Building Rural Capacity

Through House Bill 2345 in 2021, Oregon Economic Development Districts (OEDD) was recognized for the essential technical assistance and rural capacity building that our districts provide across Oregon. Thanks to this investment, matched by The Ford Family Foundation, our districts have been working to move vital community projects forward and bring more federal grant dollars to the state.

Project support includes:

• Outreach to the rural jurisdictions about grants and other forms of funding;
• Employment of grant writers or grant administrators to directly assist the rural jurisdictions in applying for grants and other forms of funding available from any public or private source;
• Direct assistance in administering grants awarded to the rural jurisdictions; and
• Working with state agencies to coordinate investments in water and sewer systems, roads, child care, and other vital infrastructure needs in rural areas.

From Brookings to La Grande, OEDD is helping to support rural capacity-building projects that have been long overlooked and underfunded. To read more about the list of projects underway, click here.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to your EDD to ask how your rural jurisdiction can receive support!