Sample GrantStation Insider – January 9, 2012
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National | Regional | Federal | Online Education | Partner Depot | Announcements
National Funding Opportunities
Support for Social Change Initiatives
Ben & Jerry's Foundation: National Grassroots Grant Program
Through the National Grassroots Grant Program, Ben & Jerry's Foundation provides support to nonprofit community organizations throughout the United States that bring about progressive social change by addressing the underlying conditions of societal and environmental problems. The broad goals of the program are to further social justice, protect the environment, and support sustainable food systems. Grants of up to $15,000 are provided to grassroots, constituent-led organizations that are using community organizing strategies to accomplish their goals as well as organizations that provide technical support and/or resources to such groups. The Foundation does not make grants to support social service programs. Letters of interest may be submitted at any time. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the funding priorities and submit an online letter of interest.
Employment Programs for People with Disabilities Funded
Kessler Foundation: Signature Employment Grants Program
The Kessler Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people with physical disabilities caused by stroke, multiple sclerosis, injuries to the brain and spinal cord, and other cognitive or neuromuscular disabilities. The Foundation’s Signature Employment Grants Program funds cutting-edge, non-traditional solutions that increase employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These solutions may include new pilot initiatives, demonstration projects, or other social ventures that lead to the generation of new ideas to solve unemployment. Preference will be given to interventions that overcome specific employment barriers related to long-term dependence on public assistance, advance competitive employment, or launch a social enterprise project. Funded projects must be collaborative, serve a large geographic area, and include multiple funding partners and stakeholders. Grants of $100,000 to $250,000 per year for up to two years are available to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies throughout the U.S. The deadline for concept submissions is February 3, 2012. Visit the Foundation’s website for program details.
Grants Enhance Collections and Archives
Council on Library and Information Resources: Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives
The purpose of Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives, an initiative of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), is to overcome the pervasive lack of knowledge about special collections and archives and to make information about these materials accessible to scholars and students. Through this initiative, grants are provided to institutions, including colleges and universities, research centers, museums, libraries, and historical societies, holding collections of high scholarly value that are difficult or impossible to locate through finding aids. Award recipients will create descriptive information for their hidden collections that will be linked to all other projects funded by this grant in order to form a federated environment that can be built upon over time. In this funding round, CLIR expects to award about $4 million in grants ranging from $75,000 to $500,000. Online proposals must be submitted by March 16, 2012. Visit the CLIR website to review the program guidelines and application process.
Bicycle Advocacy and Facilities Supported
Bikes Belong Coalition
The goal of the Bikes Belong Coalition, sponsored by the American bicycle industry, is putting more people on bicycles more often. The Bikes Belong Grants Program provides support for projects that leverage federal funding and build momentum for bicycling in communities across the U.S. Funded projects can include bike paths and rail trails, as well as bike parks, mountain bike trails, BMX facilities, and bicycle advocacy initiatives. The focus of the facility grant category is to connect existing facilities or create new biking opportunities. The advocacy grant category seeks to support large-scale, innovative, replicable advocacy initiatives that significantly increase ridership and improve conditions for bicycling in big U.S. cities. The application deadline is February 29, 2012. Visit the Coalition';s website to submit an online application.
Regional Funding Opportunities
Funds for Community Enhancement Programs in Maine
Maine Community Foundation: Community Building Grant Program
The Maine Community Foundation is dedicated to building sustainable and vibrant communities for all Maine people. The Foundation’s Community Building Grant Program provides grants of up to $10,000 to a broad spectrum of nonprofit organizations throughout the state. Funded projects must use existing community resources, strengthen community life, and be designed to have long-term impact. Project grants for new and expanding programs as well as grants to improve organizational effectiveness are awarded. The upcoming application deadline is February 15, 2012. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the Community Building Grant Program application information and submit an online application.
Grants Promote Social Justice in the Southeast
Southern Partners Fund
The Southern Partners Fund serves rural communities in the southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Fund’s Regular Grant Cycle supports grassroots organizations striving for progressive fundamental change in the areas of social, economic, and environmental justice throughout the region. Based on the Fund’s new Southern Organizing Strategy, priority will be given to organizations that address voter rights, immigrant rights, or education reform. Applications must be received by email or postmarked by January 31, 2012. Visit the Fund’s website to download the Request for Proposals and application.
Support for Local Programs in Oregon
Oregon Community Foundation: Community Grants Program
The mission of the Oregon Community Foundation is to improve life in Oregon and promote effective philanthropy. The Foundation’s Community Grants Program supports projects that address one of the Foundation's four primary funding priorities: Nurture Children and Strengthen Families, Enhance Educational Opportunities, Increase Cultural Opportunities, and Preserve and Improve Oregon’s Livability through Citizen Involvement. Grants, which generally average $20,000 to $22,000, are typically provided to small and moderate-sized nonprofit organizations. The application deadlines are February 1 and August 1, annually. Guidelines for submitting application packets are available on the Foundation’s website.
Legal Programs in Ohio Funded
Ohio State Bar Foundation
The Ohio State Bar Foundation is dedicated to promoting public understanding of the law and improvements in the justice system throughout Ohio. The Foundation's core values include a commitment to a society served by a fair, impartial, and accessible system of justice. The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies for education, research, publications, and programs addressing the justice system in Ohio. Funding categories include: Short-Term Project-Based Funding; Long-Term Partnerships/Alliances; and Capacity Building. The application deadlines are February 15 and August 15, annually. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the application process.
