Strengthening the Well-Being of Rural Families:
A Direct Service Grant Program

NOTE: The All Grantee Meeting for FY 2009 Grantees will be held Wednesday, October 1st, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Maryland Judiciary Training Center, 2009D Commerce Drive, Annapolis, 21401.

Since 2006, the Rural Maryland Council has administered the Strengthening the Well-Being of Rural Maryland Families, a direct service grant program, with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. During that time, more than $380,000 in grants have been awarded to 19 rural-serving organizations who help families develop the financial management skills they need to become economically stable over time.

In April 2008, the RMC sponsored a Rural Housing Roundtable in Cumberland with the Maryland Rural Development Corporation and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to discuss barriers housing professionals face when trying to help low income rural residents. The overriding barrier that surfaced consistently was the desperate need for financial education among low income rural residents.

As a result of the Roundtable, the Rural Families program narrowed its focus for FY 2009 and provided grants only to those organizations which proposed projects that:

Ensured families claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit for the first time or developed systematic savings practices that resulted in an at-risk rural family saving at least $1,000;
Helped each family to develop a financial plan that uses those funds to eliminate/reduce a financial burden that prevents the family from achieving economic stability, including saving for a first home or preventing foreclosure;
Connected families with available support services that can help them become self sufficient over the long term;
Included an evaluation component that assesses the effectiveness of the project based on the number of families who are served in Steps #1-3 (above.)

Eligible applicants were 501(c)(3) nonprofits organizations that could provide the services described to disadvantages families in at least one rural county. The applicant does not need to be physically located in the area it serves.

Maryland's 18 rural counties are: Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worchester.

Program Purpose: Family Economic Success

The RMC's Rural Families Program follows the Family Economic Success (FES) initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which is is grounded in a family-strengthening orientation toward service delivery. This orientation is captured in the statement: childen do well when their families do well; families do better when they live in supportive communities. Program activities emphasize helping vulnerable families become self-reliant and succeed over time. The family strengthening orientation highlights the importance of family, location and connection in providing services to families, as described below.

Families Matter. Families are the focus of service and educational activities which are designed to help families acquire the confidence, capacity and opportunities they need to achieve aspirations for themselves and their children. This principle is demonstrated by program activities that embrace parents as partners, to help those parents achieve the goals they have for their families. Project directors should also involve targeted families in planning, executing, reporting and evaluating the proposed initiative.
Place Matters. The circumstances and conditions in which rural families live, including the availability and access to appropriate opportunities, supports and services, influence the ability of families to succeed. This principle is demonstrated by program activities that are “place-based” and located in, or clearly tied to, the targeted rural community it is designed to serve.
Connections Count. Families need connection to economic opportunities and to jobs that provide income, assets, and an economic future; to the social networks of kin, neighborhood groups, and other informal ties; and to high-quality, effective services and formal supports. This principle is demonstrated by program activities that help families build a solid base of support and a web of connections to formal and informal supports that can help them be self-sustaining.

Core Results: Earn it, Keep it, Grow it

Programs funded by the Rural Families grants program must strive toward any of the following core results of the Annie E. Casey Foundation Rural Family Economic Success (RuFES) initiative. This initiative pays particular attention to the unique and specific needs of rural families living in Maryland and across the nation. Applicants should focus their proposals to these core results and propose an evaluation plan that will use indicators of progress and achievement consistent with the core results.

Earn it – families have increased income
Keep it – families have more stable financial lives
Grow it – families acquire assets and build wealth

Family Economic Success (FES): Proven Programs

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has identified several model programs for helping families achieve economic success. Learn more on the Annie E. Casey Foundation website: http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/FamilyEconomicSuccess.aspx

Program Purpose: Family Economic Success

Rural Maryland Council :: 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway :: Annapolis, MD 21401 :: 410-841-5772