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This grant cycle is CLOSED. Information here is provided
for reference only.
For more information, see the
MAERDAF Program Overview.
2006-07 Grant Materials
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RMC Announces 2007 MAERDAF Grantees
The Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF), which is administered by the Rural Maryland Council, will award more than $348,500 to 22 rural-serving nonprofit organizations during 2007.
Established in 2000, MAERDAF offers important financial support to rural-serving nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning, economic and community development, and agricultural and forestry education efforts. The Fund also provides targeted financial assistance to community colleges that support small and agricultural businesses through enhanced training and technical assistance offerings.
The 2007 grantee organizations are:
- Carroll Community College
- Center for Children for Charles County
- Chesapeake Entrepreneur Center
- Chesapeake Fields Institute
- Delmarva Education Foundation
- Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center
- Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Region
- Habitat for Humanity of Talbot County
- LEAD Maryland
- Lower Shore Broadband Cooperative
- Lower Shore Child Care Resource Center
- Maryland Agriculture Education Foundation
- Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts
- Maryland Capital Enterprises
- Maryland FFA Foundation, Inc.
- Maryland Rural Development Corporation
- Maryland Rural Health Association
- Medbank of Maryland
- Microenteprise Council of Maryland
- Mid-Shore Regional Council
- Tri-County Council of Western Maryland
- Upper Shore Regional Council
Since 2000, the MAERDAF program has awarded 95 grants, totaling more than $1.7 million. Many rural-serving organizations have been able to establish or continue programs and projects that have had a significant and positive impact on Rural Maryland because of the MAERDAF program. Moreover, the Fund has helped many nonprofits develop institutional capacity, improve grant-writing skills, and enhance the internal development of volunteer boards and staff.
The Rural Maryland Council administers MAERDAF in partnership with the Maryland Departments of Agriculture, Maryland Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Maryland Departments of Business and Economic Development, Maryland Departments of Housing and Community Development, and Maryland Departments of Natural Resources.
Archived Information
2006 MAERDAF Grants Available from RMC
The MAERDAF program was born out of the frustration experienced by a number of rural-serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges who had difficulty obtaining adequate, much needed programmatic or special projects funding. Unlike their counterparts operating near or in the urban centers, nonprofits operating in rural communities typically lack access to public sector (county or municipal) or private sector (corporate and private foundation) philanthropic opportunities. Moreover, given the economic distress found in the rural regions of the State, many local governments do not have the financial wherewithal to address these important developmental needs. Consequently, a serious resource deficit existed where, in many instances, the need had been the greatest.
The General Assembly created MAERDAF in 2000 in order to increase the overall capacity of rural-serving, nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning, economic and community development, and agricultural and forestry education. In addition, MAERDAF provides targeted funding to community colleges that provide training and technical assistance to ag businesses. Since it was created, the program has helped many rural-serving organizations establish or continue programs and projects that have had a significant and positive impact on Rural Maryland. In addition, the modest State investment in the MAERDAF program has helped the nonprofit sector leverage a substantial amount of private and federal financial support. (The MAERDAF Board is required to give preference to organizations that leverage non-state matching funds and many grantees have had matches exceeding 100 percent.) Moreover, MAERDAF has helped many of these nonprofit service providers develop institutional capacity, improve grant-writing skills, and enhance the internal development of volunteer boards and staff.
During the five-year life of the MAERDAF program, 73 grants, totaling $1.4 million have been awarded in four focus areas:
- 37 grants totaling $640,350 have been awarded for agribusiness development or agricultural and forestry education;
- 13 grants totaling $208,820 have been awarded for rural economic development (non-agricultural);
- 16 grants totaling $352,708 have been awarded for infrastructure and community development; and
- 7 grants totaling $176,792 have been awarded for rural health care access improvement.
The Grants Review Board is made up of representatives from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development; the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development;the Rural Maryland Council; the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; the Maryland Department of Agriculture; and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Deadline for this year's round of applications is September 1. Instructions and applications can be downloaded from the table on the left.
“MAERDAF has provided the LEAD Maryland Foundation with a vitally important source of funding to help prepare the next generation of agricultural and rural leaders. I think it is fair to say that without the substantial financial support we have received from MAERDAF, LEAD would not be the great educational program it is today.”
--Kenny Bounds, President
LEAD Maryland Foundation