GrantStation Insider - February 16, 2017

Volume XVI | Issue 7

National | Regional | Federal | Partner Depot | Online Education | Announcements

National Funding
Opportunities Throughout the U.S.

Support for Services Assisting Surrogate Parents
Brookdale Foundation Group: Relatives as Parents Program
The Brookdale Foundation Group works to advance the fields of geriatrics and gerontology and to improve the lives of senior citizens. The Foundation’s Relatives as Parents Program provides support for the creation or expansion of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting due to thBrookdalee absence of the parents. Funded programs must include supportive services to relative caregivers and the children they are raising, with emphasis on families that are not in the formal foster care system. Programs must also include regular ongoing support, and educational or social groups for relative caregivers and the children in their care. Up to 15 programs will receive a seed grant of $15,000 ($10,000 and $5,000 respectively), contingent on progress made during year one and potential for continuity in the future. Nonprofit organizations from throughout the country are eligible to apply. (State agencies in selected states may also apply.) The application deadline is June 15, 2017. Visit the Brookdale Foundation Group’s website to download the guidelines and application forms.

Programs for Injured Service Members and Veterans Funded
Infinite Hero Foundation
The mission of the Infinite Hero Foundation is to combat the most difficult front line issues – mental and physical – facing returning military heroes and their families. The Foundation provides grants of $25,000 to $100,000 to nonprofit organizations offering effective programs or treatments at no cost to active duty service members or veterans for service-related mental and physical injuries. Grants must be applied directly to program costs and cannot be used for fundraising or administrative overhead. Letters of interest are due March 31, 2017; invited grant applications must be submitted by June 30, 2017. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the grant program.

Grants for Projects Addressing Music, Education, or Community Organizing
Sparkplug Foundation
The Sparkplug Foundation primarily provides grants to start-up nonprofit organizations or new projects of established nonprofits that are addressing the fields of music, education, and community organizing. In the Music category, the Foundation supports emerging professional musicians or music-development programs. In Education and Teaching, the Foundation funds projects that deal with "the whole student" and with learning as a community activity. Through Grassroots Organizing, the Foundation encourages activist strategies for addressing institutional injustices and for building a reasoned, just society. The current focus is on ground-level community organizing at the intersection of utilities/energy infrastructure, housing/community resources, and racial justice. The Foundation also provides limited support for projects in Israel that involve Palestinian communities. Online questionnaires must be completed by April 10, 2017. Letters of intent are due April 17, and the deadline for final applications is May 5, 2017. Visit the Foundation’s website to review its mission and funding guidelines as well as the online application instructions.

Cultural Programs for Native Youth Supported
First Nations Development Institute: Native Youth and Culture Fund
First Nations Development Institute is a Native American-run nonprofit with a mission to strengthen American Indian economies to support healthy Native communities. The First Nations’ Native Youth and Culture Fund provides grants of $5,000 to $20,000 for projects that focus on youth and incorporate Native culture and tradition to address issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, mental health, and other social issues. Funded projects should address one or more of the following priority areas: preserving cultural and/or spiritual practices, beliefs, and values; engaging both youth and elders in activities that demonstrate methods for documenting traditional knowledge, practices, and/or beliefs; increasing youth's capacity to lead through integrated educational or mentoring programs; and increasing access to cultural customs and beliefs through the use of appropriate technologies as a means of preserving tribal language, arts, history, etc. Online Phase One proposals must be submitted by March 8, 2017; invited Phase Two proposals will be due May 3, 2017. Visit the First Nations’ website to review the funding guidelines.

 

Regional Funding
Opportunities for Specific Areas

Funds to Implement a Program to Help Low-Income College Students in Six States
Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation: Dash Emergency Grant Program
Great LakesGreat Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation (Great Lakes) supports colleges and community-based organizations in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin that address barriers to college success. Great Lakes is looking to partner with four-year colleges in the six target states committed to implementing its Dash Emergency Grant Program that pays unexpected, emergency expenses on behalf of low-income students with the goal of improving graduation rates. Four-year colleges, or foundations associated with those colleges, are eligible to apply for grants of up to $300,000 for two years based on the institution’s number of eligible students and their level of need. Up to 32 colleges will be selected to participate. The application deadline is March 23, 2017. Visit the Great Lakes website to learn more about this program.

Grants Promote Progressive Environmental Policies in Maryland
Town Creek Foundation  
The Town Creek Foundation’s mission is to provide resources to help catalyze, support, and accelerate progressive changes in environmental policy and practice within the state of Maryland. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that address one of the following programs: The Chesapeake Bay program focuses on ensuring that state and local leaders have the support necessary for developing, implementing, and sustaining robust Bay pollution reduction strategies. The Climate Change program works to identify and pursue necessary new laws, policies, and regulations, and to promote strong leadership and bold strategies from office holders, advocates, and citizens. The Sustainability program promotes public dialogue about the systemic challenges that the state faces, and helps leaders better understand and pursue the transformational opportunities facing Maryland in the 21st century. The Foundation reviews letters of inquiry twice each year; the upcoming deadline is April 21, 2017. Guidelines for developing online letters of inquiry are available on the Foundation’s website.

