GrantStation Insider - May 3, 2018

National | Regional | Federal | PathFinder | Online Education

National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Youth Education Through Computer and Video Games
Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Foundation
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Foundation is dedicated to supporting positive programs and opportunities that make a difference in the lives of America's youth. The Foundation seeks to harness the collective power of the interactive entertainment industry to create positive social impact. Grants of up to $50,000 are provided to nonprofit organizations for programs that serve youth ages 7 to 18. Funded programs and services should utilize technology or computer and video games to educate America's youth and young adults. Programs must be available nationwide, or reach at least two or more states. Letters of inquiry will be accepted from May 21 through June 22, 2018; invited full proposals must be submitted by August 17, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the funding guidelines.

Bicycle Advocacy and Infrastructure Initiatives Funded
PeopleForBikes Community Grant Program
The PeopleForBikes Community Grant Program offers funding for important and influential projects that leverage federal funding and build momentum for bicycling in communities across the United States. Grants of up to $10,000 are provided for bicycle infrastructure projects and targeted advocacy initiatives that make it easier and safer for people of all ages and abilities to ride. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with a focus on bicycling, active transportation, or community development; city or county agencies or departments; and state or federal agencies working locally. Letters of interest for the fall 2018 grant cycle will be accepted from June 11 to July 23, 2018; full applications will be due October 19, 2018. Visit the PeopleForBikes website to review the grant guidelines.

Grants Strengthen the Intersection of Creativity and Urban Revitalization
Kresge Foundation: Arts and Culture Program: Local Systems
The Kresge Foundation’s Arts and Culture Program seeks to build strong, healthy cities nationwide by promoting the integration of arts and culture in community revitalization. The Local Systems focus area funds organizations that infuse creativity into comprehensive community development and urban planning practices. Support is provided for cross-sector and cross-disciplinary projects that embed arts, culture, and community-engaged design into municipal governments and departments and in other non-arts disciplines and sectors. Priority is given to projects that take root in economically distressed communities and ensure that residents with low incomes contribute to, engage in, benefit from, and are empowered by activities. Collaborations of multiple partners from different sectors (public/private) and disciplines (arts, health, environment, human services) are eligible to apply. Online applications may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the Local Systems focus area.

Programs That Benefit Youth Supported
American Legion Child Welfare Foundation
The mission of the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation is to provide nonprofit organizations with a means to educate the public about the needs of children across the United States. The Foundation supports organizations that contribute to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual welfare of children through the dissemination of information about new and innovative programs designed to benefit youth, or through the dissemination of information already possessed by well-established organizations. Grant requests should have the potential to help American children in a broad geographic area (more than one state). The application deadline is July 15, 2018. Grant application guidelines are available on the Foundation’s website.

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Upcoming Deadlines for Organizations in Chicago and California
Lagunitas Brewing Company: Community Grant Program
The Lagunitas Brewing Company's Community Grant Program provides support to nonprofit organizations throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, and in Chicago and Cook County, IL. Grants ranging up to $5,000 are given in the following categories: animal welfare, the arts, and music education. Organizations in Chicago and Cook County may apply from May 4 through June 8, 2018; California organizations may apply from August 1 through September 14, 2018.  (The grant cycle for Oregon and Washington organizations is in February of each year.) Visit the company’s website to learn more about the grant guidelines and application process.

Funds for Programs Serving Arizona Children, Women, and Minorities
Cardinals Charities
Cardinals Charities, the grantmaking program of the Arizona Cardinals, supports initiatives designed to improve the quality of life and enhance opportunities for children, women, and minorities in the state of Arizona. Grant requests of up to $5,000 are preferred, with priority given to grants that support special programs. Nonprofit organizations throughout the state are eligible to apply. Applications will be accepted through June 27, 2018. Visit the Cardinals’ website for more information.

