GrantStation Insider - December 14, 2017

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National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Local Government and Foundation Partnerships in the U.S. and Canada
Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities: Partners for Places
Partners for Places, an initiative of the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, is a matching grant program that creates opportunities for cities and counties in the United States and Canada to improve communities by building partnerships between local government sustainability offices and place-based foundations. Through the program, national funders invest in local projects to promote a healthy environment, a strong economy, and well-being of all residents. For Round Twelve, grants will range between $25,000 and $75,000 for one-year projects, or $50,000 and $150,000 for two-year projects, with a 1:1 match required by one or more local foundations. The proposal must be submitted by a team of at least two partners consisting of the sustainability director of a city or a county, and the local, place-based foundation(s). The application deadline is January 29, 2018. Visit the Funders' Network website to download the Request for Proposals for Round Twelve.

National Jewish Cultural Programs Funded
Righteous Persons Foundation
The Righteous Persons Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts that build a diverse and vibrant Jewish community in the United States. Steven Spielberg initially established the Foundation with his profits from the film, Schindler’s List. The Foundation has developed a particular focus on supporting national programs that promote the development of Jewish arts, culture, and media. In addition, the Foundation supports programs that empower and engage the next generation; inspire social activism based on the Jewish values of justice and responsibility for others; and promote understanding between Jews and those of other faiths and backgrounds, with emphasis on efforts that use media to humanize the “other” and amplify more moderate voices both in the United States and in the Middle East. The next deadline for letters of inquiry is January 17, 2018. Guidelines for developing letters of inquiry are available on the Foundation’s website.

Technical Assistance Grants Promote Drug Arrest Diversion Initiatives
Open Society U.S. Programs Drug Policy Project
The Open Society U.S. Programs Drug Policy Project aims to support viable alternatives to mass criminalization and mass incarceration, to strengthen community-driven health services, and to provide resources for interventions made prior to or instead of arrests. The Drug Policy Project is currently seeking proposals from high quality pre-arrest and pre-booking diversion programs that reduce arrests and incarceration and provide participants with effective harm reduction interventions. Grants of up to $75,000 will be provided to nonprofit organizations and public agencies that are ready to access the services of technical assistance experts to meet specifically identified areas of needed improvement. The application deadline is February 1, 2018. Visit the Open Society website to learn more about the application process.

Innovative Classroom Redesign Supported Throughout North America
Steelcase Education: Active Learning Center Grant
Steelcase Education helps schools, colleges, and universities create inspiring learning environments through research and innovation in furniture, tools, and technology. Steelcase Education’s Active Learning Center Grant supports educators in 6-12 classrooms and higher education institutions in the United States, U.S. Territories, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico who are ready to use their physical classroom space to advance learning in new and important ways. Up to 16 grants valued at $67,000 will be awarded in 2018. Each grant includes furniture, design review, installation, onsite training, and a Learning Environment Evaluation measurement tool for one of four classroom types designed to elevate connection, improve engagement, and spur collective success of students and staff. These classrooms will support up to 30 students. Eligible academic institutions should focus primarily on formal, instructor-led learning in a designated classroom. The application deadline is February 2, 2018. Visit the Steelcase Education website to learn more about the grant guidelines and application procedure.

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Funds for Rural Programs in Idaho and Montana
The Steele-Reese Foundation: Idaho and Montana Grant Program
The Steele-Reese Foundation is dedicated to addressing the unique challenges of rural living and to helping people build healthy, successful, and sustainable communities. For the 2018 Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation will be strengthening its focus on those programs operating in the more rural parts of the two states. Nonprofit organizations serving rural regions in the areas of education, health, human services, arts and humanities, and environmental conservation and historic preservation are eligible to apply. Online letters of inquiry must be submitted by January 10, 2018; invited full applications will be due April 2, 2018. (The Foundation also supports organizations serving Appalachian Kentucky through a separate funding cycle.)  Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the application guidelines for the Idaho and Montana Grant Program.

