GrantStation Insider - January 18, 2018

Volume XVII | Issue 2

National | Regional | Federal |

PathFinder | Online Education

 

National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Communities to Prepare for Environmental Challenges
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Resilient Communities

The Resilient Communities program, an initiative of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) with support from Wells Fargo, is dedicated to helping communities prepare for future impacts associated with sea level rise, water quantity and quality, and forest conservation. The program places special emphasis on helping traditionally underserved, low- and moderate-income communities build capacity for resiliency planning and investments in “greener” infrastructure. In 2018, grants will be offered in the following two categories: The Regional Adaptation through Regional Conservation Projects category will support projects that help prepare for fire in the Western Region, floods and droughts in the Central Region, and sea-level rise in the Eastern Region. Grants in this category will range from $200,000 to $500,000. The Community Capacity Building and Demonstration Projects category will support projects that help communities understand, organize, and take action to address risks and opportunities through improved resilience brought about by enhanced natural features. Grants in this category, ranging from $100,000 to $250,000, can take place anywhere in the U.S., but should address multiple cities and communities. Nonprofit organizations, local governments, and Indian tribes are eligible to apply in both categories. The pre-proposal deadline is February 15, 2018; invited full proposals must be submitted by May 10, 2018. Visit the NFWF website to review the request for proposals.

New Dance Works Funded
National Dance Project: Production Grants

The National Dance Project (NDP), a program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, is widely recognized as one of the country’s major sources of funding for dance. NDP’s signature approach invests in artists to make new work and provides grants to the organizations that present those works on tour in their communities. The program provides a package of support that includes up to $45,000 towards the creation of a new work, approximately $10,000 in general operating support, and up to $35,000 to support a U.S. tour of the work. Grants are highly competitive and are awarded to around 20 dance projects each year. The upcoming inquiry application deadline is March 1, 2018. Visit the New England Foundation for the Arts website to review the funding criteria and access the application forms.

Grants to Develop Rural Community Design Workshops
Citizens' Institute on Rural Design

The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) provides rural communities throughout the United States access to the resources they need to convert their own good ideas into reality. CIRD is offering competitive funding to as many as four small towns or rural communities to host an intensive, two-day community workshop to help build their capacity to solve their design challenges. The CIRD 2018 program is focused on helping rural leaders and residents come together to find creative solutions for the following design issues: Multimodal Transportation, Healthy Living by Design, and Main Streets. CIRD’s contribution includes a $10,000 stipend and in-kind technical assistance services. Support is provided for rural communities with a population of 50,000 or under. The application deadline is February 16, 2018. Visit the CIRD website to learn more about the program and to download the Request for Proposals.

Hiking Trail Projects Supported
American Hiking Society: National Trails Fund

The National Trails Fund, sponsored by American Hiking Society (AHS), provides support to grassroots nonprofit organizations throughout the country working toward establishing, protecting, and maintaining foot trails in America. The Fund’s grants, ranging from $500 to $3,000, help local groups build and protect America's public trails. Grants will be considered for the following: projects that have hikers as the primary constituency; projects that secure trail lands, including acquisition of trails and trail corridors and the costs associated with acquiring conservation easements; projects that will result in visual and substantial ease of access, improved hiker safety, or avoidance of environmental damage; and projects that promote constituency building surrounding specific trail projects, including volunteer recruitment and support. Applying organizations must be AHS Alliance Members. Online applications are due February 16, 2018. Visit the American Hiking Society website for application guidelines, as well as information on becoming an AHS Member.

 

 

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Funds for Literacy Programs in Company Communities
Dollar General Literacy Foundation

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and libraries that offer literacy programs in communities served by Dollar General in 44 states. The Foundation provides support through the following grant programs: Adult Literacy Grants support nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance. Family Literacy Grants support family literacy service providers that combine parent and youth literacy instruction. Summer Reading Grants help nonprofit organizations and libraries with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs for students who are new readers, below grade level readers, or readers with learning disabilities. Online applications for the three programs described above must be submitted by February 22, 2018. In addition, Youth Literacy Grants support schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations that work to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. The application deadline for this program is May 17, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website to access guidelines for each grant program.

Matching Grants Promote Healthy Living in Iowa and South Dakota
The Wellmark Foundation: Matching Assets To Community Health

The Wellmark Foundation is dedicated to improving the health of Iowans, South Dakotans, and their communities. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations and community groups that develop and implement sustainable projects that 1) increase access to and consumption of nutritious foods, or 2) promote safe and healthy environments that encourage activity. The Foundation’s Matching Assets To Community Health (MATCH) grant program is designed to bring other funders together to support community health projects. The following two grant opportunities are offered: Large MATCH Grants of up to $100,000 must be matched 100 percent. The deadline for this program is February 23, 2018. Small MATCH Grants of up to $25,000 must be matched at 50 percent. The deadline for this program is June 8, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website to download the 2018 MATCH Grant RFP.

