GrantStation Insider - October 12, 2017

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National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for National Organizations Addressing Human Progress and Independent Media
The Glaser Progress Foundation
The Glaser Progress Foundation aims to build a more just, sustainable, and humane world by supporting nonprofit organizations with a national focus and a strong history of success and recognized leadership within its field. The Foundation is currently accepting application letters in the following program areas: The mission of the Measuring Progress program is to build a better future by improving our understanding and measurement of human progress. The Independent Media program works to strengthen democracy by fostering a strong and diverse community of independent voices. Application letters in these two program areas may be submitted at any time. Visit the Foundation’s website to download the funding guidelines and grant application information.

Financial Training Programs for Artists Funded
Surdna Foundation: Artists and Economic Development
The Surdna Foundation seeks to foster just and sustainable communities throughout the United States. The Foundation’s Thriving Cultures program is based on a belief that communities with robust arts and culture are more cohesive and prosperous, and benefit from the diversity of their residents. Through the Artists and Economic Development funding area, the Foundation supports efforts that provide artists with business training and financial resources that enable them to be, and create, valuable economic assets for their communities. The focus is on nonprofit organizations that operate business and entrepreneurship training programs for artists and cultural organizations, provide financing to artists and artist-centered enterprises, and offer arts and culture-based programs and services that directly engage and support the people who live and work in the area as a strategy for equitable economic development. Letters of inquiry are accepted throughout the year. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the Artists and Economic Development funding area.

Grants Promote Services and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
People With Disabilities Foundation
The mission of the People With Disabilities Foundation is to provide education and advocacy for people with psychiatric or developmental disabilities so that they can achieve equal opportunities in all aspects of life. The Foundation's pilot grant program aims to help nonprofit organizations in their work to integrate people with psychiatric or developmental disabilities into the whole of society by providing advocacy, education, vocational, or other services. Grants may be used for a specific program, project, or general operating expenses if related to a specific project or program. This pilot program will award smaller grants in the range of $5,000 to $12,500, with a goal of future program expansion. The deadline for letters of interest is November 6, 2017. Visit the Foundation’s website to access the application instructions and forms.

Educational Gardening Programs for Youth Supported
KidsGardening.org: Youth Garden Grants
KidsGardening.org, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing inspiration and support for parents and educators who are gardening with children, awards Youth Garden Grants to support school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities. Any nonprofit, school, or youth program planning a new garden program or expanding an established one that serves at least 15 youth between the ages of three and 18 is eligible to apply. The top five programs will receive award packages valued at $1,600. Twenty programs will receive award packages valued at $600. The selection of winners is based on demonstrated program impact and sustainability. The application deadline is December 8, 2017. Visit the KidsGardening website to access application guidelines and forms.

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Funds for Environmental Restoration Projects in Oregon and Washington
National Forest Foundation: Community Capacity and Land Stewardship Program
The Community Capacity and Land Stewardship (CCLS) Program, administered by the National Forest Foundation (NFF), provides funding to increase the capacity of organizations implementing large scale restoration projects that benefit National Forests and Grasslands. The CCLS Program for Oregon and Washington seeks to fund efforts that will contribute to the following outcomes: 1) Community-based and collaborative organizations are successful in coming to agreement on the design and implementation of watershed or landscape scale restoration projects. 2) Community-based organizations and collaborative groups have developed plans for facilitating job creation and retention and business development in their region. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $24,000 will be provided. The application deadline is November 14, 2017. Visit the NFF website to download the CCLS 2018 Request for Proposals for Oregon and Washington.

Grants Enhance Quality of Life for Oklahomans
Sarkeys Foundation
The mission of the Sarkeys Foundation is to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma. The Foundation's major areas of grant support include education, social service and human service needs, animal welfare, and cultural and humanitarian programs of regional significance. Preference is given to organizations that have been in operation at least three years. The upcoming deadline for letters of inquiry is December 1, 2017. (Interested applicants should speak with a Foundation staff member prior to submitting a letter of inquiry.) Invited proposals will be due February 1, 2018. Visit the Foundation’s website for more information on the application process.

