GrantStation Insider - April 12, 2018

Volume XVII | Issue 14

National | Regional | Federal | PathFinder | Online Education

 

National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for High-Need Community Projects
Lowe’s Gives Foundation: Community Partners

The Lowe's Gives Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the communities where Lowe's operates stores and distribution centers throughout the United States. The Foundation’s Community Partners grant program supports nonprofit organizations and local municipalities undertaking high-need projects such as building renovations and upgrades, grounds improvements, technology upgrades, and safety improvements. Grants range from $2,001 to $100,000. The 2018 application deadlines are May 11 and August 24. Visit the company’s website to review the giving guidelines and to take the eligibility quiz.

Family Literacy Programs Funded
Wish You Well Foundation

The Wish You Well Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that promote family literacy in the United States. The focus of the Foundation is on the development and expansion of new and existing literacy and educational programs. Grants generally range from $2,000 to $10,000. Requests may be submitted at any time and are reviewed by the Foundation’s Board on a rolling basis. Visit the Foundation’s website to submit an online Donation Request Form.

Grants Promote Youth Conservation Education and Employment Efforts
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Developing the Next Generation of Conservationists

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in cooperation with its partners, is offering an initiative to connect youth to the outdoors by providing support for conservation education and employment programs. This initiative, Developing the Next Generation of Conservationists, supports organizations that are creating innovative educational opportunities and job experiences for youth and young adults. These opportunities encourage young people, particularly urban, tribal, and minority youth, to engage with the natural world and discover career opportunities available in conservation. The program invests in two focus areas: Category One engages pre-K-12 students through approaches that integrate in-class and out-of-class experiences in conservation literacy and stewardship. Category Two supports young adults in paid conservation corps and conservation-focused internships to connect young adults to the outdoors through conservation employment programs. Nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and state and local government agencies are eligible to apply for grants ranging from $30,000 to $150,000. The proposal deadline is June 21, 2018. Visit the NFWF website to review the 2018 Request for Proposals.

Innovative Educational Ideas Supported
Farmers Insurance: Dream Big Teacher Challenge

Thank America’s Teachers, an initiative of Farmers Insurance, honors the inspiring work that teachers do in classrooms throughout the country every day. Through Thank America’s Teachers, the Dream Big Teacher Challenge will award five $100,000 grants to fund K-12 teachers’ educational visions for their classrooms and communities in 2018. (Thank America’s Teachers also provides $2,500 grants to teachers throughout the year.) The Dream Big Teacher Challenge contest funds programs like an outdoor learning center, an accessible playground for special needs students, and a student mentorship program with local business leaders. Proposals must be submitted by May 30, 2018. Visit the Farmers Insurance website to review the contest rules.

 

 

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Funds for Substance Abuse Treatment Programs in Maryland and the Washington, DC, Region
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield: Catalyzing Expansion of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services

Through the Catalyzing Expansion of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services request for proposals, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield plans to award $1.5 million over two years to programs increasing access to substance use disorder services – including efforts to combat opioid addiction – in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC. Grants will be provided to nonprofit organizations and governmental health entities seeking funding for programs to catalyze the expansion of access to outpatient treatment services and care coordination for individuals facing substance use disorders. While CareFirst is accepting applications that address substance use disorders across the continuum of care, preference will be given to those programs increasing access to outpatient care with medication-assisted treatment. The online application deadline is May 11, 2018. Visit the CareFirst website to learn more about the request for proposals.

Grants Enhance Companion Animal Welfare in Iowa
The Miccio Foundation

The Miccio Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that address the well-being of animals in the state of Iowa, with primary focus on companion animals. Grants are provided for projects such as humane education, facility renovation, medical care, spay/neuter programs, and adoption support. Types of grants include Standard Grants averaging $3,500 for licensed pounds and shelters, Mini-Grants of up to $1,500 for organizations with or without a pound or shelter license, and Jean M. Walker Grants of up to $2,500 for individuals and organizations that raise public awareness to improve the humane treatment of animals. The application deadlines are May 1 and November 1, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the application criteria.

Support for Education and Youth Organizations in Company Communities
Brady Shines

Brady Shines, a charitable giving program of the Brady Companies, supports nonprofit organizations in the communities served by the company in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, as well as the Los Angeles, CA; El Paso, TX; and Washington, DC, metropolitan areas. Grants ranging from $250 to $10,000 and product donations are provided to education and youth-focused organizations. Nonprofit organizations, government entities, schools, universities, churches, and faith-based organizations are eligible to apply. Requests are reviewed quarterly; the upcoming deadline is May 31, 2018. Visit the Brady Shines website to learn more about the application process.

