Resources & Research

Resources & Research

Measure Up: A Call To Action Released

Aspen Community Strategies Group’s new report, features based on deep conversations with 46 seasoned rural practitioners and highlights six principles for measuring rural development progress

June 24, 2022

Racial Equity Through Entrepreneurship

Economic disparities are preventing our economic growth from reaching its full potential, especially in communities of color and rural places

February 15, 2022

Preparing Rural Water Systems for Extreme Weather

As extreme weather and climate disasters—from hurricanes to tornadoes to wildfires to winter storms—become more frequent, the nation’s basic infrastructure (such as its water systems) is increasingly vulnerable to service disruptions and failure

December 21, 2021

Roundtable Discussion on America’s Unbanked and Underbanked

Economic disparities are preventing our economic growth from reaching its full potential, especially in communities of color and rural places

December 9, 2021

Guest Blog: Rural Partnership Program is $4 Billion Game-Changer for Rural America

A proposal currently before Congress is a $4 billion opportunity for advancing prosperity in rural communities, and to do so rooted in the local leadership of people who live there.

October 25, 2021

Financing Rural America – National Press Foundation

Biden Admin. Pumps $1.25 Billion into Rural Lending. Community development financial institution experts say CDFIs can help alleviate rural poverty and racial inequities where previous pandemic relief failed.

September 27, 2021

SOAR: Southern Opportunity And Resiliency Fund

A diverse group of community finance organizations today announced the Southern Opportunity and Resilience (SOAR) Fund, which aims to raise $150 million to provide affordable capital and free business support to small businesses and nonprofits in 15 southern and southeastern states to help them navigate and rebuild from the Covid-19 health and economic crisis.

March 3, 2021

Cybersecurity and Rural Community Water Systems

Cybersecurity in rural community water systems is important. Hackers attempt to disrupt access to clean, safe drinking water.

February 15, 2021

Wells Fargo Foundation to Support Rural Communities

Communities Unlimited announced a $300,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation, which will enable the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to provide micro small business loans to rural small businesses that will provide the capital they need to pivot or reopen their businesses closed because of COVID-19.

October 1, 2020

COVID-19: Rural America’s Opportunity

Across the board, 2020 has been challenging. Between the health and economic challenges placed on communities around the world by COVID-19, it can sometimes be hard to find a silver lining.

September 14, 2020

Partners for Rural Transformation: Eliminating Persistent Poverty, Advancing Prosperity and Economic Justice

Communities Unlimited is one of six CDFI's leading the Partners for Rural Transformation (PRT). For more information about the Partners for Rural Transformation go to www.ruraltransformation.org. 

September 4, 2020

Missouri Becomes Sixth State to Expand Medicaid at the Ballot Box

Despite the justified fear that COVID-19 would render the newly energized ballot initiative strategy moot, progressives secured a big win in red state Missouri on Tuesday, overriding the legislature’s and the governor’s persistent refusal to expand Medicaid.

August 24, 2020

Three Organizations Partner to Help Black Women Entrepreneurs in Mississippi Gain Access to Capital

RSF Social Finance has issued a $100,000 loan guaranty to Communities Unlimited Inc., enabling the Fayetteville, Arkansas-based community development financial institution to make more loans to Black women entrepreneurs in Mississippi through a partnership with Higher Purpose Co.

June 29, 2020

Our Pandemic of Racism

A health pandemic, an economic pandemic and a pandemic of racism. All three are leading to a mass awakening to the race-based ideas of supremacy that have impacted so many lives for so many years, including many of the lives of our staff members, board, clients, partners and community leaders.

June 9, 2020

Bipartisan Virtual Forum: The Effects of COVID-19 on Rural Economies

Ines Polonius, CEO of Communities Unlimited, testified on the House Small Business Committee Subcommittee for Rural Development, Agriculture, Trade, and Entrepreneurship Bipartisan Virtual Forum: The Effects of COVID-19 on Rural Economies.

May 20, 2020

Receiving IRS Economic Impact Payments – A letter from the FDIC

As you know, the CARES Act includes a provision for supplying relief monies to qualifying individuals and families. Most recipients will secure their payments electronically from the IRS, which will use the bank account information on file from the recipient’s last tax return.

May 12, 2020

Child Care Centers and Child Care Homes in Danger of Closing

Many child care centers and family child care homes in Arkansas may have to close their doors if they do not receive support.

April 28, 2020