GrantStation Insider - February 8, 2018

National | Regional | Federal | Announcements | PathFinder | Online Education

National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Women's Shelters in Every State
The Mary Kay Foundation: Domestic Violence Shelter Grant Program
The Mary Kay Foundation is committed to ending the epidemic of domestic violence by providing grants to women's shelters throughout the United States. Each year, the Foundation’s Domestic Violence Shelter Grant Program awards grants of $20,000 to at least one domestic violence shelter in every state; remaining funds are distributed based on state population. Applying organizations must offer immediate overnight housing to women and children affected by domestic violence. The application deadline is April 30, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website and scroll to the bottom of the page to submit an online application form.

Clergy Leadership Programs Funded
Lilly Endowment: Thriving in Ministry Initiative 2018
The Thriving in Ministry Initiative 2018, offered by the Lilly Endowment, aims to help pastors throughout the United States thrive in congregational leadership and thus enhance the vitality of the congregations they serve. This initiative will provide grants of up to $1 million to nonprofit organizations developing new or strengthening existing programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as role models and guide them through key leadership challenges at critical moments in their ministerial careers. Around 30 grants will be awarded to organizations to help them plan and implement programs over a five-year span. While the Endowment is interested in supporting a variety of approaches, priority will be given to efforts that 1) attend to key professional transitions in a pastor’s career, or 2) focus on challenges posed by particular ministry contexts and settings. Interest forms must be postmarked by April 6, 2018; the postmark deadline for invited proposals is June 1, 2018. Visit the Endowment’s website to learn more about the Thriving in Ministry Initiative 2018.

Grants Address Diabetes Care and Prevention
Sun Life Team Up Against Diabetes
The Sun Life Team Up Against Diabetes grant program is dedicated to addressing the prevention of diabetes and its related complications. Grants are provided to nonprofit organizations throughout the country that focus on the following areas: diabetes prevention, awareness, education, and care; diabetes management; recovery and support from diabetes-related complications; obesity prevention; and nutritional programs, including education, management, and awareness. Grants of $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000 are provided. The application deadline is March 31, 2018. Visit the Sun Life website to submit an online application.

Native Youth Initiatives Supported
First Nations Development Institute: Native Youth and Culture Fund
First Nations Development Institute is a Native American-run nonprofit with a mission to strengthen American Indian economies to support healthy Native communities. The First Nations’ Native Youth and Culture Fund provides grants of $5,000 to $20,000 for projects that focus on youth and incorporate Native culture and tradition to address issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, mental health, and other social issues. Funded projects should address one or more of the following priority areas: preserving cultural and/or spiritual practices, beliefs, and values; engaging both youth and elders in activities that demonstrate methods for documenting traditional knowledge, practices, and/or beliefs; increasing youth's capacity to lead through integrated educational or mentoring programs; and increasing access to cultural customs and beliefs through the use of appropriate technologies as a means of preserving tribal language, arts, history, etc. Online Phase One proposals must be submitted by March 8, 2018; invited Phase Two proposals will be due May 1, 2018. Visit the First Nations’ website to review the funding guidelines.

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Ride Credits for Organizations in Urban Areas
Lyft Community Grants
Lyft is committed to empowering nonprofit organizations doing work to make communities stronger, healthier, and more equitable. Lyft Community Grants support nonprofit organizations working across metropolitan regions nationwide, including Phoenix, AZ; Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco, CA; Miami and Orlando, FL; Atlanta, GA; Indianapolis, IN; New Orleans, LA; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Ann Arbor and Detroit, MI; Albany and New York City, NY; Cleveland and Columbus, OH; Portland, OR; Nashville, TN; Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, TX; Seattle, WA; Washington, DC; and the state of New Jersey. Each month, one organization in each participating region that clearly states the role that transportation and mobility plays in the organization's mission or operations will receive a $1,000 grant in the form of Lyft ride credit. Lyft will notify the winning organizations no later than the tenth of each month, with the first round being announced in March 2018. Visit the Lyft Community Grants website to learn more about the program and submit an online application.

