This Upjohn Institute study is an interim first-year report of the Institute’s “Promise: Investing in Community” initiative. The report presents strategies that rural areas as well as small and mid-sized cities might deploy to create shared…

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote a blog for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) highlighting the importance of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for rural families. Not only is the EITC important for individuals and families…

This article from the Journal of Extension presents a framework for a successful microenterprise financing program based on a model created by a rural community in Ohio. The authors provide practitioners with recommendations and suggestions for…

This Webinar was part of the Rural Communities Initiative's Rural Economic Development Webinar series. This Webinar provided an overview of successful entrepreneurship/microenterprise strategies and small business development models in rural…

The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network sponsored this Roundtable on May 9-10, 2007, in Boise, Idaho. The principal goals of the Roundtable were to build and enhance partnerships statewide between social services providers, Idaho TANF…

From the Housing Assistance Council, this article reviews strategies for improving conditions for low-income families in rural areas through Individual Development Account Programs. IDAs have been proven to help low-income families save money to…

The Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire conducted this study and found that predatory mortgage lending is prevalent in rural areas. Additionally, authors conclude that rural minorities are more likely to take out higher-cost…

The purpose of these meetings was to collaborate on federal assistance programs, to encourage use of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and to promote self-sufficiency among needy families. It provided information to inform clients on asset-…

The Welfare Peer TA Network sponsored this statewide Roundtable event that took place in Baton Rouge, LA, from October 25-26, 2004. Attended by over 80 Federal, State, and local representatives, this Roundtable was designed to impart the tools…

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Region III convened two strategic planning meetings in eastern Pennsylvania on February 12, 2004 and February 18, 2004 to provide information to county officials about the advantages of the…