Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquarium Program

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced the availability of funding under the Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquarium Program. At this time, there are two categories within this program under which funds may be requested. Category I, Collections Care Costs, is funding for expenses directly related to the care, security, and interpretation of the collections. Category II, Special Purposes, is funding for the development of new exhibits or the rehabilitation of existing exhibits for the permanent collections, and for new, innovative projects or programs for the institution.
ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must be public or not-for-profit organizations: zoos, botanical gardens, herbariums, arboretums, aquariums, bird sanctuaries, natural habitat preserves, natural science museums, and nature and environmental centers that own, house and care for living or systematically organized collections of biological specimens and that primarily provide such services to the general public on a regular and predictable basis.
FUNDING: Funding for local assistance grants is made available through an appropriation from the State's General Fund.
DEADLINE: Competitive applications to receive aid are required and must be postmarked no later than October 18, 2004.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For an application, visit www.nysparks.com/grants, contact Cathy Jepson at (518) 474-8396; or write Kevin Burns, Chief of Grants, Bureau of Grants Management, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 1, 16th Floor, Albany, New York 12238.

New York Main Street

Housing Trust Fund Corporation and Division of Housing and Community Renewal

The New York Main Street program will help revitalize communities by funding building renovations, downtown business or cultural anchors and streetscape enhancements that are ancillary to other program activities.
ELIGIBILITY: Community-based not-for-profit corporations, and Business Improvement Districts incorporated pursuant to the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law that will serve as Local Program Administrators. Such entities shall have been in existence for at least one year prior to contract execution.
FUNDING: Up to $20 million in total funding will be available, with the program providing up to $200,000 on a competitive basis to eligible applicants.
DEADLINE: September 20, 2004.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Regional Office for the county in which the proposed program is located. The list of Regional Offices and their directors can be found at www.dhcr.state.ny.us.

Agricultural and Farmland Protection Projects

Department of Agriculture and Markets

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets invites proposals for funding to implement agricultural and farmland protection plans that have been developed by counties and municipalities.
ELIGIBILITY: Proposals for funding will be accepted from county agricultural and farmland protection boards in counties with an approved county plan developed pursuant to Section 324 of Article 25-AAA of the Agriculture and Markets Law; or any municipality which has in place a local farmland protection plan, provided the proposed project is endorsed for funding by the agricultural and farmland protection board for the county in which the municipality is located.
FUNDING: Contact the Department of Agriculture and Markets.
DEADLINE: October 1, 2004, 4:30 p.m. EST.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Applicants with questions about program requirements should contact Bob Somers, Chief, Agricultural Protection, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, at (518) 457-2713; fax (518) 457-2716; e-mail bob.somers@agmkt.state.ny.us.

...Foundations and Organizations

Sacred Sites Program for Preservation of Historic Religious Buildings

The New York Landmarks Conservancy

The New York Landmarks Conservancy is a private not-for-profit preservation organization that administers the Sacred Sites Fund, which provides matching grants for the preservation of historic religious buildings located in New York State. Grants can be used for planning and executing repair and restoration work on historic properties and sites owned by religious institutions and listed on the State/National Register of Historic Places or locally landmarked. The funding is provided for financial and technical assistance for the repair and restoration of religious properties of all denominations throughout New York State. The Conservancy works closely with clergy, building committee members, and trustees, providing vital information and necessary funding to historic churches, synagogues, mosques, and meeting houses. The Conservancy helps to ensure that the buildings will be properly preserved, and can save congregations time and money as they begin restoration projects.
ELIGIBILITY: Religious institutions of all denominations.
FUNDING: Grants of up to $10,000 for construction work, and up to $7,500 for planning, are available.
DEADLINE: November 1 and May 1; same funding cycle every year.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Erin Tobin Bearden, Manager of Grants and Technical Services, New York Landmarks Conservancy, 141 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10010; (212) 995-5260 or visit www.nylandmarks.org.