Capital Funds for Education and Health Institutions in Thirteen States
Gladys Brooks Foundation

The Gladys Brooks Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations located in the states of Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Tennessee. The Foundation focuses its grantmaking on libraries, educational institutions, and hospitals and clinics in the targeted states. Grant applications will be considered for major expenditures, generally between $50,000 and $100,000. Funds are intended to be used for capital projects, including equipment and endowments. Applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website to request the application materials online.

 

 

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Rural Internet Supported
Department of Agriculture

The Community Connect Grant Program supports efforts to provide broadband Internet in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service does not currently exist. The application deadline is May 14, 2018. 

Program Funds Child Care Businesses for Refugees
Administration for Children and Families

The Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development Program supports efforts to provide refugee participants with training and technical assistance in professional child care, microenterprise development, and financial literacy in order to enable participants to prepare their homes for a child care business operation. The application deadline is May 15, 2018.

 

 

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

Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up, and Make a Difference
Are you thinking of starting a nonprofit organization, or in the early stages of doing so? If so, how can you ensure maximum growth and impact for your new venture? The book Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up, and Make a Difference provides some valuable insights. Written by Kathleen Kelly Janus, a lecturer at Stanford University’s Program on Social Entrepreneurship, this book is based on a survey of more than 200 high-performing social entrepreneurs. It investigates what makes a social startup succeed and how social ventures scale to over $2 million.

 

 

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.

Re-Imagine Your Proposals
For beginners and those with a fair bit of experience, this webinar provides a fresh new approach to grantwriting. The rule for grantwriting is simple: 80% of your time on preparation work and 20% of your time on writing. Does your grantwriting process follow this rule? What does that 80% include? How do you build organizational credibility into your request?  What should you be doing to strengthen everything from your statement of need to your explanation of the impact the grant award will engender? Learn to re-imagine how you present basic documents such as your budget, organizational description, and board and staff bios so they add significant credibility to your request. These are the topics that GrantStation's CEO, Cynthia Adams, will discuss in this fast-paced, content rich session. This presentation will be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

Building a Stellar Grantseeking Team
One of the most time consuming tasks for an Executive Director of a nonprofit organization is the research, writing, and submission of grant requests. And, unfortunately, it is often a task that is both daunting and isolating. This webinar taught by GrantStation's CEO, Cynthia Adams, takes you through a step-by-step process to develop a grantseeking team, all working toward a common vision: to strengthen and build your grants program. This online training focuses on a step-by-step process to craft the perfect committee, develop a process to energize your team, and discover ways to create a sustainable program. Ms. Adams' unique approach will help you develop a team that will generate stellar results. This presentation will be held on Wednesday, April 25, 2018.

Online Workshop: DIY Dashboards - Make Beautiful, Easy to Follow Dashboards for Your Nonprofit's Leaders
Why wait until the end of the year to write a lengthy report when you can share data early and often with dashboards? In this workshop, Ann K. Emery will review the best-bang-for-your-buck data visualization design principles, like using color and text to tell your story. Once you've designed one great graph, it's time to combine multiple graphs together for your report, slide show, or handout. You'll view Ann's real-life examples so that you can see how grids, white space, and visual hierarchies are applied in each setting. You'll also explore the major dashboard types. Ann will share her nine sample dashboards with you and you'll vote on which two or three styles you'd like to create from scratch in Excel. Life is short and Ann is only going to teach you about visualizations that make a difference. View a sample dashboard at www.annkemery.com/revenue-and-expenses. This webinar will be held Thursday, April 26, 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 High-Need Community Projects
Family Literacy Programs Funded
Grants Promote Youth Conservation Education and Employment Efforts
Innovative Educational Ideas Supported

Regional Funding Opportunities
Funds for Substance Abuse Treatment Programs in Maryland and the Washington, DC, Region
Grants Enhance Companion Animal Welfare in Iowa
Support for Education and Youth Organizations in Company Communities
Capital Funds for Education and Health Institutions in Thirteen States

Federal Funding
Rural Internet Supported
Program Funds Child Care Businesses for Refugees