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Publication Examines Educational Transitions

Bernard van Leer Foundation
The Bernard van Leer Foundation, which funds and shares knowledge about work in early childhood development and child rights, has released the second issue of its series, Early Childhood in Focus, which was produced by the Child and Youth Studies Group at The Open University, United Kingdom. The issue, Early Childhood and Primary Education: Transitions in the lives of young children, examines the global challenges of education for all, including policy issues, cultural and economic differences, and other factors that lead to exclusion, with a focus on transitions between the different stages of the education process. The publication is available for download from the Foundation's website, or you may order a free copy.

Analyses of Website Usage Available to Nonprofits

Opentracker Philanthropy Program
Opentracker is a company that specializes in tracking and website analytics for businesses that are serious about understanding online customers. Tracking systems collect statistical data about website visitor traffic and aggregate the data into meaningful reports. Through its philanthropy program, Opentracker offers free tracking to registered charities and nonprofit organizations. The company's primary interest is in environmental projects, although it considers all nonprofit activities. The company also supports humanitarian efforts. Opentracker's goal is to make technology widely available and to contribute positively with its resources.

Refurbished Computers and Equipment Available

Digital Links International
Digital Links International seeks to use information technology to help people in developing countries improve their lives. Digital Links provides high-quality refurbished computer hardware to organizations working in developing countries through a network of distribution partners. The organization can also supply a range of other peripheral equipment such as network hubs, routers, printers, and cabling and wireless equipment. In addition to hardware, Digital Links offers software, training materials, creative technologies, support and advice, and educational content. The organization charges a small handling fee for the computers that it supplies to cover the cost of collection and refurbishment of donated equipment.

Conferences and Trainings

Youth Leaders Gather to Promote Change

National Youth Leadership Council: 19th Annual National Service Learning Conference: Youth for a Change
The National Youth Leadership Council supports service learning, which empowers youth to transform themselves from recipients of information and resources into valuable, contributing members of society. The theme for the Council's 2008 National Service Learning Conference is “Youth for a Change.” The conference will focus on service learning as a way to build academic skills and citizenship while addressing community needs in a genuine way. The conference will gather teachers and other service-learning practitioners, administrators, educators of pre-service teachers, researchers, policy-makers, youth leaders, parents, program coordinators, national service members, community-based organization staffs, and corporate and foundation officers. The deadline for registration is March 26, 2008. The Conference will be held April 9-12, 2008, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Conference Focuses on Foundation Creativity

Annual General Assembly (AGA) of European Foundation Centre Members and Conference: Fostering Creativity
The European Foundation Centre, an international association of foundations and corporate funders that seeks to advance the public good in Europe and beyond, is sponsoring its Annual General Assembly (AGA) of Members and a conference, “Fostering Creativity,” that examines how foundations can work to create a “culture of creativity.” The conference will offer examples of creative approaches to tackling existing problems, challenge delegates to think outside traditional patterns and spheres of involvement, and initiate debates on new pathways and collaborations. Early bird registration is open through February 29, 2008. The conference will take place May 29-31, 2008, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Public Health Issues Explored at Conference

Unite For Sight's 5th Annual International Health Conference: Building Global Health for Today and Tomorrow
Unite for Sight, which seeks to empower communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness, will be hosting its 5th Annual International Health Conference, themed “Building Global Health for Today and Tomorrow.” The conference will explore issues related to public health, global health, international development, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, microfinance, medicine, human rights, anthropology, education, health policy, advocacy, public service, environmental health, and eye care. All funds raised from the conference's registration fees will go towards Unite for Sight's eye care programs in rural villages, refugee camps, and urban locations in developing countries. The conference will be held April 12-13, 2008, at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Funding Opportunities

Fund Supports Conference Costs

Canadian International Development Agency: Conference Fund
The Canadian International Development Agency's (CIDA) Conference Fund provides support for delegates to attend conferences that address topics of particular interest to the CIDA¬—including governance, health, basic education, private-sector development, and environmental sustainability—and seek to influence sustainable development in developing countries or countries in transition. The Conference Fund will support up to 33% of total conference costs, up to a maximum of C $250,000, towards the participation of eligible delegates. Applications must be received no later than 16 weeks before a conference begins.

Support Provided to Strengthen Civil Society

Commonwealth Foundation
The Commonwealth Foundation seeks to strengthen civil society in the achievement of Commonwealth priorities: democracy and good governance, respect for human rights and gender equality, poverty eradication and sustainable people-centered development, and the promotion of arts and culture. The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent countries, cooperating and consulting in the common interests of their people. The Foundation's responsive grants enable people from developing Commonwealth countries to participate in activities such as short training courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, cultural festivals, exchanges, and study visits in other Commonwealth countries. In particular, the Foundation targets activities that strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations in areas of work that overlap with the Foundation's three program areas: governance and democracy; sustainable development; and culture and diversity. The Foundation also supports voter education activities. Grants range up to £20,000, though most grants are under £10,000 with an average grant of approximately £5,000. Grants are awarded quarterly. The next application deadline is March 31, 2008.

