GrantStation Insider - February 27, 2020

Volume XIX | Issue 8

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

 

National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Climate Solutions Focused on Natural and Working Lands
Nature Conservancy: Natural Climate Solutions Accelerator

The Natural Climate Solutions Accelerator grant program, administered by The Nature Conservancy, supports projects with potential to substantially increase the use of natural climate solutions throughout the United States. The focus is on helping to kick-start innovative and scalable approaches for reducing emissions and storing more carbon on natural and working lands in the United States. The program strives to support and develop a portfolio of proven approaches and mechanisms to deploying natural solutions that landowners, state and federal governments, corporations, and other climate leaders can efficiently implement on a broad scale. Priority will be given to projects representing novel approaches for scaling climate solutions in a range of natural and working lands (forests, agricultural lands and grasslands, and wetlands) and geographies. Grants will range from $50,000 to $200,000. Online pre-proposals must be submitted by March 13, 2020. Visit The Nature Conservancy website to review the guidelines for the Accelerator grant program.

Digitization of Rare and Unique Collections Funded
Council on Library and Information Resources: Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives

Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives, a program of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), is intended to help digitize and provide access to collections of rare or unique content in cultural heritage institutions. The program supports projects that make digitized sources easily discoverable and accessible alongside related materials, including materials held by other collecting institutions as well as those held within the home institution. Collections proposed for digitization may be in any format or relevant to any subject. Grants, ranging from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $250,000 in the case of a single-institution project or $500,000 for a collaborative project, will be provided to colleges and universities, nonprofit institutions, research centers, museums, libraries, historical societies, cultural associations, and tribal and government units. Online initial proposals must be submitted by March 31, 2020; final proposals are due September 4, 2020. Visit the CLIR website to learn more about the application process.

Collaborative Grants Promote Youth Volunteerism
Youth Service America: Youth Service Zone

Youth Service America (YSA) believes that youth, communities, and our democracy thrive when we all work together for the common good. YSA's Youth Service Zone grants offer organizations and schools an opportunity to work collaboratively to increase youth volunteer rates in communities across the United States. Collaboratives of three organizations leading efforts in communities, regions, or states are eligible to apply. Each zone will receive a grant of $15,000 ($5,000 to each of the three collaborative leaders) to support program activities. YSA expects to award five grants to statewide zones and five grants to local or regional zones. The application deadline is March 27, 2020. More information about the Youth Service Zone initiative is available on the YSA website.

Community Improvement Projects Supported
AARP Community Challenge

The AARP Community Challenge grant program is supporting quick-action projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages. Nonprofit organizations and government agencies may apply for grants for projects to improve housing, transportation, public space, technology ("smart cities"), civic engagement, and more. Eligible projects should demonstrate the ability to accelerate and sustain the community's livability for all, especially those 50+. Grants will range from several hundred dollars for smaller short-term activities to several thousand or more for larger projects. The application deadline is April 1, 2020. Visit the AARP website to find out more about the Community Challenge and to submit an online application.

 

 

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Funds for Innovative Programs in MN, ND, and SD
Bush Foundation: Bush Prize for Community Innovation

The Bush Prize for Community Innovation honors nonprofit organizations and government entities with a track record of making great ideas happen in the regions the Bush Foundation serves: Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. The Bush Prize does not prioritize any specific issues and instead is open to community innovations that address all sorts of needs and opportunities. At least half of the Bush Prize winners will be organizations that advance racial and economic equity in the region. Prize winners will receive a package of recognition, along with a flexible grant of 25% of their last fiscal year budget, up to a $500,000 grant. Applications will be accepted from March 3 through April 9, 2020. Visit the Foundation's website to learn more about the Bush Prize.

Grants Enhance Employment Solutions for New Jersey Citizens With Disabilities
Kessler Foundation: Community Employment Grants

The Kessler Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities caused by stroke, multiple sclerosis, injuries to the brain and spinal cord, and other chronic conditions. Through the Community Employment Grants program, the Foundation supports employment solutions that increase employment and career outcomes for New Jersey citizens with disabilities. Specific areas of interest include transition-to-work for youth and adults, employment-related transportation issues, vocational training, workplace preparation, and strategies to support recruitment, hiring, placement, and retention. Nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and governmental entities are eligible to apply for grants ranging from $25,000 to $40,000. The application deadline is April 6, 2020. Visit the Foundation's website to submit an online application.

Support for Youth and Environmental Initiatives in Hawaii and Oregon
The Healy Foundation

The Healy Foundation is dedicated to building community and supporting the environment and youth in the states of Hawaii and Oregon. Grants are provided in the following areas of interest: youth education (up to age 25), youth advocacy, reduction of childhood poverty, climate change mitigation, and protection of ecosystems. The Foundation's unrestricted grants range up to $50,000. Nonprofit organizations working in Hawaii or Oregon may submit a letter of inquiry at any time throughout the year. Visit the Foundation's website to review the funding guidelines and online application procedure.

