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 members provide across Oregon. 

Thanks to this $500,000 state investment, matched by $500,000 from The Ford Family Foundation, Oregon’s EDDs have been working over the past two years to move vital capacity-building projects forward in rural communities in every corner of the state.

With these dollars, our members were able to offer practical, essential technical support, project development and grant-writing services that have already brought more than $67 million into Oregon, and counting — helping rural communities see their projects through from conception to completion.

Oregon’s 12 Economic Development Districts were able to apply for millions of dollars in state, federal and private grants across over 230 projects. Among these projects were investments in broadband, tourism, housing, youth services, fire districts, transportation infrastructure, water and wastewater, downtown revitalization, business development, emergency preparedness, community centers, school districts, city planning and so much more.

The rural communities served were able to see these long-term community and economic development projects come to fruition through technical support and direct investment opportunities made available by Oregon’s EDDs — working in collaboration with city, county, state, federal and local partners. In total, 95 cities across the state had projects funded or served through the Rural Capacity Fund dollars, along with over 14 county-wide projects.

From Brookings to La Grande, OEDD is helping to support rural capacity-building projects that have been long overlooked and underfunded. To learn more, check out OEDD’s 2024 Rural Capacity Fund Report, available here. Interested in getting help with your very own community project? Reach out to your EDD to get started!