GrantStation Insider - March 15, 2018

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

National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Land Acquisitions to Conserve Critical Habitats
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Acres for America
Acres for America, a partnership between Walmart Stores and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), was established to provide urgently needed funding for projects that conserve important large-scale habitats for fish, wildlife, and plants through land acquisitions and perpetual conservation easements. Preference will be given to projects that achieve more than one of the following program priorities: conserve critical habitats for birds, fish, plants, and wildlife; connect existing protected lands to unify wild places and protect critical migration routes; provide access for people to enjoy the outdoors; and ensure the future of local economies that depend on forestry, ranching, and recreation. All grant awards require a minimum 1:1 match of cash or contributed goods and services. Nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies, Indian tribes, and educational institutions are eligible to apply. Applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate NFWF regional office to discuss project ideas prior to applying. Pre-proposals are due April 26, 2018; invited full proposals must be submitted by June 28, 2018. Visit the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation website to review the 2018 Request for Proposals.

Pro Bono Financial Planning Services Funded
Foundation for Financial Planning
The mission of the Foundation for Financial Planning is to help people take control of their financial lives by connecting the financial planning community with people in need. The Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations nationwide to support the delivery of pro bono financial planning to populations who could not otherwise afford or access financial planning services. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $40,000 support programs helping many diverse groups, including active military members and wounded veterans, people with cancer, seniors and family caregivers, domestic violence survivors, general low-income families, etc. Grants are provided to organizations that engage Certified Financial Planner professionals as volunteers, include one-on-one engagements between financial planner volunteers and pro bono clients, and help people in need of financial guidance or in a financial crisis who are underserved by the market and couldn’t ordinarily access quality, ethical advice. Online applications must be submitted by April 30, 2018. Grant guidelines and application information are available on the Foundation’s website.

Grants Enhance Innovative K-12 Projects
Voya Unsung Heroes
The Voya Unsung Heroes program provides grants to K-12 educators nationwide that utilize new teaching methods and techniques that improve learning. Full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and classified staff employed by accredited K-12 public or private schools in the United States are eligible to apply. The 100 finalists each receive an award of $2,000. At least one award will be granted in each of the 50 United States, provided one or more qualified applications are received from each state. Of the 100 finalists, three will be selected for additional financial awards of $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000. All awards must be used to further the projects within the school or school system. Applications must be submitted online by April 30, 2018. Visit the Voya Unsung Heroes website to access the application and learn more about the program.

Outdoor Adventure Programs Supported
The North Face Explore Fund
The North Face Explore Fund supports nonprofit organizations in the U.S. that are looking to increase participation in the outdoors and work in innovative ways to protect our environment. Grants are made in the following categories: The Enabling New Explorers category focuses on programs that introduce underrepresented communities to outdoor adventures in potentially new and interesting ways. The Protecting Our Environment category focuses on programs that work to protect our ecosystems and our ability to continue to enjoy them. Across both categories, programs with strong outdoor engagement in activities such as skiing, kayaking, backpacking, etc. are preferred. Grants generally range from $5,000 to $25,000. The application deadline is April 5, 2018. Visit the Fund’s website to submit an online application.

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Assistance for Grassroots Organizations in Central Appalachia
Appalachian Community Fund: General Fund
The Appalachian Community Fund (ACF) encourages grassroots social change in Central Appalachia (eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and all of West Virginia). ACF provides support to community-based organizations working for social, economic, racial, and environmental justice. ACF’s General Fund provides operating support and project grants of up to $3,000 to grassroots organizations that are addressing the underlying causes of poverty and oppression in the region. The focus is on organizations with budgets less than $200,000 that have limited access to traditional funding sources. The proposed work must address change at a systemic level and demonstrate some understanding of forms of oppression, especially racism. The application deadline is April 12, 2018. Visit ACF’s website to download the General Fund guidelines.

Funds for Health Organizations in Utah
Utah Medical Association Foundation
The Utah Medical Association Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that strive to promote the health of the citizens of Utah. Grants are provided to nonprofit organizations that work to improve or support education of physicians and nurses, improve facilities and treatment options, and support public health projects that serve to mitigate or prevent disease. The upcoming application deadline is April 13, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website to download the application form.

Community Organizations in the Upper Midwest Recognized
Bush Foundation: Bush Prize for Community Innovation
The Bush Prize for Community Innovation honors innovative 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. Prize winners will receive promotion and recognition, along with a flexible grant of 25% of the last fiscal year budget, up to a $500,000 grant. At least half of the Bush Prize winners will be organizations that address racial and economic disparities. Applications will be accepted through April 12, 2018. Visit the Bush Foundation’s website to learn more about the Bush Prize application process.

