GrantStation Insider: August 25, 2022

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

Special Funding Opportunities
Opportunities related to specific current issues

Current funding opportunities for COVID-19 and Ukraine are available to the public on our website.

National Funding
Opportunities throughout the U.S.

Grants Advance Equity in Mental Health
Cigna Foundation: Health and Well-Being Grants
The Cigna Foundation's Health and Well-Being Grants support nonprofit organizations addressing the root causes of health inequity, including supporting under-resourced and systemically disadvantaged communities with poor social determinants of health. The current grant cycle will focus on programs that address improving and ensuring good mental health. Applications should address at least one or more of the following programmatic areas, specifically in ethnic minority and underserved populations: suitable care that provides access to mental health services and addresses depression, stress, and anxiety and promotes resilience and mental well-being; programs addressing the shortage of mental healthcare professionals; and cultural competency and awareness training for healthcare providers that addresses the stigma associated with seeking mental healthcare. Applicants must align their funding request with the Community Health Implementation Plan for their community. Grants range between $50,000 and $100,000 per year, and multi-year requests of up to three years will be considered. The application deadline is September 16, 2022. Visit the Cigna website to access the online application.

Support Provided for U.S. Theater and Dance Companies
The Shubert Foundation
The Shubert Foundation is dedicated to sustaining and advancing the live performing arts in the United States, with a particular emphasis on theater and a secondary focus on dance. The Foundation provides general operating support to nonprofit, professional theater and dance companies, as well as some arts-related organizations that help support their development. In addition, the Shubert Scholars program provides support to graduate drama departments of universities. The eligibility quiz and grant application become available on the Foundation's website in mid-September. Dance, Arts Related, and Shubert Scholars applications are due October 18, 2022; Theatre applications must be submitted by December 1, 2022. Visit the Foundation's website for more information.

Programs Benefiting Individuals With Paralysis Funded
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and improving quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. The Foundation's Direct Effect Quality of Life Grants of up to $25,000 support a wide array of programs and activities impacting individuals living with paralysis and their families in the 50 U.S. states and U.S. territories. Examples of funded projects include, but are not limited to, sports wheelchairs for a wheelchair basketball team, an adapted glider in a community playground, accessible gym equipment, a hydraulic lift at a pool, electronic door openers at a community center, a workshop education series on sex and sexuality with a spinal cord injury, camp programs, subsidized lessons for therapeutic horseback riding, etc. Nonprofit organizations, municipal and state governments, school districts, recognized tribal entities, and other institutions such as community or veterans' hospitals are eligible to apply. (Priority Impact Grants addressing respite/caregiving, assistive technology, social isolation, nursing home transitions, racial equity, the rural underserved and underserved populations, and employment are also available.) The application cycle will open September 1, 2022, and proposals are due October 13. Visit the Foundation's website for further information.

Initiative Promotes Undergraduate Civic Education
The Teagle Foundation: Education for American Civic Life
The Education for American Civic Life initiative, a program of the Teagle Foundation, supports efforts to prepare students to become informed and engaged participants in the civic life of their local and national communities. Through this initiative, the Foundation seeks ambitious projects that confront gaps in undergraduates' civic knowledge and prepare them for the intellectual demands of democratic participation. Successful proposals will promote learning about the formation of the American republic, the crafting of its Constitution, the history of contention over the interpretation of the Constitution, the development of representative political structures, and the principles of democracy. Funding is focused on two particular areas: 1) anchoring significant questions in democratic thought in local history and community, and 2) strengthening preparation for public service. Grants ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 over a 24-36 month period are made to a diverse array of institutions, including community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and comprehensive and research universities. Proposals for planning grants in the range of $25,000 over 6-12 months are strongly encouraged. Concept papers are reviewed three times per year with submissions due by December 1, March 1, and August 1. Visit the Foundation's website to review the Education for American Civic Life request for proposals.

