Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund

State Education Department

The State Education Department, State Archives, has announced the availability of grants from the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund to improve records management and archival administration in New York State’s local governments. Grants are available for inventory and planning, active records, inactive records, historical records, and educational uses of local government records projects.
ELIGIBILITY:  Local governments, including but not limited to boards of cooperative educational services, cities, counties, fire districts, school districts, towns, and villages.
FUNDING:   Up to $75,000 for individual projects involving a single government; up to $125,000 for cooperative projects involving two or more local governments acting on one activity; up to $125,000 for complex projects involving a single local government addressing extremely complex records management issues.
DEADLINE:  Applications must be postmarked by December 1, 2005.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Local governments should contact the New York State Archives, Grants Administration and Program Support Unit, Room 9A81, Cultural Education Center, Albany, New York 12230; phone: (518) 474-6926; e-mail: archgrants@mail.nysed.gov; or visit www.archives.nysed.gov.

School Bus Driver Safety Training Program

State Education Department

This program is an education program for school bus drivers and school bus driver instructors in the latest techniques and information concerning safe pupil transportation.
ELIGIBILITY:  Public school districts, boards of cooperative educational services, and non-profit agencies.
FUNDING:   $400,000 is available for program development during the 2005-2006 school year.
DEADLINE:  RFPs will be issued during the school year.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact Marion Edick, Education Management Services, at (518) 474-6541.

. . . Foundations and Organizations

Programs for Children Grants

Hasbro Children Foundation

The foundation awards grants to support the development and/or expansion of programs for children.
ELIGIBILITY:  Programs must provide direct services to children under age 13 and serve economically-disadvantaged children and families.
FUNDING:   Grants range from $500 to $35,000.
DEADLINE:   Open.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Visit www.hasbro.org.

Grants for Arts Education and Preservation and Environmental Conservation

The Tiffany and Co. Foundation

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation provides grants to nonprofits committed to arts education and preservation, and environmental conservation. The foundation is seeking proposals in decorative arts and environmental conservation.
ELIGIBILITY:  To qualify for a grant, organizations must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and maintain a program within the foundation's guidelines. A two- to three-page letter is recommended as an initial approach to the foundation. The foundation does not award money to individuals, organizations that are not 501(c)(3) charities, capital campaigns, operating funds, athletic teams or events, or fund-raising benefits.
FUNDING:   Contact the foundation for funding details.
DEADLINE:  November 15 and May 15 annually.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Send letters of inquiry to Fernanda Kellogg, President, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, 600 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022; call (212) 230-6591; www.tiffanyandcofoundation.org.

Grants in Environmental Stewardship and Dispute Resolution

Laura Jane Musser Fund

The Laura Jane Musser Fund assists for-profit and nonprofit organizations in rural areas to oversee consensus-based activities in either environmental stewardship or dispute resolution. The fund is most interested in new programs, or in funding the initial phase of projects or ongoing support.
ELIGIBILITY:  Nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations; groups supported by 501(c)(3) organizations; and federal, state or local level government agencies.
FUNDING:   Grants are up to $35,000.
DEADLINE:   October 1, 2005.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact Mary Karen Lynn-Klimenko, Managing Consultant, The Laura Jane Musser Fund, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E-1420, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101; phone (651) 224-5209; e-mail musser@visi.com; or visit www.musserfund.org.

Grants for Arts, Education and Youth-Oriented Programs

Cooper Tire and Rubber Foundation

The Cooper Tire and Rubber Foundation was established in 1953, and its fields of interest include museums, arts, elementary and secondary education, higher education, and youth-oriented programs.
ELIGIBILITY:  Contact the foundation for specific eligibility criteria. Giving is on a national basis. Submissions should include a detailed description of the project.
FUNDING:   Contact the foundation for funding details.
DEADLINE:   None.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Send letter of intent c/o Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Lima & Western Avenues, Findlay, Ohio 45840; phone (419) 423-1321.