Support for Community Organizing in the Rural Southeast
Southern Partners Fund: Discretionary Fund
The Southern Partners Fund was created to give voice and opportunity to marginalized and underserved communities and families in the rural south. To address this mission, grants are provided through the Discretionary Fund to facilitate grassroots community organizing for economic, social, and environmental justice in rural communities in the Southeastern states. Discretionary support includes grants of up to $1,500 for capacity building, community organizing events or activities, and voter engagement activities. Applications are accepted via email at programs@spfund.org on the 28th of each month. (The Fund recommends that interested applications submit their requests at least two months prior to the event, program, or activity.) Visit the Southern Partners Fund’s website to learn more about the application process.

Community Needs Programs in Company Locations Funded
Exelon Corporate Contribution Program
The Exelon Corporate Contribution Program strives to improve the quality of life in the communities where company employees and customers live and work throughout the country. Grants are provided to nonprofit organizations that demonstrate a proven track record in addressing key community needs. Funding priorities include education, the environment, arts and culture, and neighborhood development. Program and event support are provided. Online applications may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the company’s website for more information on each of the grant categories and the grant application process.

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Program Supports Jobs for Public Housing Residents
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Jobs Plus program seeks to develop locally-based, job-driven approaches to increase earnings and advance employment outcomes through work readiness, employer linkages, job placement, educational advancement, technology skills, and financial literacy for residents of public housing. The application deadline is November 17, 2017. 

Funds Available to Help Banks Support Community and Economic Development
Department of the Treasury
The Bank Enterprise Award Program supports FDIC-insured financial institutions around the country that are dedicated to financing and supporting community and economic development activities. The application deadline is November 30, 2017.

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

Grant Writing and the Perfect Storytelling
Stories offer an engaging way to get your organization’s message across. The article “Grant Writing and the Perfect Storytelling,” written by GrantStation’s CEO Cynthia M. Adams for the TechSoup blog, explores the art of incorporating storytelling into grant proposals. It also includes concrete examples to help get your creativity flowing. Who knows? These ideas may also inspire you to enter TechSoup’s Storymakers Challenge, a digital storytelling challenge focused on video and photo stories.

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.

Crowdfunding for Your Cause (NEW)
Online giving surged once again last year, far outpacing traditional fundraising growth. In particular, crowdfunding presents an exciting new frontier for nonprofits and causes of all sizes and shapes, especially those looking to engage millennials, who have been shown to connect more deeply with direct impact versus organizations. New research shows not just youth, but now all generations have positive opinions of peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. Nonprofits have flocked to crowdfunding since it represents a unique opportunity to raise funds, build awareness, and expand an organization's donor database. Our seasoned presenter, Darian Rodriguez Heyman, will share a step-by-step breakdown of how to cut through the clutter and ensure a great response to your next campaign.

Online Workshop: DashBoard Design from Start to Finish with MS Excel
Have you ever been tasked with reporting on key metrics? Do you need tips for presenting data effectively in dashboards? In this workshop, Ann Emery will spend the first 30 minutes explaining the step-by-step dashboard design process, which involves customizing dashboards for your audience, sketching graphs on paper and within a grid system, adding the right amount of white space, and establishing a visual hierarchy. The remaining 60 minutes will be spent creating two dashboards from scratch with Microsoft Excel. You'll learn to insert spark lines, data bars, and conditional formatting, and to adjust the dashboard so that it can be printed or PDF'd neatly on one page. Ann will provide datasets so that we are all working from the same file.

Cultivate Your Individual Donors
You can propel your grant request to the top of the pile by demonstrating strong local and regional support of your work. One of the best ways to do that is to show a successful individual donors program. In this webinar, Judi Margolin will help you create or enhance that essential relationship between nonprofit organizations and their donors. Aspects of the donor/recipient bond will be examined as they relate to various categories of the individual donors; your prospects, casual givers, major supporters, board members, and lapsed donors. The full range of donor relations will be explored, with highly practical advice on establishing, retaining, and enhancing individual contributions to your organization.

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