Regional Funding
Opportunities for specific geographic areas

Funding Targets Traffic Safety, Tourism, Education, and Community Service in 14 States
Auto Club Group Foundation
The Auto Club Group Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The Foundation seeks to create lasting solutions, inspire learning, and provide research and funding in the categories of Traffic Safety, Tourism, Education, and Community Service. Requests are reviewed throughout the year. Visit the Foundation's website to learn more about the funding priorities and to submit an online application.

Grants Enhance Transitions to Employment for Black Youth in NBA Markets
NBA Foundation
The mission of the NBA Foundation is to drive economic opportunity in the Black community by funding programs that generate successful transitions from school to meaningful employment for Black youth. The Foundation supports national and local organizations, with priority given to those operating in NBA markets, which promote school-to-career employment opportunities, including job readiness, skill training, job placement, and career advancement for Black youth ages 14 to 24. Applicants must serve a minimum of 25 youth annually across their programs and be a registered 501(c)(3), if operating in the U.S., or a registered T3010 if operating in Canada. The Foundation is currently accepting grant applications for 2022 on a rolling basis. Visit the NBA Foundation's website to register for a grant application webinar or to access the online application portal.

Dental Health and Education Programs in Oklahoma Supported
Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation
The mission of the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation is to improve the oral health of all Oklahomans by funding dental health and education programs in Oklahoma. Grants are provided in the following areas: benevolent dentistry/access to dental care, oral health education for the public, education for dental professionals, and oral health related research. Priority is given to free clinics and programs in which volunteer dental professionals donate time and service. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, government agencies, and faith-based organizations serving all members of the community regardless of religious belief. The online grant application will open September 1, 2022, and the application deadline is October 17, 2022. Visit the Foundation's website to download the Funding Guidelines and Priorities and access the online application system.

Small Grants Available for K-12 Agricultural Literacy Projects in California
California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom: Literacy for Life Grants
The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom's Literacy for Life Grants provide support to initiate new projects or expand existing ones that promote agricultural literacy in the classroom. Grants of up to $500 are provided to certified K-12 educators throughout California to support the integration of agriculture into regular classroom instruction. Support is provided for a wide array of project ideas, including outreach projects, such as hosting a farm day or an agricultural careers day; field trips and farm tours; science projects involving agriculture or food; and nutrition projects. Grants will be awarded to 25 educators; a minimum of two will be provided to agricultural educators. One applicant may be selected to receive an additional $1,000 award and be named the Foundation's "Outstanding Educator of the Year." The application deadline is October 1, 2022. Visit the Foundation's website to submit the online application.

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. government

Funds Promote Broadband in Underserved Areas
Department of Commerce
The Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program provides funding for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle-mile infrastructure. The program seeks to encourage the expansion and extension of infrastructure to reduce the cost of connecting unserved and underserved areas to the backbone of the internet, and to promote broadband connection resiliency through the creation of alternative network connection paths that can be designed to prevent single points of failure on a broadband network. The application deadline is September 30, 2022.

Program Protects At-Risk Species
Fish and Wildlife Service
The Candidate Species Conservation Fund supports conservation tasks for high-priority candidate species or other at-risk species in the United States. The Fund seeks to reduce or eliminate identified threats to species through efforts such as research, surveys and monitoring, and educational outreach. The application deadline is September 30, 2022.

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

Gilded Giving 2022: How Wealth Inequality Distorts Philanthropy and Imperils Democracy
Are you concerned about how growing inequality in the U.S. is affecting the nation's charitable system? If so, you may want to read Gilded Giving 2022: How Wealth Inequality Distorts Philanthropy and Imperils Democracy. Published by the Institute for Policy Studies, this report describes the extent of the capture of the charitable sector by the wealthy, the risks this poses, and how it has been exacerbated by the pandemic and other external factors. It also proposes strong reforms that would reverse these trends and realign the charitable system to serve the public interest.

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.

