Citizens' Institute on Rural Design Grant

Citizens' Institute on Rural Design Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design
Amount: Up to US $6,000
Last Updated: June 18, 2025

Summary

The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD), a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Housing Assistance Council, invites rural communities to apply for design support. CIRD aims to enhance rural life and economic viability through planning and creative placemaking, empowering local citizens to address unique community challenges. Opportunities include Local Design Workshops and a Design Learning Cohort, providing resources, training, and support to foster community-driven solutions.

Overview

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Housing Assistance Council (HAC), with To Be Done Studio, are excited to announce the Request for Applications to the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD). Rural communities are invited to submit applications to receive design support and technical assistance to host a virtual and on-site local Design Workshop (if local public health guidelines allow) or participate in the Design Learning Cohort. About CIRD The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council. Focusing on communities with populations of 50,000 or less, CIRD’s goal is to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural America through planning, design, and creative placemaking. CIRD is intended to empower local citizens to capitalize on unique local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. The CIRD program goals include: Building design capacity in rural communities to plan comprehensive revitalization strategies;Introducing creative placemaking, arts, culture, and design strategies as drivers of economic development in rural America;Facilitating a network of rural communities for design idea exchanges and peer learning; andPreparing communities to be ready and competitive for arts- and design-related state and federal funding opportunities. Since 1991, the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has provided design assistance to more than 100 rural communities in all regions of the United States, empowering residents to leverage local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. The CIRD program consists of two different opportunities via a single application: Opportunity 1) Local Design Workshops Up to four (4) communities will be selected to participate in an on-site rural Design Workshop. (Based on timing and in accordance with local health guidance, this workshop may be a hybrid virtual and in-person program.) With support from a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops bring together local residents and local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government to develop actionable solutions to a specific design challenge. Examples of potential design challenges include but are not limited to: Historic preservation and adaptive reuse of community buildingsDesigning quality affordable housing that supports livable and equitable communities; including housing and other amenities that support young people, families, and/or the elderly and aging in placeCreating public or civic spaces that support and integrate cultural expression and local identity and/or play and active recreationDeveloping recreational trails for mobility, active transportation, and economic developmentRedesigning Main Street as a local street versus state highway/thruwayDesigning spaces and places that improve access to healthy food and local food systemsLeveraging Main Street or local businesses for economic development, including branding, wayfinding, façade improvements, and streetscape designIntegrating cultural identity into the built environment to drive heritage tourism. Selected communities will receive additional support including customized follow-up support leading up to and after the workshop as well as access to and web-based resources, webinars, and peer learning through the Design Learning Cohort. Opportunity 2) Design Learning Cohort Up to fifteen (15) rural communities will be selected to participate in a Design Learning Cohort. Rural community leaders from government, non-profits, local business, and civic organizations are invited to: Participate in virtual trainings and sessions on design, planning, community engagement, facilitation and fundraising techniques;Connect and exchange design ideas with peers from other rural communities in the cohortReceive technical assistance and coaching from experienced design professionals tailored to their particular community design challenge; andReceive support in navigating funding opportunities to make their community’s vision a reality;Applicant organizations can indicate on their application if they only want to participate in the Design Learning Cohort (and not be considered for the hybrid local Design Workshop opportunity). Both opportunities within the CIRD program connect rural residents and community leaders with resources and ideas for developing locally driven solutions to community design challenges. PARTICIPATION BENEFITS Local Design Workshop Communities Four(4) communities will be selected to do a deep dive into a pressing design challenge that is impacting their community. Each workshop includes:$6,000 stipend to the host community for workshop staff time and related expensesA tailored virtual design process working with a dedicated resource team, including goal setting, and online sessions with design experts to assist with project visioning and advancement toward implementationPotential site visit from a local/regional designer, if local public health guidelines allow.A Design Book and action plan following the workshop, with project-specific design and planning recommendations, created by the CIRD resource teamOngoing technical assistance related to project Design Workshop communities will have access to all events and opportunities offered to the Design Learning Cohort. Design Learning Cohort Up to 15 communities from the applicant pool will be invited to participate in the Design Learning Cohort. The opportunity allows up to four (4) leaders from each selected community to participate in virtual training in design, planning, community engagement, and facilitation techniques; engage with peers from rural communities; and receive support in navigating funding opportunities to make their vision a reality. The Design Learning Cohort opportunity includes roughly a dozen engagements, specifically: A series of online learning sessions led by nationally recognized field experts, tailored to engage cohort members and activate peer learningA series of public webinars and private breakout sessions that connect cohort members to design expertsTechnical assistance through office hours, one-on-one coaching, optional in-person convenings, and online resourcesAdditional opportunities to socialize and share best practices and experiences with rural peers from around the country.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicant Organizations must:Be part of a rural or tribal community of 50,000 or less, that is rural in character.Identify a specific design challenge to address through the CIRD program.Be able to participate in CIRD as indicated in Participation Expectations belowPlan a workshop with CIRD staff during the period of programming.The following entities meeting the criteria above are encouraged to apply:Municipal, tribal, or county governmentsLocal nonprofit organizations, including but not limited to Main Street organizations, art centers, preservation groups, historical societies, or chambers of commerce, working in rural areasRegional planning organizations working in rural areasUniversity community design centers or university agricultural/extension offices with close ties to the community presenting the design challengePartnerships of the entities listed above are encouraged to apply