Support for Social Justice Initiatives in Hawaii
Hawaii People's Fund
The Hawaii People's Fund provides support to progressive grassroots social change organizations working throughout the state. Grants are provided to organizations committed to social justice through a more equitable distribution of power, resources, and wealth in Hawaii. The Fund's broad grant categories include the following: action research, cultural activism, human and civil rights, environmental and economic justice, movement building, political organizing, grassroots leadership, youth organizing, indigenous rights, workers’ rights, reproductive justice, public policy advocacy, and peace and international solidarity. Grants of up to $5,000 are provided for existing projects as well as startup projects. The application deadline is April 16, 2018. Visit the Fund’s website to review the funding guidelines and FAQs and to submit an online application.

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Funds Available for Fire Departments
Department of Homeland Security
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants program provides support to fire departments to recruit, hire, and retain firefighters. The application deadline is April 27, 2018.

Urban Forestry Projects Supported
Forest Service
The National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program supports forestry projects on non-federal public land that have a national or multi-state impact and application. The application deadline is April 30, 2018.

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

Giving USA Special Report – The Data on Donor-Advised Funds
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is defined as “a philanthropic vehicle established at a public charity (which) allows donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax benefit, and then recommend grants from the fund over time.” If you are interested in learning more about DAFs and their role in the current philanthropic landscape, we recommend checking out “Giving USA Special Report – The Data on Donor-Advised Funds.” This report provides information on DAFs, including annual giving, the types of nonprofits they support, how these trends have changed over time, and how nonprofits can incorporate DAFs into their overall fundraising strategy.

GrantStation Announcements
 

Please Contribute Your Experience to the
Spring 2018 State of Grantseeking™ Survey
The resulting – free – State of Grantseeking Reports can tell you a reasonable level of funding to expect for an organization based on median awards by organizational budget, location, and mission (benchmarks you can really use). And, it can give you a leg up on the competition through awareness of trends, months or even years before other reports reflect the data. Please join thousands of others who find value in the reports by completing this survey and offering your insights for the upcoming report. The survey ends March 31, 2018.

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: Turbo Start Your Grants Program for 2018
Do you want to establish a comprehensive, structured grants program to fund your work? During this 30-minute sneak peek at the upcoming Power of 3 series, GrantStation CEO Cynthia Adams will show you how you can turbo-start your grantseeking efforts. First, in Re-Imagine Your Proposals, she will cover all the prep work that needs to happen before you begin writing grant requests, and how to build the "credibility" factor into these documents. She'll talk a bit about impact planning, and developing a strong case for support. Second, in Building a Stellar Grantseeking Team, she will cover how to keep that grant pipeline full by creating an outstanding grantseeking team. This step-by-step webinar is full of great ideas and an easy to use process for the recruitment and management of your team. Third, in Building a Powerful Grants Strategy for 2018-2019, she takes you through the process of developing a powerful grantseeking strategy, including the tools and resources you will need. We hope you join us for this free introductory webinar. This webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 28, 2018.

Online Workshop: Great Graphs - Tell Your Nonprofit's Story with Data Visualization
Visualizing data through charts, tables, and diagrams helps you deliver bite-sized information that viewers will understand at a glance and retain for the long run. In this workshop, Ann K. Emery will walk you through a step-by-step design process so you can apply critical thinking skills to your own projects. First, you'll learn how to customize your visualization for your audience. Second, you'll learn how to choose the right chart for your message. You'll see familiar friends like pie charts and bar charts as well as new options like waffle charts, Sankey diagrams, tree maps, social network maps, and visual timelines. Third, you'll declutter your visuals, reinforce your branding with custom color palettes and typography, and increase accessibility by ensuring that your visuals are legible for people with color vision deficiencies. Finally, you'll learn to tell a story through saturation and annotation. This webinar will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2018. View a sample graph makeover at www.annkemery.com/agree-disagree-scales/.

Now Is the Time - Mobilize Your Board to Raise Funds
In today's highly competitive grantseeking economy, nonprofit organizations that fail to attract outside funding most often are those with boards who are unable or unwilling to engage in efforts aimed at contributing to their agency's financial security. Stated quite simply, nonprofit board members no longer have the option of saying "I don't raise funds." In this webinar, Judith Margolin addresses the change in perspective necessary to turn weak boards into powerful fundraising entities, beginning with a new and much broader definition of "fundraising". Topics covered include: who should and should not be on your board, how to address your board member's reluctance to raise funds, and what specific roles board members can and should play vis a vis your prospects and funders. The webinar concludes with advice on developing an action plan to more fully engage your board in fundraising. This presentation will be held on Thursday, April 12, 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