Make Money: NEW Nonprofit Revenue Streams
Are you looking to diversify your revenue stream? Would you like to increase organizational sustainability by creating recurring, predictable revenue streams for general operating expenses? In this 90-minute training, Stephanie Sample, Founder and CEO of Fundraising for the Future, will introduce social enterprise for nonprofits. She will walk you through the process of identifying organizational assets, strategically selecting an asset to monetize, and developing a business plan around your core competencies. Topics covered will include how to identify and monetize your organizational assets, examples of successful nonprofits with social enterprises, components of a social enterprise business plan, how your social enterprise impacts your nonprofit mission, and tax repercussions for nonprofit organizations who generate revenue through social enterprise. You will walk away with a list of your organization's monetizable assets, examples of nonprofits that create their own revenue, examples of nonprofits that launched social enterprises in the pandemic, a format for starting the conversation about social enterprise at your organization, and inspiration and insight into potential revenue streams. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

FREE: The Quick-Start Guide to the One-Page Grant Proposal (NEW)
Have a good idea you'd love to turn into a great grant proposal, but not sure how? Join veteran grants pro and grantmaker Maryn Boess as she shares the ten simple, powerful "Magic Wand'' questions at the heart of every single grant proposal. These questions will transform your good ideas into clear, compelling, and fundable project plans—and jump-start your grants success. You'll be introduced to the simple but incredibly powerful one-page Magic Wand template that's won grants of $2,000, $30,000, $144,000, and much more for nonprofits like yours. You'll learn the seven questions that bring clarity, depth, and power to your own best thinking about a successful project or funding need; how the right questions can give you "x-ray vision" into the minds of grantmakers, so you can deliver exactly what they really want every time; the one question that helps you quickly zero in on those grantmakers most likely to say an enthusiastic "YES!" to your request for funding; and six surprising, powerful ways nonprofits have discovered (and you can borrow!) to put this Magic Wand to work for the causes they serve. The webinar will be held on Thursday, September 8, 2022.

The Power of 3: Image is Everything
Nonprofits often believe that strong programs will naturally equate to support and funding. The reality is that people give to organizations they THINK are making a difference. If your nonprofit wants to compete for funds, people, and donations, image is everything. In this Power of 3 series, Mindy Muller will help ensure your organization’s forward face matches the value you provide behind the scenes. She will help you take control of your nonprofit's image and walk you through the essential aspects of image management. The first webinar, Image Management: Telling Your Story, will help you find and tell those compelling stories within your organization that need to be shared. The second webinar, Building a Nonprofit Brand, will demonstrate how branding is much more than logo and look. It is the total of perceptions about what a nonprofit stands for, what it does, and how much social impact it is thought to achieve. The final webinar, Working With the Media, will help you build confidence when interacting with the media. Mindy will offer tips you can utilize whether you’re approaching the media, handling inquiries, or managing an unfortunate crisis. The webinars will take place on September 13, October 4, and October 25. You may register for all three or take them separately.

GrantStation Announcements
The latest updates from GrantStation

An Introduction to Our Vice President of Operations, Juliet Vile

I joined GrantStation over six years ago, having previously worked for several education-focused nonprofits. In my time at GrantStation, I've been able to expand the types of nonprofits I work with and support organizations with amazing missions well outside of my experiences.

As Vice President of Operations, I manage two of our partner programs: the Membership Value Program (MVP) and the Premium Licensing Program (PLP). Our partner organizations participating in MVP are able to offer GrantStation to their members for a discounted rate, and our PLP partner organizations are able to include GrantStation database access as a member benefit. Both partner programs are designed to help increase the value and relevancy of an organization's membership.

In addition to the partner programs, I work to secure the legal and financial soundness of GrantStation and make sure GrantStation employees have a superior working environment. Our employees at GrantStation stay for a long time, something we are quite proud of. Please reach out anytime, especially if you want to talk about our partner programs.

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Funding Alerts
GrantStation shares database profiles of local, national, Canadian, and international grantmakers with upcoming deadlines each week. Check out the current Funding Alerts for more grant opportunities!

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Editor: Ashlyn Simmons
Copy Editor: Diana Holder
Contributing Writer: Kevin Peters