Support for Programs to Improve the Health of Montanans 
Montana Healthcare Foundation
The Montana Healthcare Foundation is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all Montanans. The Foundation’s 2017 Call for Proposals will provide grants to organizations that focus on one of the following areas: Behavioral Health (Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders), American Indian Health, and Partnerships for Better Health. Montana-based nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies are eligible to apply. The Foundation is offering the following two types of grants in 2017: Rapid Response Grants ranging from $10,000 to $75,000 support proposals focused on planning, training, and smaller-scale pilot projects. The remaining proposal deadlines for 2017 are June 5 and October 6, 2017. Large Grants ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 support more extensive projects. Brief proposals are due April 7, 2017; the deadline for full proposals is August 4, 2017. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the application guidelines for both types of grants.

Organizations Enhancing the Quality of Life in Texas Funded
Ed Rachal Foundation
The Ed Rachal Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the people of Texas. The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations in a wide range of areas, including education, children and youth, health and social services, environmental issues, arts and culture, and community and civic affairs. Grant applications may be submitted throughout the year and are reviewed quarterly. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the grant guidelines and application procedure.

 

Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. Government

USDAProgram Supports Local Food
Department of Agriculture
The Local Food Promotion Program seeks to increase consumption of and access to locally and regionally produced agricultural products, and to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets. The application deadline is March 27, 2017. 

Funds for Minority Health Improvement
Department of Health and Human Services
The Partnerships to Achieve Health Equity program supports efforts to improve the healthcare of racial and ethnic minorities and disadvantaged populations, and to increase the diversity of the health workforce. The application deadline is March 31, 2017. 

 

Partner Depot
GrantStation Proudly Endorses These Special Offers

Reach Your Target Audience – Increase Attendance, Sales, and Membership!
Partner Depot provides the opportunity for organizations and businesses to connect with the grantseeking universe by introducing products or services, announcing events, etc. Advertising in GrantStation's weekly newsletters, sent to a list of over 100,000 subscribers, and on GrantStation's website, with over 2,100,000 page views annually, will ensure that your message reaches interested readers.

We at GrantStation know that Partner Depot advertisements and announcements carry our implied endorsement. Therefore, the Partner Depot Program is limited to current GrantStation Members, partners, and participants in other GrantStation programs to ensure the veracity of the marketing content. To learn more about how Partner Depot can work for you, please contact Jill Cochran.

 

Online Education
Live Webinars

Upcoming Online Education Trainings
Unless otherwise noted, all Online Education Trainings are webinars, are 90 minutes in duration, and are scheduled to begin at 2 PM Eastern Time.

The 2017 State of Grantseeking™: Trends from the Report
In the nonprofit world, benchmarking is the process of comparing one's organization — both processes and performance metrics — to industry bests. Ellen Mowrer, GrantStation's President will present this 45-minute webinar offers you a chance to compare your organization to over 3,300 other organizations, and to see trends in the grantseeking arena.

In addition, the webinar addresses questions such as:Ellen Mowrer

  • Which funder types are most likely to support my organization?
  • What is a reasonable level of funding to expect for my organization?
  • Does my region, budget, location, or mission focus affect my organization's ability to be awarded grants?
  • What are the recent trends in grantseeking and how can I use knowledge of those trends to my organization's advantage?

We at GrantStation sincerely hope that the State of Grantseeking™ Reports help you in planning for 2017 - 2018, and in managing the expectations of your stakeholders—board members, donors, and the community at large. This no-cost webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2017.  Sign Up Today!

 

Announcements
What's New at GrantStation?

Announcing Our New Logo for Social Media
Social IconGrantStation is thrilled to unveil our new square logo for social media! Please connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date and informed about GrantStation happenings, nonprofit news, and learning opportunities.

Big kudos to the folks at NXT Creative for the excellent logo design! They are strategic storytellers, providing clients clarity through research and collaboration, and building brand stories through video, design, and strategy.


Information contained in the GrantStation Insider may not be posted, reprinted, redistributed, or sold.

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

National Funding Opportunities
Support for Services Assisting Surrogate Parents
Programs for Injured Service Members and Veterans Funded
Grants for Projects Addressing Music, Education, or Community Organizing
Cultural Programs for Native Youth Supported

Regional Funding Opportunities
Funds to Implement a Program to Help Low-Income College Students in Six States
Grants Promote Progressive Environmental Policies in Maryland
Support for Programs to Improve the Health of Montanans  
Organizations Enhancing the Quality of Life in Texas Funded

Federal Funding Opportunities
Program Supports Local Food
Funds for Minority Health Improvement