This booklet provides basic information and guidelines to rural New York school districts competing for grants or other competitive funding. Section 1 examines new realities in the education landscape: the demand for higher academic standards, requirements for increased accountability, the call for systemic change, the need to integrate and align delivery systems, and the advantages of building partnerships. Section 2 identifies successful strategies and approaches used by rural school districts applying for funding. Steps in the application process include identifying funding sources, deciding what to go after, shaping the ideas, testing out the ideas, writing the proposal, and turning failure into success. Successful proposal writing is usually done by a single person familiar with the issues. Recent successful themes have included "the whole is greater than its parts,""education is part of a broader human services strategy," and "the activity will continue after the funds run out." Tips for grant writing are: read the cues, follow application guidelines, follow the point scale, include planned outcomes, demonstrate collaboration and commitment, generate the budget, and speak with one voice. Section 3 lists 17 Web sites and other Internet resources, as well as home pages for federal and state agencies. This section also briefly describes 51 state and federal education programs that provide support to school districts. Section 4 describes the New York State Legislative Commission on Rural Resources and the Rural Education Advisory Committee and lists current members. (SV)