Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA

Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA, operating as Rural Advancement Foundation International-Usa, is a North Carolina-based nonprofit organization that acts as a prime recipient of federal grants focused on agricultural assistance, conservation services, and rural economic development. The organization does not hold federal contracts and operates entirely through cooperative agreements and project grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Rural Advancement Foundation International-Usa's federal footprint concentrates heavily within USDA, with 13 of 14 tracked awards (93%) distributed across six USDA agencies. The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service has issued five awards, the Farm Service Agency's Washington Office has issued four, the National Resources Conservation Service has issued two, and the Office of the Secretary, the Rural Housing Service, and subordinate agencies have each issued one. The organization's activity has accelerated in recent years — one award each in 2021 and 2022, four in 2023, three in 2024, and two year-to-date in 2025 — with combined obligated dollars across all awards totaling $16.3 million. Ninety-three percent of awards are prime grants, with the remainder consisting of three sub-awards from Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc.

The organization's capability portfolio centers on financial and technical assistance to underserved farmers and ranchers, conservation services, and rural market access. Representative grant work includes a September 2024 cooperative agreement (ultimate completion December 2027) to assist financially distressed borrowers and farmers in accessing Farm Service Agency loan assistance through a nationwide network of service providers; a February 2024 $696,664 cooperative agreement from the Natural Resources Conservation Service under CFDA 10.902 (Soil and Water Conservation) to expand conservation services to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in North Carolina, including education in climate-smart farming techniques; and a November 2023 cooperative agreement to purchase land and provide technical assistance to farmers to increase capital and market access. Earlier work included a May 2022 $708,330 NRCS conservation cooperative agreement emphasizing climate-smart agriculture outreach to historically underserved farmers and a September 2021 $192,816 Agricultural Marketing Service project grant to develop eight Community Supported Agriculture partnerships between farmers of color and North Carolina churches. In its sub-recipient role, Rural Advancement Foundation International-Usa delivers farmer mentorship, technical assistance, community building, and workforce training activities under Florida Certified Organic Growers' Southeast Regional Center for Organic Transition project, with sub-awards spanning January 2024 through September 2026 focused on organic transition support and farmer profiling.

Only one award faces ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, presenting minimal near-term recompete exposure. The organization's federal grant footprint is concentrated on USDA mission areas — agricultural finance, soil and water conservation, organic farming transition, and local food system development — with no involvement in federal contracts or government-wide acquisition vehicles.