Funds for Children and Youth Programs in Company Communities
ALDI Smart Kids Program
The ALDI Smart Kids Program supports nonprofit organizations, public agencies, K-12 schools, and faith-based organizations that promote kids being active and healthy in the communities where ALDI stores are located in 35 states and Washington, DC. Grants ranging from $100 to $5,000 and ALDI gift cards are provided to local community organizations that encourage kids to be active in the areas of education, physical activity, nutrition, socializing, and the arts. Applications are accepted between February 1 and December 15, annually. Visit the company’s website to learn more about the ALDI Smart Kids Program.

Grants Address the Needs of Jewish Adults in the Carolinas
BJH Foundation for Senior Services
The BJH Foundation for Senior Services is dedicated to enhancing the lives of Jewish adults residing in North Carolina and South Carolina in accordance with Jewish values and beliefs. The Foundation supports new, innovative, community-based programs that address funding priorities. In 2018 there are two priority categories: 1) Health and Wellness Programs, and 2) Socialization Programs. Grants generally range up to $10,000. (Grants of up to $50,000 will be considered in the Health and Wellness category.) The application deadline is March 9, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the grant guidelines and submit an online application.

Support for Healthcare Initiatives in Michigan
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation: Community Health Matching Grant Program
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation is dedicated to improving the health of Michigan residents through the support of research and innovative programs. The Foundation’s Community Health Matching Grant Program supports nonprofit community organizations throughout the state that develop, implement, and evaluate new approaches to healthcare issues. Matching grants of up to $25,000 per year for two years are available. Requests are reviewed three times per year; the upcoming application deadline is April 6, 2018. (Potential grantees are encouraged to submit a concept form for feedback before submitting a proposal.) Visit the Foundation’s website to review the application guidelines.

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Funds Available to Improve Humanities Preservation
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants program supports activities such as the documentation of cultural heritage materials that are lost or imperiled, the preservation and conservation of humanities materials, and the sustaining of digital scholarly infrastructure. The application deadline is March 15, 2018. 

Program Supports Firefighters and Public Safety
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program offers Fire Prevention and Safety Grants to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards, and to reduce injury and prevent death among high-risk populations. The application deadline is March 16, 2018.

GrantStation Announcements
What's New at GrantStation?

Free Webinar: Tell Your Story with Data

Is your data sitting around in spreadsheets, dusty, unused, and forgotten about? Your nonprofit's data deserves to be out in the world utilized, actionable, talked about. During this sneak peek at the upcoming Power of 3 series, Ann K. Emery will describe how to transform technical findings into simple, sophisticated visuals. In this free introductory webinar, you'll see before and after graph makeovers from real projects so that you have a sense of the skills that we're going to be covering together. This webinar will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2018.

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

Eight Ways to Use Giving Psychology to Raise More Money
GuideStar recently highlighted their most popular blog posts of 2017. One of these gems is an article entitled “Eight Ways to Use Giving Psychology to Raise More Money.” The article, which is broken down into Part 1 and Part 2, examines principles from psychology and science that can help fundraisers connect with potential supporters. It offers concrete tips for both online and offline contexts. While the insights are particularly valuable for those working to bolster individual giving, anyone looking to raise the profile of their organization or better understand human psychology will find the article useful.

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.

FREE: Tell Your Story with Data (NEW)
Is your data sitting around in spreadsheets, dusty, unused, and forgotten about? Your nonprofit's data deserves to be out in the world utilized, actionable, talked about. During this sneak peek at the upcoming Power of 3 series, Ann K. Emery will describe how to transform technical findings into simple, sophisticated visuals. She'll walk you through a step-by-step design process that you can apply to your own projects. First, in Simple Spreadsheets, you'll learn to analyze your data faster and easier than ever before. Good data analysis is the foundation for good data visualization. Second, in Great Graphs, you'll find out how to move beyond overused charts like pies and bars and how to format your new chart so that your message stands out. Third, in DIY Dashboards, you'll learn how to build one-page dashboards that get right to the point so that leaders can understand the numbers and then take action. Join us for one session or all three in the series. In this free introductory webinar, you'll see before and after graph makeovers from real projects so that you have a sense of the skills that we're going to be covering together. This webinar will be held on Thursday, February 15, 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.

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. This webinar is intended for the novice proposal writer. The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 1, 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