Rural Community Grant
Rural Community Grant supports rural Arkansas communities with matching grants for public facilities, recreation, storm safety, and fire protection to improve local quality of life.
Funder: Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Due Dates: August 13, 2026 (FY 2027 Cycle I) | March 11, 2027 (FY 2027 Cycle II)
Funding Amounts: Up to $15,000 in state funds per project; 50/50 match; expenditures within 12 months of award
Summary: Matching grants improve community facilities, recreation areas, and fire protection in rural Arkansas.
Key Information: Eligible communities must have fewer than 3,000 residents and cannot have an open Rural Community Grant.
Description
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Division of Rural Services administers this program with oversight from the Arkansas Rural Development Commission. It provides matching grants intended to improve quality of life in rural Arkansas through community facilities, recreation areas, local fire protection, and related emergency services.
Eligible work includes construction or improvements to publicly owned community buildings, parks, recreational facilities, fire facilities, and community-accessible storm shelters, as well as storm sirens, fire equipment, and vehicles. Past projects have included community centers, walking tracks, playground equipment, fire stations, and fire trucks. More than $12 million has been awarded through the program to communities in all 75 Arkansas counties.