Fund Offers Rapid Response Grants to Women's Human Rights Activists

Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights
The Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights supports women's rights defenders worldwide working to create cultures of justice, equality, and peace, and provides rapid response grants that enable strategic interventions. Grant categories include response to armed conflict, escalating violence, or politically volatile environments; potentially precedent-setting legal or legislative actions, or actions that aim to protect a precedent that has already been set; and protection and security of women human rights defenders. The Fund also has a specific program focusing on these issues in Africa. The majority of previous grants have ranged from US $1,000 to $5,000. The Fund has no deadlines for applications.

Youth Environmental Projects Supported

Captain Planet Foundation
The Captain Planet Foundation supports hands-on environmental projects for youth in grades K-12. The Foundation encourages innovative programs that empower children and youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. Grants range from US $250 to $2,500. Applications are due March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31, annually.

Initiative Supports Projects in Southern Africa

Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa
The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) works to build and strengthen the values, practices, and institutions of an open society throughout Southern Africa. Program areas include education, information and communication technologies, human rights and democracy building, media, economic justice, HIV/AIDS, gender and women's rights, and language rights. OSISA provides support in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Travel Costs for Media Projects Supported

Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting: Travel Grants
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting funds international travel costs associated with reporting projects on topics and regions of global importance, with an emphasis on issues that have gone unreported or under-reported in the mainstream American media. Proposed projects must include a credible plan for broad dissemination of the resulting work in U.S. media (print or broadcast). The program is open to all journalists, writers, or filmmakers; staff journalists as well as free-lance journalists of any nationality are eligible to apply. Grants generally range from US $3,000 to $10,000, but may range up to $20,000 in some cases. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Foundation Supports Programs To Help Children

Dorothea Haus Ross Foundation
The Dorothea Haus Ross Foundation seeks to advance the moral, mental, and physical well-being of children up to 18 years of age in all parts of the world; to aid and assist in providing the basic needs of food, shelter, health, and education to such children; and to relieve suffering among children who are sick, handicapped, injured, disfigured, orphaned, or otherwise vulnerable through programs of direct service or medical research. The Foundation supports organizations internationally, except in countries that are unstable due to war, or where grants are restricted by the U.S. Government due to boycotts or other reasons. Most grants range from US $1,000 to $25,000, with an average grant of $17,000. There are no specific deadlines; the Board meets quarterly to review requests. The Foundation recommends a phone call or letter of inquiry before submitting a full proposal.

Support Provided for Geographical Projects

Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a learned society and professional body that has been advancing geographical science and supporting its practitioners since 1830. The Society provides funding for geographical research, fieldwork, and teaching. The grants are wide-ranging and offer support to desk- and field-based researchers, research teams, and school teachers. Grants may support work in both the United Kingdom and overseas and range in value from £350 to £15,000. The deadlines vary by grant program.

Environmental Projects in the Americas Supported

Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas
The Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas promotes environmental causes throughout the Americas in the broadest sense, encompassing both the physical and social environments. Funding categories include environmental education, conservation and biodiversity, environmental justice, and sustainable development. The Foundation may give preference to programs where the Mitsubishi Corporation has a strong presence, or where there is an opportunity for employee volunteerism. Requests for funding should be submitted by March of each year.

U.S. Federal Deadlines
Excerpts from GrantStation’s Listings of Federal Notices

USAID: Annual Program Statement: Conflict Mitigation and Reconciliation Programs and Activities (with Possible Multiple Awards)
Deadline: February 18, May 6, and August 12, 2008
This program supports conflict mitigation and reconciliation programs and activities that bring together individuals of different ethnic, religious, or political backgrounds from areas of civil conflict and violence in the following countries: Africa: Angola, Burundi, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana (restricted to Northern Ghana), Guinea, Kenya, Mali (restricted to Northern Mali: regions of Timbuktu, Gao, and Kidal), Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan (restricted to Blue Nile State, Southern Kordofan, and Abyei), and Uganda; Asia and Near East: Bangladesh, East Timor, Israel, Morocco, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and West Bank/Gaza; Europe and Eurasia: Bosnia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, and Tajikistan; and Latin America and the Caribbean: Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.

USAID: Child Survival and Health Grants Program
Deadline: February 29, 2008
This program supports community-oriented health projects to significantly improve the health status of children under five and women of reproductive age in developing countries. The program focuses on innovation in delivery strategies for new, underused, and high impact maternal and child health interventions. Grant categories include new partners, innovation, and tuberculosis.

USAID: Program Research for Strengthening Services (PROGRESS)
Deadline: February 29, 2008
This program supports research to improve family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) services and their appropriate integration into maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS programs. Specifically, the program seeks to conduct program research to address key issues in FP/RH service delivery; promote broad-scale utilization of program research results; build the capacity of developing country organizations to conduct and utilize program research; and identify the need for improved or new contraceptive methods and delivery systems in developing countries, and coordinate with USAID cooperating agencies focused on contraceptive technology to ensure that future investments in contraceptive research and development are guided by field realities.