Ready to Learn Program

Prudential Foundation

The Prudential Foundation Ready to Learn Program supports education reform efforts that strengthen public education at the elementary school level: systemic school reform; improving the quality of teachers, principals and other school leaders, and arts education; early childhood care and education initiatives, and strategies to improve literacy that address professional development for teachers, family literacy programs or literacy in the early years.
ELIGIBILITY:  Public education at the elementary school level.
FUNDING:    Grants range from $25,000 to $1 million.
DEADLINE:   Open.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact The Prudential Foundation, 751 Broad Street, 15th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-3777; phone (973) 802-4791 or visit www.prudential.com.

Hands-On Environmental Projects

Captain Planet Foundation

The Captain Planet Foundation funds hands-on environmental projects to encourage youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities.
ELIGIBILITY:  Schools and non-profits.
FUNDING:   The maximum award is $2,500.
DEADLINE:   The next deadline is June 30, 2005, with additional deadlines of September 30, 2005 and December 31, 2005.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Visit www.captainplanetfdn.org.

Grants for Diabetes-Related and Other Health-Related Issues

Lifescan, Inc.

Lifescan supports nonprofit organizations that tackle diabetes-related issues and other health-related concerns. Special emphasis is given to programs that educate the public about diabetes, increase awareness of the disease and teach diabetes management. Other areas of interest include programs that advocate for insurance reform and medical rights for people, as well as general charitable giving.
ELIGIBILITY:  Organizations must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. For-profits, religious organizations and requests for emergencies are not considered.
FUNDING:   Grants are awarded up to $5,000.
DEADLINE:   September 30, 2005.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Lifescan, Inc., 1000 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, California 95035; phone (408) 263-9789; www.lifescan.com/company/about/community.

Community Grants

The Goodrich Foundation, Inc.

The Goodrich Foundation supports organizations working in arts and culture, education, human services, and civic and community.
ELIGIBILITY:  Contributions are only made to organizations with 501(c)(3) status. In general, multi-year grants, individuals, private foundations, endowments, churches, fraternities, veterans' groups, political parties, and groups with large expenses are not covered. Contact the foundation for a breakdown of its giving.
FUNDING:   In the past, grants have ranged from $1,000 to over $200,000.
DEADLINE:   None.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact Foundation Coordinator, Goodrich Corporation, 4 Coliseum Centre, 2730 West Tyvola Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28217-4578; fax (704) 423-7069; www.goodrich.com/CDA/GeneralContent/0,1277,59,00.html. Please note that e-mail requests are not accepted.

. . . Grant Writing

The Grantsmanship Center

The Grantsmanship Training Program is coming to New York: Potsdam, August 22-26, 2005, hosted by SUNY Potsdam. The classes will be conducted by The Grantsmanship Center and are kept at a maximum of 30 participants. The cost is $825, which includes one-year enrollment in 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. For local information and arrangements, call Phyllis Charleson at (315) 267-2397.

The Foundation Center

The Foundation Center has scheduled the following classes: Proposal Writing Seminar, Proposal Budgeting Workshop, and Foundation Fundraising: An Introductory Course.

Attendees of the Proposal Writing Seminar will learn, among other things, techniques for writing proposals, how to foster working relationships with grantmakers, how to resubmit a grant proposal, and how to develop an organized, focused approach to conducting funding research on the Web. The class costs $195, and will be held September 8, 2005 at the Foundation Center's New York City office, located at 79 Fifth Avenue.

The Proposal Budget Workshop, scheduled for September 9, 2005 at the Foundation's New York City office, will, among other things, focus on the budget's role in a proposal, how to present a budget, and how to determine full costs and direct vs. indirect expenses. The class costs $195.

Foundation Fundraising: An Introductory Course, is being held September 16, 2005 at the Foundation's New York City office, and costs $125. The class, which is designed for beginners, will show how to identify potential funders and how to prepare to seek a grant. Attendees will be assisted to assess their organization's fundraising readiness.

For more information on these classes, visit www.fdncenter.org, or call (800) 424-9836.