and community development through visioning and strategic planning. These programs promote partnerships at the local and state levels to assist communities in advancing their strategic or economic development plans. It is a priority to promote coordinated planning among Rural Development programs in order to address specific projects in a community or regional plan.