Thriving Communities Program
Overview:
As the lead technical assistance provider and capacity builder to the Main Streets cohort of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities Program (TCP), RCAP supports under-resourced communities to effectively plan critical community projects and compete for federal funding opportunities. The technical assistance team is supported by external partners Community Engineering Corps (CEC) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO). The technical assistance teams strive to connect communities to essential opportunities and resources that will help them thrive.
TA Partners include: Communities Unlimited, Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, Midwest Assistance Program, RCAP Solutions, Rural Community Assistance Corporation.
External TA Partners include: National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and Community Engineering Corps (CEC).
Within the Fiscal Year 2023 TCP – Mains Streets Cohort, there were 16 communities featured:
- Communities Unlimited – Tunica County, MS; Winston County, MS
- Great Lakes Community Action Partnership – Smyth County, VA; Sumter County, GA; Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewas, WI
- Midwest Assistance Program – Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation; MT; Chamberlain, SD; Hinckley, MN
- Rural Community Assistance Corporation – Green River, UT; Estacada, OR; Socorro, NM; Camp Verde, AZ
- RCAP Solutions – Midcoast Council of Governments, ME; Ellsworth, ME; Garrett County, MD
- NADO – Northwest Missouri Council of Governments, MO
Program Timeline:
This program kicked off in June 2024, and technical assistance will conclude in September 2026. Following the conclusion of the technical assistance, there will be a transition period from September 2026 to June 2027 to address outstanding needs in the communities.
RCAP Accomplishments So Far:
RCAP distributed over $800,000 in subawards to TCP communities to advance their transformative transportation and community development projects.
RCAP also held two convenings for communities, year 1 in Washington D.C., hosted by USDOT and year 2, in Anaheim, CA, hosted by RCAP.
RCAP and TA partners conducted 8, ninety-minute workshops on capacity-building topics such as project management, capital project planning, dissecting a federal grant NOFO, developing a project cost estimate, managing uncertainty in project planning, community collaboration, learning the BUILD model of collaboration, and meeting facilitation.
