Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design Program
The National Endowment for the Arts
Funding Amount
In-Kind Design Programming
Matching Funds
Funding Cycle
Application cycle opens March 2025
Description
Program of choice:
Local Design Workshops
- Roughly four (4) communities will be selected to do a deep dive into a pressing design challenge that is impacting their community
- Up to $6,000 stipend to the host community for workshop staff time and related expenses
- A 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 implementation
- A Design Book and action plan following the workshop, with project-specific design and planning recommendations, created by the CIRD resource team
Design Learning Cohort
- 15-20 communities from the applicant pool will be invited to participate in virtual training in design, planning, community engagement, and facilitation techniques
- A series of online learning sessions and public webinars led by nationally recognized field experts, tailored to engage cohort members and activate peer learning
- Technical assistance through office hours, one-on-one coaching, optional in-person convenings, and online resources
- Additional opportunities to socialize and share best practices and experiences with rural peers from around the country
Who Can Apply
Applicants 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 below
- Plan a workshop with CIRD staff during the designated period of programming
If you meet all of the criteria above, we invite the following entities to apply:
- Municipal, tribal, or county governments
- Local nonprofit organizations, including but not limited to Main Street
organizations, art centers, preservation groups, historical societies, or chambers of commerce, working in rural areas
- Regional planning organizations working in rural areas
- University community design centers or university agricultural/extension offices with close ties to the community presenting the design challenge
- Partnerships of the entities listed above are encouraged to apply
Additional Eligibility Requirements
Rural Eligibility:
https://www.rural-design.org/rural-eligibility
Request for Applications:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J91F_sVdVcDyA0Xqsto6kYuzIWuGSeLR/view
Location(s)
North Carolina
Additional Information
Stay up to date by signing up for the latest rural design news. If you have questions please contact us at cird@ruralhome.org
