GrantStation Insider - September 19, 2019

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National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Live Performance Projects Nationwide
MAP Fund
The MAP Fund invests in artistic production as the critical foundation of imagining—and ultimately co-creating—a more equitable and vibrant society. Each year MAP supports original live performance projects throughout the United States that embody a spirit of deep inquiry. MAP has a particular interest in supporting artists who question, disrupt, complicate, and challenge inherited notions of social and cultural hierarchy across the current American landscape, including issues of class, sexual orientation, gender, generation, religious affiliation, and other aspects of cultural difference. Up to 45 grants ranging from $10,000 to $45,000 will be awarded in the upcoming grant cycle. The application process opens on October 21 and closes on November 25, 2019. (During the last three weeks of October, MAP offers support to applicants who would like staff to read and respond to a project description draft prior to submitting an application.) Visit the MAP website to download the 2020 Application Guide.

Proposals Addressing Challenges for Low-Income Seniors Funded
AARP Foundation
The AARP Foundation works to end senior poverty by helping vulnerable older adults build economic opportunity and social connectedness. The Foundation has issued the following two Requests for Applications (RFAs): The Improving Social Connectedness for Older Adults RFA and the Improving Food Security Among Older Adults RFA. The focus is on projects with evidence that low-income older adults who participate in the proposed project experience improved social connectedness or increased food security. Both RFAs will support nonprofit organizations with projects that fall under Direct Service, Research, Education, Outreach, and Field-Building. The application deadline is October 18, 2019. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about each grant opportunity and to download the RFAs.

Grants Promote K-12 School Gardens
Annie’s Grants for Gardens
Annie’s Grants for Gardens are provided to K-12 school gardens nationwide to help children start thinking more holistically about their food, their communities, and the planet. Grants may be used to purchase any supplies for an edible garden, such as plants, seeds, raised beds, fencing, wheelbarrows, greenhouses, and drip irrigation systems. New applicants may apply for grants of $3,000; returning applicants are eligible for one of three $5,000 grants. Public, charter, and private schools, as well as school districts and nonprofit organizations supporting a school garden, are eligible to apply. Online applications must be submitted by November 1, 2019. Visit the company’s website to review the grant guidelines.

Recorded Sound Projects and Music Research Supported
GRAMMY Museum Grant Program
The aim of the GRAMMY Museum Grant Program is to advance the archiving of the recorded sound heritage of the Americas and to explore the impact of music on the human condition. Support is provided to organizations and individuals in the following areas: The Archiving and Preservation Projects category supports efforts that advance the archiving and preservation of the music and recorded sound heritage of the Americas through Preservation Implementation grants of up to $20,000, and Assistance, Assessment, or Consultation grants of up to $5,000. The Scientific Research Projects category provides grants of up to $20,000 for research on the impact of music on the human condition. Examples include the study of the effects of music on mood, cognition, and healing, as well as the medical and occupational well-being of music professionals and the creative process underlying music. The letter of inquiry deadline is October 15, 2019. Visit the GRAMMY Museum website to learn more about the funding guidelines and application process.

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Funds for Cross-Cultural Exchange Projects in Five States
Laura Jane Musser Fund: Intercultural Harmony Program
The Intercultural Harmony Program, an initiative of the Laura Jane Musser Fund, promotes mutual understanding and cooperation between groups and citizens of different cultural backgrounds within defined geographical areas through collaborative, cross-cultural exchange projects. Support is provided to nonprofit organizations in the states of Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Wyoming, as well as the Rio Grande Valley, Deep East Texas, and the Brazos Valley regions of Texas, that include members of various cultural communities working together on projects with common goals. These projects must be intercultural rather than focused on just one culture, and must demonstrate tangible benefits in the larger community. The projects must also describe how they include members of the cultural communities actively in the planning and implementation process. Funded projects can be carried out in a number of areas, including the arts, community service, and youth activities. Online applications may be submitted through October 16, 2019. Application guidelines are available on the Fund’s website.

Grants Enhance Parks and Public Lands in New York State
Parks & Trails New York: Park & Trail Partnership Grants
Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) is dedicated to improving health, the economy, and quality of life through the use and enjoyment of green space across New York State. PTNY’s Park & Trail Partnership Grants program provides matching grants to nonprofit Friends organizations that support New York State parks, trails, public lands, and state historic sites. The following four types of grants are available: Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grants of up to $50,000, Step-Up Grants of up to $7,500, Professional Development Grants of up to $100,000, and Stewardship and Public Access Capacity Grants of up to $75,000. The application deadline is December 3, 2019. (Professional Development Grants require the submission of a letter of inquiry by October 11, 2019.) Visit the PTNY website to learn more about the grant categories and the application procedure.

Support for Healthy Lifestyle Programs in Kansas Schools
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation: Healthy Habits for Life
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation is dedicated to promoting the good health of Kansans. The Foundation’s Healthy Habits for Life program helps schools address a current major health issue in Kansas and the nation: childhood obesity. The Healthy Habits for Life program is offering a total of $150,000 in grants of up to $1,000 to assist schools in promoting healthy lifestyle choices to their K-12 students. The focus is on programs that will help Kansas youth reduce their cardiovascular risk, increase their physical activity, or learn healthy eating habits. School nurses, physical education teachers, principals, health or family and consumer science teachers, or other administrators in all Kansas counties (with the exception of Johnson and Wyandotte) are eligible to apply. The application deadline is October 18, 2019. Visit the Foundation’s website for application guidelines and forms.