Grants Strive to Improve Healthcare in the Washington, DC, Region
Quality Health Foundation
The Quality Health Foundation is dedicated to enhancing healthcare in Maryland and Washington, DC, through measurable outcome improvement projects. Priority areas include programs that improve access to healthcare services to the unserved and underserved, improve understanding of health issues, and demonstrate improvement through measurable outcomes of stated goals. The Foundation funds a wide range of programs, including service, demonstration, education, and clinical programs producing high impact results on health outcomes. Grants of up to $50,000 are provided. Applications will be accepted through January 17, 2018. Information on how to apply is available on the Foundation’s website.

Support for Children and Youth Services Programs in Minnesota
The Sheltering Arms Foundation
The Sheltering Arms Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations in Minnesota that benefit children and families who have the least access to resources. The Foundation supports high quality direct service programs for children, ages 0-12, in the areas of early childhood and youth development. In addition, the Foundation supports advocacy efforts that increase access to high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood care as well as out of school time opportunities for education and youth development. Grants generally range from $5,000 to $20,000 with an average grant of $10,000. Applying organizations must be based in Minnesota and provide services to residents of the state. The application deadline is January 23, 2018. (Prior to submission of a funding request, organizations are required to contact Foundation staff to talk about how a project fits with the Foundation’s guidelines.) Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the funding guidelines and online application process.

Middle and High School Sports Programs in 44 States Funded
California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant Program
The California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant Program provides support to public middle and high school sports programs negatively impacted by reduced budgets in 44 states. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 may be used to help subsidize school sports programs in ways such as purchasing new equipment or paying for competition travel costs. Applications must be submitted by an employee of the public school who is a current member, or referred by a current member, of the state NEA affiliate or one of the program's other participating educator associations. The application deadline is January 15, 2018. Visit the California Casualty website to review the grant guidelines and submit an online application.

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

Community Service Efforts Supported
Corporation for National and Community Service
The AmeriCorps State and National Grants program provides support to engage AmeriCorps members in interventions to strengthen communities. Priorities include economic opportunity, disaster resilience, education, veterans and military families, rural affairs, community safety, and drug use reduction and prevention. The application deadline is January 17, 2018. 

Funding Benefits Families of Children With Special Healthcare Needs
Department of Health and Human Services
The Family-to-Family Health Information Centers program offers support to provide information, education, technical assistance, and peer support to families of children and youth with special healthcare needs and the professionals who serve them. The application deadline is January 17, 2018.

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

Grants Readiness Checkup and Scorecard
If your organization is in the early stages of development, you may be wondering whether or not you are ready to apply for grants. The Grants Readiness Checkup and Scorecard, developed by Colorado Grants, helps to identify potential red flags that are essential to address before sending out a grant proposal. Users can learn their strengths and potential areas for improvement on the scorecard.

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.

Tracking In-Kind Contributions & Volunteers in QuickBooks (NEW)
Want to learn the ins and outs of in-kind contributions? Not sure what counts as in-kind and what doesn't? Join Gregg Bossen and David Webb for a QuickBooks Made Easy training on how to enter and track in-kind contributions and volunteer hours in QuickBooks. Topics covered include:

• What is an in-kind contribution
• Why in-kind contributions are important
• Which in-kind contributions should be included in your financial statements and tax returns
• How to value in-kind contributions
• What your responsibilities are for donor reporting
• How to customize fields for tracking your volunteers in QuickBooks
• How to enter time for your volunteers based on type of work.

There will be plenty of time for questions. This webinar will be held on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.

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. This webinar will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2018.

Is Your Organization Grant Ready? (NEW)
Almost all nonprofit organizations answer that question with a resounding, "Yes—we are ready to get grant money to support the important work of our organization!" However, while most organizations are ready to reap the benefits of grant awards, many have not developed the infrastructure necessary to be competitive in the application process.

During this 90-minute webinar, Alice Ruhnke, founder and owner of The Grant Advantage, will guide you through a process so you will be able to:

• assess your organization's grant readiness through a comprehensive assessment tool that includes organizational structure, programs, finances, partnerships, evaluation, leadership, and more;
• develop strategies to enhance areas of weakness; and,
• use your enhanced capacity to write competitive grants.

There will be plenty of time for questions. This webinar will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2018.

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