Eligibility:
1) The applicant must be a public or private 501c(3) nonprofit organization, including faith-based and other community organizations; institutions of higher education; government entities (e.g., states, cities, counties, school systems, etc.); or Indian Tribes. If another entity serves as the project’s fiscal agent, it must be an established IRS 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization that agrees to accept donations on behalf of a group that does not have IRS exemption.
2) The applicant must be a Florida-based organization.
3) The applicant must establish or have a service location in, or volunteers deployed to an eligible rural area.
4) RCAF funds may only be used to support individuals residing in eligible rural areas.
5) Proposed budget line items relevant to volunteer engagement work completed outside of the eligible rural area may be included if they directly contribute to the achievement of grant performance measures in the eligible rural area chosen by the grantee.
6) Geographic locations eligible for RCAF funding must be part of one of the designated “Rural Areas of Opportunity (RAO)” as authorized by the Governor and outlined in F.S. 288.0656:
RAO Communities:
- Pahokee, Belle Glade, South Bay, Immokalee
- The area within the city limits of Freeport
- Walton County north of the Choctawhatchee Bay and intercoastal waterway
RAO Counties:
Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, DeSoto, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Washington