Local Projects in Company Communities Funded
Baltimore Life Companies Community Grants Program
The Baltimore Life Companies Community Grants Program supports a wide range of nonprofit organizations that benefit the communities in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Washington, DC, where the company has offices. The program provides grants of $500 to fund community-based organizations addressing family, safety, and community enhancement issues. Examples of eligible programs include child safety education, community cleanup campaigns, neighborhood watch activities, etc. Priority is given to ambitious organizations that already have “volunteer power” in place, but need financial support to implement their home-grown projects. Applications must be returned to local Baltimore Life agencies by October 15, 2019. Visit the company’s website to download the grant guidelines and application form.

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Funds Help Rural Veterans With Health Needs
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Highly Rural Transportation Grants program helps veterans in highly rural areas travel to VA or VA-authorized healthcare facilities. Support is available in counties with fewer than seven people per square mile. The application deadline is October 31, 2019.

Program Seeks to Improve STEM Participation
National Science Foundation
The NSF INCLUDES program (NSF Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) seeks to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through the support of partnerships and networks to address participation challenges. The application deadlines are December 3, 2019, and July 13, 2020.

Partner Depot

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Learn to Write Your First Grant Proposal With Elevate!
You’ve been tasked with writing your first grant proposal for your organization and you have no idea where to start. What information goes in which section? Are you using enough data? How much money should you ask for?

At Elevate we’ve worked with over 100 nonprofit organizations to win millions of dollars for their programs, and we’ve learned a thing or two about what constitutes a winning grant proposal (and the mistakes to avoid). Join us for a FREE beginner-friendly webinar where we’ll walk you through basic dos and don’ts to help you write your first grant proposal with confidence.

Save your seat!

EXTREME MAKEOVER: Nonprofit Edition
Community Development Professionals’ annual Nonprofit Development Conference is scheduled for October 3, 2019, from 8:30am to 4pm. “EXTREME MAKEOVER: Nonprofit Edition” will show you how to take YOUR nonprofit to the next level over the next 12 months. Join us to…

• Assess where you are
• Identify where you are headed
• Outline the steps to get there

Stream the whole conference from the comfort of your home or office for only $149! Take the EXTREME MAKEOVER pledge and you can compete for up to $10,000 in funds to help you achieve your makeover. For more information visit here, or to register go here.

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

About That Recession: What Nonprofits Can and Should Do to Prepare
Talk of a looming recession has been weighing heavily on the minds of many nonprofit leaders. How can your organization get ready for the next economic downturn? Nonprofit Quarterly’s upcoming webinar “About That Recession: What Nonprofits Can and Should Do to Prepare” provides guidance for nonprofits looking to prepare for the next recession. It includes a look at previous recessions and strategies and steps that nonprofits can take to manage their risk and make it through a rough few years.

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 Tour of the GrantStation Website
Join Jeremy Smith, Communications and Technology Director, and Sara Kennedy, Director of Online Education, for a quick tour of the GrantStation website. This tour will cover all of the features in GrantStation.com, including navigation, search interfaces, and charitable database search criteria. This tour will provide tips on the most effective way to use all of the valuable resources the website offers, including the extensive funder databases that can help you identify the grantmakers most likely to fund your programs or projects. By using GrantStation’s databases and resource tools, you can begin to develop a successful grantseeking strategy for the next 12 to 18 months. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

Capital Campaigns: Building Momentum with Grants (NEW)
Capital campaigns are strategic, multi-dimensional efforts to raise funds, typically for multimillion-dollar projects like new buildings. Understanding the vital role grants play in building capital campaign momentum and meeting campaign goals is an important piece of funding strategy. In this webinar, Kevin Wallace, president of CampaignCounsel.org, and Carlyn Runnels, CampaignCounsel.org consultant, will show you how to identify and apply for grants best matched to your campaign, use grants to build momentum and credibility, and leverage grants to increase campaign participation. Using numerous examples from more than 20 years of capital campaign consulting, this webinar is ideal for any sized organization currently conducting a capital campaign or standing on the cusp of one. The webinar will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2019.

How to Know if Your Grant Program Is Working
Building a grants program is both high-stakes and time-intensive. But how can you tell if your grants program is working and raising as much money as it can? In this webinar, Alayna Buckner, a grantwriting expert at Elevate, will teach you how to measure the success of your grant strategy and help you avoid inadvertently leaving money on the table. In this webinar we’ll show you how to establish the right timeline and goals for measuring progress; weigh opportunity costs and know which opportunities are worth pursuing; and measure and interpret returns from grants. This training is ideal for grantwriters, development professionals, and other nonprofit leaders who want a better understanding of how to develop a grant strategy, measure grant program outcomes, and set attainable fundraising goals. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

GrantStation Announcements
The latest updates from GrantStation.

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!

GrantStation 20th Anniversary
GrantStation celebrates 20 years of service to the sector.

The Power of Re-Reading
Twenty years ago GrantStation was born in a cabin in the wilderness. We are celebrating our anniversary with a special blog series, original content, and monthly Membership giveaways! Visit our anniversary page for updates and to enter our contest. 

As part of the celebration, we are launching a new series of interviews with our longstanding Members. Our first is with Lucille Acken at Catholic Charities who has been with GrantStation for over a decade. Read our interview with her where she shares her various insights, including the power of re-reading your work.

Enter Our 20th Anniversary Membership Giveaway!
GrantStation is celebrating our 20th anniversary by giving away Memberships all year long! We offer our sincerest appreciation to our Members, both current and past, for 20 years in business. Become our next winner by entering the contest today!

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