Federal Grant and Loan Programs
Challenge Grants to Support Humanities Programs at Two-Year Colleges
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Challenge Grants for Two-Year Colleges Program provides support to enable two-year colleges to strengthen programs in the humanities, especially the study of the world’s many cultures and civilizations; to model humanities curricula at two-year colleges that may be replicated at other institutions; and to broaden the base of financial support for the humanities. Priority will be given to long-term humanities improvement efforts that respond to the new endowment-wide initiative, Bridging Cultures. The application deadline is February 2, 2012.
Funds for Assessment and Cleanup Pilot Projects on Brownfield Sites
Environmental Protection Agency
The Brownfields Multi-Purpose Pilot Grants Program provides support to pilot brownfields projects for both assessment and cleanup work that addresses either hazardous substances or petroleum contamination at a specified site. Proposed pilot projects should be aligned with applicable EPA Strategic Plan goals and objectives and, specifically, should help sustain, clean up, and restore communities and the ecological systems that support them. The application deadline is February 10, 2012.
Investigations Benefiting Disabled Individuals in the Workplace Supported
Department of Education
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Small Business Innovation Research Program provides support for scientific or technical feasibility studies that utilize new technologies and address one of the following priorities: increased independence of individuals with disabilities in the workplace, recreational settings, or educational settings; enhanced sensory or motor function of individuals with disabilities; enhanced workforce participation; enhanced community participation and living for individuals with disabilities; and improved interventions and increased use of health-care resources. Phase I applications are due February 13, 2012.
Funds for Services Enhancing Housing Stability for Veteran Families
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program provides support for the coordination or provision of supportive services to very low-income veteran families who are residing in permanent housing; are homeless and scheduled to become residents of permanent housing within a specified time period; or, after exiting permanent housing within a specified time period, are seeking other housing that is responsive to such very low-income veteran family’s needs and preferences. A range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability are eligible for support. The application deadline is February 15, 2012.
Upcoming Online Education Sessions
Unless otherwise noted, all Online Education Sessions are webinars led by Cynthia M. Adams, CEO of GrantStation, are 90 minutes in duration, and are scheduled to begin at 2 PM Eastern Time. The registration fee for webinars is $89 per person.
You Got a Grant! --- Now What?
At last, practical advice about what to do when you actually get a grant. In this webinar, Judith Margolin, former vice president of the Foundation Center and author of After the Grant, will share insider tips gleaned from conversations with foundation executives about the best ways to acknowledge your funder, create a grants management system that works, and set your organization up to be first in line for the next grant. This webinar also includes information on how to make your way through the paperwork accompanying your grant, uncover hidden requirements in your grant award letter, and ensure that you meet all of your funder's requirements while establishing a partnership for the future. The webinar will be held Thursday, February 16, 2012. Visit the link above to register.
FREE Tour of the GrantStation Website
Join Jeremy Smith, GrantStation's Communications and Technology Director, for a short tour of the GrantStation website. Learn how to use the tools that GrantStation provides to help you identify the right grantmaker for any program or project. The tour will also include information about our new, interactive Grant2020 visioning tool! If you've just joined GrantStation, this tour will help you determine the most effective way to use the valuable resources the website provides. If you haven't joined yet, this tour will help you determine if a GrantStation Membership fits your needs. There will be plenty of time for questions. This webinar will be held Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Visit the link above to register.
How to Develop Capacity Building Grant Requests
Developing a capacity building grant request requires a specific approach which is distinct from the application process for operating or program grant requests. During this webinar, Alice Ruhnke will walk participants through the introduction, needs statement, objectives, and evaluation components of capacity building grant requests, using "real life, real time" examples of what funders are looking for. The webinar will be held Thursday, February 23, 2012 and is for intermediate participants. Visit the link above to register.
How to Craft a Proposal to a Foundation
Proposal writing is the skill most sought after by savvy nonprofit staff members. On the one hand, writing a grant proposal is quite simple and follows a basic formula. However, submitting a proposal may be your only chance to put the case for funding your organization in front of a foundation, so you want to be sure to do it right. In this webinar, Judith Margolin provides invaluable tips on developing a compelling proposal narrative, what your proposal package should include, how to let your funder take the lead, and advice on writing and submission techniques that get your proposal noticed by foundation decision makers. The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 8, 2012. Visit the link above to register.
For a complete list of upcoming Online Education Sessions, click here.
Reach Over 395,000 GrantStation Insider Subscribers With Your Message
Partner Depot
The Partner Depot provides the opportunity for partner organizations and businesses to announce events or introduce products or services to readers of GrantStation’s e-newsletters and visitors to our home page. With a mailing list of over 395,000 subscribers, your message will not only be read in the weekly GrantStation Insider, but also posted on GrantStation's main page for everyone to see.
Announcing Monthly Grants Postings for Canadian Nonprofits
Press Release
GrantStation, an online funding resource for organizations seeking grants throughout the world, is pleased to announce the introduction of the GrantStation Canadian Insider. "This newsletter will provide Canadian charities and nonprofit organizations timely information on funding opportunities each month," said Cynthia M. Adams, CEO and President of GrantStation.
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Tracks to Success
Capital Campaigns: The Next Generation
If you are seeing your campaign come up short, or are even afraid to launch one, it may be because you are following antiquated advice and playing by obsolete rules. In this series, Tom Ralser of Convergent Nonprofit Solutions tips over a few sacred cows and describes how to succeed in the next generation of capital campaigns. Click on the link provided above to read Part One.
Back to topEditor: Julie Kaufman
Contributing Writer: Joel Terwilliger
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