Funds for Organizations in Company Communities in IL, IA, KS, MI, MN, and OK
ITC Charitable Giving Program

The ITC Charitable Giving Program supports nonprofit organizations in counties served by the company in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. Grants are provided in five key areas: Education, with a focus on higher quality education; Social Services, with a focus on services for those who have been unable to participate fully in the social and economic life of the community; Arts and Culture, with a focus on encouraging art and cultural activities with educational programs and skill building; Health and Wellness, with a focus on promoting physical well-being and healthy lifestyles; and Environmental Stewardship, with a focus on preserving the environment and promoting environmental responsibility. The upcoming application deadline is April 3, 2020. Visit the ITC website to learn more about the program guidelines and to submit an online application.

 

 

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Community Forest Efforts Supported
Forest Service

The National Forest Resiliency Innovation Challenge Cost Share Grant Program seeks to establish sustainable urban and community forests by encouraging communities of all sizes to manage and protect their natural resources to improve the public's health, well-being, and economic vitality and to create resilient ecosystems for present and future generations. Collaborative solutions may include research, prevention, planning, policy, preparedness, implementation, best management practices, recovery, and reforestation that promote the resilience of urban and community forests. The application deadline is March 30, 2020.

Funds Available for Native American Libraries
Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Native American Library Services: Basic Grants program provides funding to support existing library operations and maintain core library services. Examples of supported projects include expanding services for learning and access to information; enhancing electronic and other linkages and improving coordination among and between libraries; providing training and professional development, including continuing education, to enhance the skills of the current library workforce and leadership; targeting library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills; and targeting library and information services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities. The application deadline is April 1, 2020.

 

 

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

Generosity in Canada and the United States: The 2019 Generosity Index
If you are looking to keep up with the latest trends in individual giving, the report entitled Generosity in Canada and the United States: The 2019 Generosity Index may provide some insights. Published by the Fraser Institute, this report measures private monetary generosity using data from personal income tax returns in Canada and the United States.

 

 

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.

Organization Evaluation (NEW)
Nonprofits need to focus on more than mission-specific activities to build a strong organization that can continue to serve over time. This webinar, presented by Mindy Muller, provides the opportunity for leaders to consider how to measure the health of their organizations and plan for long-term sustainability. Participants will complete Community Development Professional's Organization Evaluation Tool to get an assessment of the health of their nonprofit in the six areas of Legalities, Board Governance, Image Management, Resource Development, Strategic Planning, and Program Impact. This webinar then covers those six components and offers participants the opportunity to identify next steps to strengthen the health of their organization. Participants will leave this webinar with an understanding of their organization's key strengths and areas of weakness and be ready to take strategic actions to strengthen the organization. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2020.

LIVE Workshop: Powerful Presentations—Design and Deliver Presentations for Maximum Impact
"I am looking for tools and tricks for making complicated data and information look exciting and compelling for a range of audiences." "My biggest goal is to disseminate our findings more widely with staff, which means learning how to communicate data to folks who often don't consider themselves 'data people.'" "I am struggling with how to make my slides less text-driven." Does this sound familiar? If so, our Powerful Presentations online workshop may be for you. Do you need to communicate data in a variety of formats, from full-length reports, to one-pagers, to infographics, to live presentations with slides? In this 90-minute training, Ann K. Emery will go over a dozen techniques for delivering effective data presentations. You will learn how to avoid Death by PowerPoint, craft your presentation's takeaway points so that your key findings stick, include a variety of visuals to make your content more memorable, color-code your content so that your audience knows when a new segment is beginning, and storyboard your slides to hold your audience's attention. You'll also learn how to improve your presentation's accessibility. The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

How to Build Relationships With New Donors (NEW)
Relationships are the life-blood of the charitable sector. It doesn't really matter what segment of the market you work in (individuals, foundations, corporate giving, or even online fundraising). A successful and long-lasting donor partnership almost always boils down to a few key ingredients: a basic alignment of interest, engagement with the right stakeholder, ongoing cultivation/stewardship, and—of course—a well-timed "ask." This webinar will show you how to develop your "prospect pipeline," bring new donors to the table, and enable repeat giving. Participants will learn how to assess the alignment of a prospect, develop an optimal outreach strategy for each prospect, engage effectively with their prospects over time, and recognize and steward donors to enable long-term giving. This webinar is targeted towards beginner to intermediate-level grantwriters, major gift officers, executive directors, board members, and prospect researchers. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

 

 

GrantStation Announcements
The latest updates from GrantStation.

Funding Alerts
Don't forget to check out the additional Funding Alerts on our homepage—you don't want to miss them!

 


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

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

National Funding Opportunities
Support for Climate Solutions Focused on Natural and Working Lands
Digitization of Rare and Unique Collections Funded
Collaborative Grants Promote Youth Volunteerism
Community Improvement Projects Supported

Regional Funding Opportunities
Funds for Innovative Programs in MN, ND, and SD
Grants Enhance Employment Solutions for New Jersey Citizens With Disabilities
Support for Youth and Environmental Initiatives in Hawaii and Oregon
Funds for Organizations in Company Communities in IL, IA, KS, MI, MN, and OK

Federal Funding Opportunities
Community Forest Efforts Supported
Funds Available for Native American Libraries