Skip to Main Content

Grant Opportunities

Fiscal Year 2026 Grant Process Is Now Closed

Thank you for your interest in the Rural Maryland Council’s Fiscal Year 2026 grant cycle. Phase I – Letter of Intent applications were due by Friday, May 16, 2025, and the grant process is now officially closed. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all who applied –your dedication to improving Maryland’s rural communities is deeply appreciated.

We also express our sincere gratitude to Governor Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, Speaker Adrienne Jones, and the members of the Maryland General Assembly for prioritizing $6,000,000 in funding for rural Maryland. This vital investment will significantly support the economic growth and long-term sustainability of our rural communities.

To stay informed about future grant opportunities and announcements, we encourage you to become a member of the Rural Maryland Council!

FY2026 Important Grant Dates
*Dates are subject to change. 

  • Grant Process Opened: Monday, April 21, 2025*
  • Phase 1 – Call for Letter of Intent Deadline: Friday, May 16, 2025*
    • Grantees will be notified the week of June 9, 2025*, on the Phase 1 decision
  • Phase 2 – Full Application Due: Friday, July 11, 2025*
    • Awards announced the week of August 18, 2025*

FY2026 Grant Guidelines and Criteria 

FY2026 Grant Instructions 

FY2026 Grant Forms

FY2026 Grant Information Session Slides and Recording

The Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF)

  • Who Can Apply: Rural-serving nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning; economic and community development; and agricultural and forestry education. Community colleges that provide enhanced training and technical assistance to
    support agricultural and small businesses are also eligible to apply.
  • Purpose: To increase the overall capacity of rural serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges to meet a multitude of rural development challenges and to help them establish new public/private partnerships for leveraging non-state sources of
    funding.

The Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund (RMPIF)

  • Who Can Apply: Local and regional public and nonprofit organizations
  • Purpose: To raise the overall standard of living in rural areas to a level that meets or exceeds statewide benchmark averages by 2030 while preserving the best aspects of cultural heritage and rural way of life. Resources provided to RMPIF are designed to facilitate significant targeted investments in important economic and community development programs and promote regional and intergovernmental cooperation

For additional information, please contact Megan D’Arcy by email at megan.darcy@maryland.gov or by phone: 410.841.2744 (O) or 667.458.9101 (C)

Fiscal Year 2025 – Grant Awards Press Release

FY2025 Grant Guidelines and Criteria 

FY2025 Grant Instructions

FY2025 Grant Information Session Slides and Recording

FY2023 Grant Information Session Information and Session Recordings

doit-ewspw-W02
Close window
Close Disclaimer

Google Translate Disclaimer

The Maryland Department of Information Technology (“DoIT”) offers translations of the content through Google Translate. Because Google Translate is an external website, DoIT does not control the quality or accuracy of translated content. All DoIT content is filtered through Google Translate which may result in unexpected and unpredictable degradation of portions of text, images and the general appearance on translated pages. Google Translate may maintain unique privacy and use policies. These policies are not controlled by DoIT and are not associated with DoIT’s privacy and use policies. After selecting a translation option, users will be notified that they are leaving DoIT’s website. Users should consult the original English content on DoIT’s website if there are any questions about the translated content.

DoIT uses Google Translate to provide language translations of its content. Google Translate is a free, automated service that relies on data and technology ​​​to provide its translations. The Google Translate feature is provided for informational purposes only. Translations cannot be guaranteed as exact or without the inclusion of incorrect or inappropriate language. Google Translate is a third-party service and site users will be leaving DoIT to utilize translated content. As such, DoIT does not guarantee and does not accept responsibility for, the accuracy, reliability, or performance of this service nor the limitations provided by this service, such as the inability to translate specific files like PDFs and graphics (e.g. .jpgs, .gifs, etc.).

DoIT provides Google Translate as an online tool for its users, but DoIT does not directly endorse the website or imply that it is the only solution available to users. All site visitors may choose to use alternate tools for their translation needs. Any individuals or parties that use DoIT content in translated form, whether by Google Translate or by any other translation services, do so at their own risk. DoIT is not liable for any loss or damages arising out of, or issues related to, the use of or reliance on translated content. DoIT assumes no liability for any site visitor’s activities in connection with use of the Google Translate functionality or content.

The Google Translate service is a means by which DoIT offers translations of content and is meant solely for the convenience of non-English speaking users of the website. The translated content is provided directly and dynamically by Google; DoIT has no direct control over the translated content as it appears using this tool. Therefore, in all contexts, the English content, as directly provided by DoIT is to be held authoritative.