Support for Climate Resilience Initiatives in the Arctic Region
Climate Justice Resilience Fund

The Climate Justice Resilience Fund (CJRF), a project of the New Venture Fund, is dedicated to helping communities to build climate resilience. CJRF is currently accepting letters of inquiry for initiatives that address climate resilience issues in the Arctic region. CJRF is seeking to help indigenous communities in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland strengthen their resilience by building leadership and decision-making capacity; maintaining, updating, and augmenting traditional knowledge; and establishing political advocacy processes. Intended outcomes include maintenance of indigenous peoples’ access to and co-management of traditional foods, and effective indigenous engagement in decision-making around relocation and industrialization. Letters of inquiry are due April 13, 2018. Visit the CJRF website to learn more about the letter of inquiry process.

Organizations in Northern California and Hawaii Funded
The Joseph & Vera Long Foundation

The Joseph & Vera Long Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in Northern California and the state of Hawaii. The Foundation's grantmaking categories include healthcare, education, and conservation. Requests for invitations (RFIs) for grants ranging between $50,000 and $200,000 will be accepted from February 5 through February 26, 2018. RFIs for grants ranging between $10,000 and $49,000 will be accepted from July 2 through July 23, 2018. (Organizations new to the Foundation are encouraged to apply during this cycle.) After the Foundation staff reviews the RFI forms, selected organizations will be invited to apply for grants. Visit the Foundation's website to learn more about the grant guidelines and application process.

 

 

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Historic Preservation Supported
National Park Service

The Save America's Treasures program provides preservation or conservation assistance to nationally significant historic properties and collections. The application deadline is February 21, 2018. 

Award Honors Young Environmentalists
Environmental Protection Agency

The President’s Environmental Youth Award honors a wide variety of projects developed by young individuals, school classes, summer camps, public interest groups, and youth organizations to promote environmental awareness. The application deadline is March 1, 2018.

 

 

PathFinder: Featured Resource
A library of quality resources designed to help you develop your career path as a grants professional.
 

Grantmaking 101: The Ultimate Guide to Foundation Philanthropy
If you are new to the field of grantwriting, or have just started working for a foundation, we recommend reviewing Grantwriting 101: The Ultimate Guide to Foundation Philanthropy. Published by Fluxx, this guide provides a concise overview of philanthropy essentials and the grantmaking process using colorful graphics. Topics covered include the different types of charitable giving vehicles available, how each foundation employee plays a role, the “how” of grantmaking, and emerging trends shaping philanthropy.

 

 

Upcoming Online Education Trainings
Live Webinars

Unless otherwise noted, all Online Education Trainings are webinars,
are 90 minutes in duration, and are scheduled to begin at 2 PM Eastern Time.


Is Your Organization Grant Ready?

Almost all nonprofit organizations answer that question with a resounding "Yes–we are ready to get grant money to support the important work of our organization!" However, while most organizations are ready to reap the benefits of grant awards, many have not developed the infrastructure necessary to be competitive in the application process.

During this 90-minute webinar, Alice Ruhnke, founder and owner of The Grant Advantage, will guide you through a process so you will be able to:

assess your organization's grant readiness through a comprehensive assessment tool that includes organizational structure, programs, finances, partnerships, evaluation, leadership, and more;
develop strategies to enhance areas of weakness; and,
use your enhanced capacity to write competitive grants.
This webinar will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2018.

How to Secure Funding from Foundations
Foundations are mysterious institutions to those not familiar with them. In this webinar, Judith Margolin demystifies the process of securing foundation funding. The webinar provides a thorough grounding in what foundations are all about, including how many there are, who runs them, and trends in foundation giving. The focus is on what motivates foundations to give and how you can determine why they might or might not support your organization. Topics include types of foundations and styles of approach, determining your organization's funding needs, finding the best prospect, what makes a winning grant proposal, introducing your agency to a foundation, and proposal submission techniques.
This webinar will be held on Thursday, February 8, 2018.

Grantwriting 101
If you are new to grantwriting, this webinar is for you! During this 90-minute webinar, Alice Ruhnke, founder and owner of the Grant Advantage, will teach you how to use a Program Planning Framework to plan your grant applications so they tell a strong, consistent story. As we go through the Framework, each section of a typical grant application will be highlighted with information on what funders are looking for and tips on how to write that section. By the time the webinar is over, you will (1) understand what funders are looking for in grant applications; (2) be able to decipher confusing grant-related terminology; (3) have a usable system to connect all the pieces of an application together; and (4) have strategies to infuse your organization's strengths in your proposal to make it strong and competitive. This webinar will be held on Thursday, February 22, 2018.

 


Information contained in the GrantStation Insider may not be
posted, reprinted, redistributed, or sold without permission.

Editor: Julie Kaufman
Contributing Writer: Kevin Peters
Contributing Writer: Ashlyn Simmons

National Funding Opportunities
Support for Communities to Prepare for Environmental Challenges
New Dance Works Funded
Grants to Develop Rural Community Design Workshops
Hiking Trail Projects Supported

Regional Funding Opportunities
Funds for Literacy Programs in Company Communities
Matching Grants Promote Healthy Living in Iowa and South Dakota
Support for Climate Resilience Initiatives in the Arctic Region
Organizations in Northern California and Hawaii Funded

Federal Funding
Historic Preservation Supported
Award Honors Young Environmentalists