January 2009
Vol. 23, #1
Information on available State, Federal and private grants
• New York State Assembly • Speaker Sheldon Silver •
Questions?
Contact:
Gary Ginsburg
Grants Action News
LOB 945-A
Albany, NY 12248
grants@assembly.state.ny.us
... On the State Level

Funds for Public Charter Schools

Education Department

The Education Department has announced the availability of funds intended as competitive grants for planning and implementing activities related to the establishment of new charter schools. Grant recipients will also be expected to provide plans for the conversion of existing public schools into charter schools. The grant application is available at: www.emsc.nysed.gov under Funding Opportunities/Allocations. A Questions and Answers summary will be posted at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/currentapps.htm.

ELIGIBILITY:  Eligible applicants include new charter schools authorized by the New York State Board of Regents, the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Buffalo, and the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education.

FUNDING:  A total of approximately $3 million has been made available through this grant program.

DEADLINE:  January 26, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact the Education Department, Public School Choice Programs, Room 462 EBA, Albany, NY 12234; or e-mail: emsccsp@mail.nysed.gov.

High Priority Planning Grant

Department of State

The New York State Department of State is announcing the availability of a $23 million incentive awards program to provide grants to entities that achieve cost savings and local service delivery efficiencies through municipal consolidation or intermunicipal cooperative efforts. These non-competitive grants will be available to eligible municipalities to cover costs associated with plans and studies developed for a city or county charter revision that includes functional consolidation or increased shared services; the dissolution of a village; studies developed for mergers, consolidations, and dissolutions; the sharing of services or transferring of functions to be performed on a countywide basis; and conducting services on a multi-county or regional basis.

ELIGIBILITY:  Municipalities, regional planning and development boards, school districts and BOCES.

FUNDING:  State assistance will be provided to successful applicants in an amount not to exceed $50,000, for costs associated with eligible project activities.

DEADLINE:  February 11, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact the Department of State, Office of Coastal Resources, Local Government and Community Sustainability, 99 Washington Ave., Ste. 1015, Albany, NY 12231; or call: (518) 473-3355; or visit: www.dos.state.ny.us/lgss.

... On the Private Level

Youth Environmental Grants

The Captain Planet Foundation

The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to fund and support hands-on, environmental projects for children and youths. The foundation also works to encourage innovative programs that empower children and youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. Through environmental education, the Captain Planet Foundation believes that children can achieve a better understanding and appreciation for the world in which they live. In order to be considered for funding, proposals must promote understanding of environmental issues, focus on hands-on involvement and involve children and young adults. Proposals must also include adult supervision and commit to follow-up communication with the Foundation, specific requirements are explained once the grant has been awarded.

ELIGIBILITY:  All applicant organizations or sponsoring agencies must be exempt from federal taxation under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501, in order to be eligible for funding.

FUNDING:  Generally the range of grants awarded by the Foundation is $250 - $2,500.

DEADLINE:  March 31, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact the Captain Planet Foundation, 133 Luckie Street, 2nd Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303; or call: (404) 522-4270.

... On the Federal Level

Repair Grants for Multifamily Housing

Department of Housing and Urban Development

The purpose of this program is to provide grants to make emergency capital repairs to eligible multifamily projects owned by private nonprofit entities that are designated for occupancy by elderly tenants. The capital repair needs must relate to items that present an immediate threat to the health, safety, and quality of life of the tenants. The intent of these grants is to provide one-time assistance for emergency items that could not be absorbed within the project’s operating budget and other project resources, and where the tenants’ continued occupancy in the immediate near future would be jeopardized by a delay in initiating the proposed cure. HUD will accept applications on a first-come, first-serve basis and will award emergency capital repair grants until available amounts are obligated or funds expire, whichever comes first.

ELIGIBILITY:  Eligible applicants include private nonprofit owners of eligible multifamily assisted housing developments designated for occupancy by elderly tenants.

FUNDING:  Approximately $9.5 million in grant funds has been made available with a maximum amount of $500,000 per individual project.

DEADLINE:  October 1, 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact G. DeWayne Kimbrough, Director, Grant and Housing Assistance Field Support Division, Office of Multifamily Housing, Room 6146, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410; by phone: (202) 708–3000.

Rental Assistance for Persons with Disabilities

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Through this grant program, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is making available funding for Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) for disabled families. This funding is expected to provide assistance to approximately 2,000 non-elderly disabled families. These funds will enable public housing agencies (PHAs) to provide sufficient alternative resources to meet the housing needs of those non-elderly disabled families who would have been housed by the PHA if occupancy in a designated public housing project or building (or portion thereof) were not restricted to elderly households through the approval of a Designated Housing Plan. Applications must be submitted electronically through: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp.

ELIGIBILITY:  Public housing agencies and private organizations which currently administer housing choice vouchers (HCVs) and have a HUD approved Designated Housing plan.

FUNDING:  A total of $15 million has been made available through this program.

DEADLINE:  January 30, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Visit: http://www.grants.gov, which provides a step-by-step explanation of the registration process, or contact the Office of Departmental Grants Management and Oversight at (202) 708–0667

... Grant Writing

Grantsmanship Center

The Grantsmanship Training Program is coming to New York: Binghamton, March 2-6, 2009, hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County.

The classes will be conducted by The Grantsmanship Center and are kept at a maximum of 30 participants. The cost is $895, which includes one-year enrollment in the TGCI Membership Program. A limited number of half-tuition scholarships are available to agencies with annual budgets of less than $300,000.

To register, or to apply for a scholarship, contact TGCI at (800) 421-9512 or visit www.tgci.com.

The Foundation Center

The Foundation Center has scheduled the following free training opportunities during January 2009:

Grantseeking Basics:
January 10, 14 and 30
Attendees will learn how the Center’s resources can help make them more effective grantseekers. For beginners, this introduction to the library provides instruction in foundation research and identification of potential funders. A tour of the library will follow.

Proposal Writing Basics:
January 8 and 28
Attendees will learn about the basics of writing a proposal for their nonprofit organizations.

Introduction to the Foundation Directory Online:
January 10 and 30
This session provides a hands-on introduction to the Center’s comprehensive Web subscription database.

How to Approach a Foundation:
January 20
Attendees will learn how to initiate contact with potential funders; plan calls and meetings; and build partnerships with donors. This class is intended for fundraisers with some experience, though not necessarily with foundations.

Classes are held at The Foundation Center, New York Library, 79 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor in New York City. Space is limited and you can register online at www.fdncenter.org, in person, or by calling (212) 620-4230. You may also visit the Web site for information on other training opportunities available through the Center.

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