Rural cooperative development grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Cooperative Services awarded a $200,000 Rural Cooperative Development Grant (CFDA 10.771) to the Lake County Community Development Corporation (DBA Mission West Community Development Partners) on September 26, 2023. The grant supports the organization's efforts to improve economic conditions in rural Montana by providing technical assistance, training, feasibility studies, and business planning services to aid in the startup, expansion, and operational improvement of rural cooperatives and other mutually-owned businesses in the region. As a certified Community Development Financial Institution, the organization leverages this and other federal funding to deliver a range of economic and community development initiatives, including revolving loan funds, local and regional food system projects, and comprehensive economic development planning.