Grants Promote Environmental Initiatives in Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia
Virginia Environmental Endowment
The mission of the Virginia Environmental Endowment is to improve the quality of the environment by using its capital to encourage all sectors to work together to prevent pollution, conserve natural resources, and promote environmental literacy. The Endowment provides grants to nonprofit organizations for programs conducted in the state of Virginia and in the Kanawha and Ohio River Valleys of Kentucky and West Virginia. The Virginia Program focuses on water quality, land conservation and use, Chesapeake Bay environmental issues, and environmental education. The Kanawha and Ohio River Valleys Program focuses on research, education, and community action on water quality and the effects of water pollution on public health and the environment. The James River Water Quality Improvement Program supports organizations that work to improve the water quality of the James River and its tributaries in Virginia. The deadline for the James River Water Quality Improvement Program is June 15, 2018; the deadline for the Kanawha and Ohio River Valleys Program is December 1, 2018. Applications for the Virginia Program may be submitted by either deadline. Visit the Endowment’s website for application guidelines.

Support for Programs Addressing the Needs of Michigan Youth
Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation: B.E.S.T Community Grant Program
The Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that strive to effect positive change in the lives of Masons, their families, and their communities in Michigan. The Foundation's B.E.S.T Community Grant Program provides support for projects that focus on the needs of Michigan youth. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 are offered for new programs, expanding programs, and current programs that are evidence-based and achieving significant desired outcomes. Requests are reviewed quarterly; the upcoming deadline is June 15, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the application procedure.

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Program Supports Financing for Technology for People with Disabilities
Department of Health and Human Services
The Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Program supports programs that provide for the purchase of assistive technology devices, such as low-interest loan funds, interest buy-down programs, revolving loan funds, loan guarantees, or insurance programs. The application deadline is June 4, 2018.

Funds Available to Improve Distressed Neighborhoods
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants Program helps communities transform neighborhoods by redeveloping severely distressed public or HUD-assisted housing and catalyzing critical improvements in the neighborhood, including vacant property, housing, businesses, services, and schools. The application deadline is June 12, 2018.

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

Launching the Benevon Model Video Tutorial Series
Are you looking for a new strategy to take your fundraising to the next level? The Benevon Model for Sustainable Funding is a mission-centered, four-step, circular process for raising sustainable funding and major gifts from individual donors. In the five-part Launching the Benevon Model Video Tutorial Series, you will learn Benevon’s system for powerfully engaging your community in the mission of your organization, and how to customize the most important steps of the Benevon Model.

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.

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. This webinar will be held Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Writing Capacity Building Grants
Developing a capacity building grant request requires a specific approach which is distinct from the application process for operating or program grant requests. During this presentation, Alice Ruhnke will walk participants through the introduction, needs statement, objectives, and evaluation components of capacity building grant requests, using "real life, real time" examples of what funders are looking for. The webinar is appropriate for individuals who have a basic understanding of grant fundamentals and would like to apply those concepts specifically to capacity building grants. Participants will receive the PowerPoint presentation and the notes upon completion of the webinar. The webinar will be held Thursday, June 14, 2018.

The Invisible Yellow Line: Nonprofit Governance
Who 'owns' your nonprofit? The line defining the governance responsibility of board and staff is often hard to see. This fast-paced webinar will help to clarify that line using a football metaphor that everyone can understand. You've seen that yellow line that appears on the screen when you watch a football game. When you apply that line to the key roles of board and staff, it provides an easy way to discuss governance roles and helps to open lines of communication so both teams work compatibly toward the same goal - serving you organization's mission. Jean Block, the webinar presenter, is the author of "The Invisible Yellow Line ™ - Clarifying Board and Staff Roles." She will share easy, practical examples of best practices in board and staff roles in governance, including the board's responsibilities to the Three Duties and how the CEO can support the board in its governance role. The webinar is a great basic review for the novice and a refresher for the experienced nonprofit volunteer or chief executive. This webinar will be held Wednesday, July 18, 2018.

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