USAID: Care Services for HIV-Infected Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Ethiopia
Deadline: Concept Papers: February 29, May 30, and August 29, 2008
This program supports orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) activities related to HIV prevention and care in high prevalence, underserved areas of Ethiopia. Program areas include provision of quality, comprehensive, multi-sector coordinated community care for HIV-affected or infected OVC; provision of technical assistance to local OVC programs to create or improve referral systems to and from health facilities, government services, and other community child services; and support for community data collection to monitor progress in OVC well-being and to inform activity implementation and modifications.

Department of State: Office to Monitor/Combat Trafficking in Persons: International Collaborative Partnerships to Combat Trafficking
Deadline: March 3, 2008
This program supports U.S.-based organizations for capacity-building programs with locally-based organizations abroad. Programs must include mentoring and partnerships concerning topics such as developing models for providing comprehensive and effective services for adult and child victims, training initiatives with a focus on identifying and understanding the complex needs of victims, building working relationships with law enforcement responders and other community stakeholders, and strengthening advocacy skills and public awareness-raising efforts.

Department of State: Chilean English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Student Teacher Program
Deadline: March 13, 2008
This program provides support for accredited, U.S. post-secondary educational institutions to administer a semester-long program for Chilean pre-service teachers. The program will include academic coursework and practicum/student teaching for Chilean EFL student teachers in their penultimate year of undergraduate study. In addition to teaching participants about student-centered methodology, the program seeks to give them an in-depth experience of U.S. life and culture and contribute to mutual understanding between Chile and the United States.

USAID: Financial Services Implementation Grant Program
Deadline: March 25, 2008
This program seeks to improve housing through financial services targeted to the poor and very poor in the developing world, and seeks, through participation in a learning network, to generate replicable processes, tools, and methodologies for scaling up the housing microfinance sector.

USAID: Inter-Agency Annual Program Statement in Support of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in South Africa
Deadline: Concept Papers: January 22 and May 5, 2008; Full Proposals: March 31 and June 9, 2008
The goal of PEPFAR in South Africa is to expand access to HIV-related services to large numbers of South Africans. The program's objectives are to prevent HIV transmission by promoting safe and healthy sexual behavior in HIV-infected and uninfected individuals, reducing mother to child HIV transmission, addressing unsafe medical practices and blood safety, providing appropriate post-exposure services, and improving access to counseling and HIV testing; to provide quality comprehensive evidence-based HIV disease management services for South Africans through private or public sector providers; to improve the quality of life of HIV-infected individuals and their families through the prevention and relief of suffering, pain, and other physical, psycho-social, and spiritual problems associated with life-threatening illness; and to provide quality comprehensive and compassionate care for AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children to help assure they grow up to be healthy, educated, and socially well-adjusted adults. Additional important program objectives address U.S. Government priorities of sustainability, capacity building, institutional strengthening, and improving equitable access in the public and private health sectors in South Africa.

Department of State: Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration: Programs Assisting Refugee Populations in Thailand
Deadline: Umpiem Mai, Nu Po, and Ban Don Yang: April 1, 2008
This program supports projects that provide health, water/sanitation support, gender-based violence prevention and response programs, income generation, and vocational training to Burmese refugee populations in specific refugee camps in Thailand.

Fish and Wildlife Service: African Elephant Conservation Fund, Asian Elephant Conservation Fund, Great Ape Conservation Program, and Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Program
Deadline: April 1, 2008
These programs seek to assist in the conservation of animals by enhancing protection of at-risk animal populations; transfrontier animal conservation; habitat/ecosystem conservation and management; applied research on animal populations and their habitat, including surveys and monitoring; conservation education; protected area/reserve management in important animal ranges; development and execution of animal conservation management plans; strengthening of local capacity to implement conservation programs; wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills; and efforts to decrease human-animal conflict.

Fish and Wildlife Service: Marine Turtle Conservation Fund
Deadline: April 1, 2008
This program supports projects that promote the conservation of marine turtles by focusing on academic and technical training in the conservation and management of marine turtles; applied research on marine turtle populations and their habitats, including surveys and monitoring; conservation education and community outreach for the protection of nesting and near shore foraging populations; development and execution of marine turtle conservation management plans; habitat conservation and management; information exchange to promote international collaboration; projects to protect nesting females and eggs on important nesting beaches; promotion of networks, partnerships, and coalitions that assist in the implementation of conventions, treaties, protocols, and other international activities for the conservation and management of marine turtles; protected area/reserve management of important nesting beaches; strengthening local capacity to implement conservation programs on nesting beaches; and strengthening law enforcement capacity and forensics skills through training and equipment.

Fish and Wildlife Service: Latin America and the Caribbean Program
Deadline: April 15, 2008
This program supports projects designed to strengthen the ability of Latin American and Caribbean institutions to manage and conserve species, habitats, and ecological processes for the benefit of the people of the Americas and the world. Of particular interest are projects that build the human and institutional capacity to effectively conserve and manage natural protected areas in Latin America and the Caribbean. Program objectives are to advance, through capacity building, the transition of protected areas from legally established but under-implemented “paper parks” to effectively managed landscapes, benefiting species of regional concern; and to develop, strengthen, and replicate high-quality conservation training programs that reach the priority audiences associated with protected areas.