Tallahassee—Volunteer Florida today announced a notice of funding opportunity that will help students in Florida’s rural communities get on track to graduate high school and pursue higher education. The Rural Community Assets Fund (RCAF) will provide grantees with capacity building support so that they can use volunteers in service to students.

“This funding will help rural communities meet the needs of local students,” said Chester W. Spellman, CEO of Volunteer Florida. “Volunteer Florida’s Rural Community Assets Fund will strengthen local organizations so that they can more effectively put volunteers to work to serve students.”

Volunteer Florida’s RCAF will strengthen community organizations’ volunteer programs by providing funding to applicants focusing on college preparation and on-time graduation. Applicants will focus on one or more of the following:

  • Academic Achievement: Mentoring, tutoring, test preparation, study skills
  • Financial Management: College affordability, financial aid opportunities, financial literacy skills
  • Advising: Career exploration and planning, professional development, range of post-secondary options

Proposals are due Wednesday, November 30, 2016. Additional information can be found here.

A Technical Assistance conference call is scheduled for Monday, October 31, 2016. Additional information can be found here.

More about Volunteer Florida’s RCAF:

Volunteer Florida’s Rural Community Assets Fund will allow grantees to recruit, equip and mobilize volunteers in eligible rural areas across the state to address the acute educational needs of underserved children and youth within the K-12 education system.  RCAF is open to any community or faith-based organization that maintains 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, or a government entity in Florida. The applicant must be an organization that provides educational programming to students for at least one level of the K-12 education system in an eligible rural area.

To ensure that this funding process is carried out in a fair and equitable manner, all questions concerning the application should be submitted to RCAF@volunteerflorida.org.