Today, the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) is issuing a request for proposals to rural communities facing design challenges to host local workshops in 2013.
Successful applicants will receive a $7,000 grant and in-kind design expertise and technical assistance valued at $35,000. The Request for Proposals is on the new CIRD website: www.rural-design.org.
CIRD (formerly known as "Your Town") works to help rural communities with populations of 50,000 or fewer enhance their quality of life and economic vitality through facilitated design workshops. The program brings together local leaders, non-profits, and community organizations with a team of specialists in design, planning, and creative place making to address challenges like strengthening economies, enhancing rural character, leveraging cultural assets, and designing efficient housing and transportation systems.
Communities selected will be required to provide approximately $7,000 in matching funds (cash or in-kind). CIRD will work with the communities to assemble teams of specialists based on the communities' individual needs. The workshops will be augmented with conference calls and webinar presentations led by experts who will cover topics related to rural design. The calls will also be open to the general public through CommunityMatters.
Find the RFP and application guidelines at www.rural-design.org/apply. Selected communities will be announced in May 2013, and the workshops will be held during the summer and fall of 2013.
CIRD will offer three free application-assistance calls to answer questions and guide interested applicants in assembling their proposals. Participation in each call is free but registration is required. To register, visit www.rural-design.org/application-assistance.
The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design is a National Endowment for the Arts leadership initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development and Project for Public Spaces, Inc., along with the Orton Family Foundation and the CommunityMatters® Partnership. A task force of national experts in rural design and planning is also being assembled to help shape the CIRD program.
The deadline for submitting a proposal is Tuesday, March 5th.