Rural Maryland Council Announces FY2016 MAERDAF Grant – Applications Due July 10

The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) is now accepting grant applications for the Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF).

From the grant announcement, MAERDAF

provides grants to rural-serving nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning, economic and community development, and agricultural and forestry education. Also eligible are rural community colleges that support small and agricultural businesses through enhanced training and technical assistance. MAERDAF’s goal is to increase the overall capacity of rural-serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges to meet a multitude of rural development challenges and to help them establish new public/private partnerships for leveraging non-state sources of funding.

For Fiscal Year 2016, the RMC is particularly interested in proposals that address the following: 

  • Agriculture,
  • Energy,
  • Rural Broadband,
  • Healthcare,
  • Youth Engagement
  • Workforce/Economic Development

Regardless, the Grant Review Board will give full consideration to any application that is submitted.

The application submission deadline is July 10, 2015. For eligibility requirements and more information, visit the Maryland Rural Council’s MAERDAF webpage.