Grants to Stimulate Public Consideration of the Humanities

New York Council for the Humanities

The New York Council for the Humanities funds projects that stimulate public consideration of the humanities, through several different kinds of grants. These matching grants are for projects that must be rooted in one or more of the humanities disciplines, integrally feature humanities scholars, be intended for the general public, and comply with federal nondiscrimination statutes, federal debt statutes, debarment and suspension requirements, and drug-free workplace requirements. Recent examples of grant recipients can be found on the New York Council for the Humanities’ Web site.
ELIGIBILITY: Any not-for-profit organization or institution with IRS tax-exempt status in New York State is eligible to apply for a grant.
FUNDING: Mini Grants are for project requests between $250 and $2,500 and are usually for single events, for projects that are modest in scope and have a short time frame, or for exhibition planning. Major Grants are for project requests of $2,500 or more. While there is no upper limit on the amount that can be requested, grants awarded rarely exceed $10,000.
DEADLINE: Major Grant applications are accepted twice a year, with postmark deadlines of November 1 and March 1. November applicants are notified in late March, and March applicants are notified in late June. Mini Grant applications may be submitted at any time and a decision is made within four weeks.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Further information can be found on the Council’s Web site, www.nyhumanities.org, or by calling the Council’s Senior Program Officer at (212) 233-1131, ext. 30, or by e-mail at nych@nyhumanities.org.

Nonfiction Book Publishing

J.M. Kaplan Fund

The Fund's Furthermore program provides grants to support nonfiction books on art, architecture, and design; conservation; cultural history; and public issues. The program seeks work that appeals to an informed general audience; gives evidence of high standards in editing, design, and production; promises a reasonable shelf life; and might not otherwise achieve top quality or even come into being. Book proposals to which a university press or trade publisher is already committed and for which there is a feasible distribution plan are usually preferred.
ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations. Successful applicants have included civic and academic institutions, museums, independent and university presses, and professional societies. Trade publishers and public agencies may apply for Furthermore grants in partnership with an eligible nonprofit project sponsor. Individuals are not eligible.
FUNDING: Grants will range from $500 to approximately $15,000, and may be used to fund writing, research, editing, design, indexing, photography, illustration, and printing and binding.
DEADLINE: September 15, 2004 and March 15, 2005.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.Furthermore.org.

Literacy and Arts in K-12 Education

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble provides funding to local and regional efforts to promote literacy and the arts in K-12 education. Proposals should include a literacy or arts component that fosters both student achievement and community growth. Grant recipients must plan to promote the program with Barnes & Noble and be willing to work with the local store(s) on in-store programming.
ELIGIBILITY: Nonprofits supporting the arts, literacy, or K-12 education.
DEADLINE: Ongoing.
FUNDING: Contact Barnes & Noble.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Potential applicants should visit a store in their area to receive more information or visit www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

Let's Just Play Grants Program

Nickelodeon

Cable television channel Nickelodeon has announced the first call for entries for its Let's Just Play program. The program will offer awards to schools and after-school programs to help provide resources to create and expand opportunities for physical play.
ELIGIBILITY: Public and not-for-profit private elementary and middle schools (grades K through 9) and after-school community based organizations with 501(c)(3) status are eligible to apply. Grant applications will not be considered unless the applicant institution participates in a Worldwide Day of Play (October 2, 2004) activity and provides tangible documentation of the activity undertaken. An organization's day of play can be anything from an hour of games in a gym to a schoolwide field day to a citywide play day in the park.
FUNDING: Approximately twenty-five to fifty grants will be distributed by the program annually, with grant awards ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
DEADLINE:  November 1, 2004.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Criteria for entries and details on how to apply are available at www.everythingnick.com.

...Grant Writing

Grantsmanship Training Program

Grantsmanship Center

The Grantsmanship Training Program is coming to New York: Utica, November 1-5, 2004, hosted by Utica Public Library.

The class will be conducted by the Grantsmanship Center (TGCI) and is kept at a maximum of 30 participants. The cost is $825, 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 http://www.tgci.com. For local information and arrangements: Utica, call Nancy McGowan at (315) 735-2279.

Grant Writing Online

Cazenovia College

Take grant writing online at your pace, at your home or office. Cazenovia College is offering an online beginning level grant writing course focusing on the basics of writing successful grant proposals. Students critique sample proposals and write a mock or real grant proposal applying skills learned in the online class. Students will conduct web searches and report on best practices for finding and writing grants.

This online course begins September 13 and costs $159. Registration information that is needed from students include full name, home address, and home telephone. This information can be sent to jrees@ cazenovia.edu; a confirmation will be sent upon receipt.