GrantStation Insider - October 19, 2017

National | Regional | Federal | PathFinder | Online Education

National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Innovative Human Services Models
MENTOR Network Charitable Foundation: Community Partners
The MENTOR Network Charitable Foundation works to build on The Network’s innovative approach to human services by seeking new solutions and creative ideas for enhancing the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, individuals with brain and spinal cord injuries, and youth at-risk facing emotional, behavioral, and other challenges. The Foundation's Community Partners program supports nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. that are acting as change agents within human services by delivering innovative care or developing new ideas and models for doing so. The program accepts grant requests ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Requests are reviewed quarterly; the final deadline for 2017 is November 15. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the Community Partners program.

After-School Athletic Programs for Middle Schoolers Funded
Justin J. Watt Foundation
The Justin J. Watt Foundation is dedicated to providing after-school opportunities for middle school-aged children throughout the U.S. to become involved in athletics, so that they may learn the character traits of accountability, teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and perseverance, while in a safe and supervised environment with their peers. Funding for uniforms and/or equipment is provided to approved schools that have an after-school athletic program for 6th to 8th graders and where over 60% of students are eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch program. Schools must provide a secure place to store uniforms and equipment, as well as staff, transportation, and space for the after-school program. Requests may be submitted throughout the year and are reviewed every month except June, July, and December. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the Frequently Asked Questions page to confirm eligibility to submit an online application.

Grants Enhance Native Initiatives in the U.S. and Canada
Honor the Earth: Building Resilience in Indigenous Communities Initiative
The mission of Honor the Earth is to create awareness and support for Native environmental issues and to develop needed financial and political resources for the survival of sustainable Native communities. Through the Building Resilience in Indigenous Communities Initiative, Honor the Earth provides grants of $1,000 to $5,000 to nonprofit Native organizations in the U.S. and Canada that are controlled by Indigenous peoples. This initiative supports organizations working in two areas: 1) implementing renewable energy and energy efficiency and weatherization improvements to advance community dignity and energy sovereignty, and 2) creating food security utilizing Indigenous varieties and organic production. All funded projects must include ongoing efforts aimed at restoring Indigenous wisdom and sustainability in Indigenous territories. Grant applications are accepted throughout the year. Application guidelines and forms are available on the Honor the Earth website.

Programs for Underserved Communities Worldwide Supported
Cisco Global Impact Cash Grants
Cisco Global Impact Cash Grants support nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and worldwide that help people overcome barriers of poverty and inequality. In the Education category, Cisco supports technology-based solutions and education delivery models that improve student performance and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The Economic Empowerment category focuses on programs that encourage employment success, entrepreneurship, and long-term self-sufficiency by providing access to skills, knowledge, and financial products and services via technology-based solutions. Through the Critical Human Needs category, Cisco grants help overcome the cycle of poverty and dependence by supporting organizations that address the basic needs of underserved communities. Organizations can begin the application process at any time. Visit the Cisco website to learn more about the grantmaking criteria and to take the Eligibility Quiz.

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Funds for K-12 Environmental Education Programs in North Carolina
NC Beautiful: Windows of Opportunity
NC Beautiful, a nonprofit organization that improves North Carolina's environmental resources through education and environmental stewardship, is offering Windows of Opportunity grants to teachers at public, private, and charter K-12 schools in North Carolina. The Windows of Opportunity program provides awards of up to $1,000 to help teachers develop educational programs that will create student excitement about environmental stewardship and promote the protection of natural resources throughout the state. The focus is on sustainable programs that will cultivate student appreciation of the natural environment by getting them outside. The application deadline is November 30, 2017. Visit the NC Beautiful website to review the application process. 

Grants Strengthen Oregon Rural Communities
The Ford Family Foundation
The Ford Family Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that enhance rural communities throughout the state of Oregon and in Siskiyou County, CA. (The Foundation defines rural as communities with populations of 35,000 or less and not adjacent to or part of an urban area.) The Foundation's competitive program focuses on early childhood development and school-aged children programs, child abuse prevention and intervention, access to health services for children, and the development of public community spaces. In addition, the Foundation provides Technical Assistance Grants, as well as Good Neighbor Grants to address critical needs. Grant applications are accepted throughout the year. Visit the Foundation’s website for more information about the funding guidelines and application process.

Support for Breast Health Programs in Minnesota
Susan G. Komen Minnesota: Community Grants
Susan G. Komen Minnesota is dedicated to bettering the lives of those facing breast cancer throughout the state. Komen Minnesota’s Community Grants program provides support for innovative programs in the areas of breast health and breast cancer education, screening, diagnosis, treatment support, survivorship, and healthcare delivery/systems change, especially among those who are disproportionately affected by this disease. Funded programs must provide culturally-appropriate services to medically underserved individuals that may have low English literacy levels, are physically isolated, or live in poverty. Grants of up to $60,000 are available. (Requests for the purchase of breast cancer screening or diagnostic equipment may not exceed $5,000.) Nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, government agencies, and Indian tribes are eligible to apply. The application process must be initiated by November 29, 2017; the application deadline is January 10, 2018. Visit Komen Minnesota’s website to download the Request for Applications and submit an online application.

Organizations in West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania Funded
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations throughout the state of West Virginia and in southwestern Pennsylvania (Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties). The Foundation’s grant priorities for both geographic areas include the following: education, with a focus on successful learning throughout the educational system, including professional development for teachers, arts education, and career education; and economic development, with emphasis on the promotion of entrepreneurship, technology-based development, and the growth of new capital for businesses in distressed communities and areas of high unemployment. In West Virginia only, the Foundation also provides grants in the areas of health and human services and community development. Applications may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the application guidelines.

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Neighborhood Improvements Supported
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants program supports locally-driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing. The application deadline is November 22, 2017.

Funds Available for Museums
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Museums for America program supports projects that strengthen the ability of individual museums to serve the public. The application deadline is December 1, 2017.

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

Facebook's Fundraising Tools
Have you ever wondered how you can use social media to benefit your nonprofit? Fundraising Tools enables nonprofit organizations to raise money on Facebook through fundraisers or by adding a donate button to their page header, posts, live video, or ads. Charitable organizations based in selected countries are eligible to apply.

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