Lower Hudson Valley Smart Growth Grants

Department of State

The Department of State is soliciting applications for grants available under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) for Smart Growth planning projects. Funding is available for two categories of planning, municipal and area planning to revitalize “centers,” ‘‘main streets,’’ hamlets, urban cores, historic districts, transit stations and older first-tier suburbs, and a regional plan. Funding is available in the first category to develop a comprehensive center revitalization plan and program including community designs consistent with the Smart Growth principles which would improve the physical characteristics of the center, create synergies among diverse land uses and invite investment. Projects are also expected to create a positive image of the center and encourage consumers and investors to live, work, shop, play and invest in the center and organize community talent, resources and stakeholders to implement a center revitalization program. Funding is available in the second category for a regional plan that documents Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMTs) in the Lower Hudson Valley and makes projections for the future with and without Smart Growth and documents the connection between land use patterns and climate change, primarily in relation to transportation-based greenhouse gases due to VMTs.

ELIGIBILITY:  Eligible applicants include local governments and not-for-profits within the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester, and the southern townships of Ulster County (Gardiner, Lloyd, Marlborough, Plattekill, Shawangunk and Wawarsing).

FUNDING:  Grants will be available for up to 100% of the total eligible project costs set forth in the application and as approved by the Department of State.

DEADLINE:  June 30, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact the New York State Department of State, Division of Coastal Resources, 99 Washington Ave., Albany, New York 12231; or call: (518) 473-3355, or e-mail: localgov@dos.state.ny.us.

Supportive Services for Individuals and Families Affected by Cancer

Department of Health

Applications will be accepted for grants to fund non-profit community-based programs to provide direct, free or reduced fee legal assistance to underserved individuals and families whose lives have been affected by diagnoses of cancer. The funded applicant will provide members of underserved priority populations with legal assistance and support in planning for long and short term legal, financial, and medical needs. The provision of such legal services can help reduce stress in an already difficult situation and appropriately address any cancer-related legal issues that arise. The Department of Health currently expects that approximately 6 awards will be made as a result of the application process. It is expected that awards will be made to support both the infrastructure and reimbursement for counseling, education, outreach and support services provided.

ELIGIBILITY:  Not-for-profit organizations in the State of New York which are either community-based organizations that provide legal services as part of their mission or academic institutions that provide legal services through law school clinics.

FUNDING:  Contracts will be funded up to $81,666 annually for the term of the contract.

DEADLINE:  June 19, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Visit the Department of Health public Web site: www.nyhealth.gov/funding/, or contact Mary Catherine Daniels, LMSW, Cancer Services Program, Department of Health, Riverview Center, 150 Broadway, 3-W, Menands, NY 12204; or by e-mail: BCDSCAL@health.state.ny.us.

Disability Advocacy Education Training

Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities

The Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQCAPD) is announcing the availability of federal funding to establish two sites within New York State that will provide disability advocacy education training to parents of children with disabilities, students with disabilities, advocates, and other interested parties. Through the Request for Proposals (RFP) process, CQCAPD will accept applications to establish an office in the Long Island Region (covering Nassau and Suffolk Counties) and an office in the Western New York Region (covering Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties) for the five-year period November 1, 2009 through October 31, 2014.

ELIGIBILITY:  Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations with demonstrated expertise in providing disability advocacy education training for parents, students, and advocates for persons with disabilities.

FUNDING:   The initial one-year contract term (November 1, 2009 through October 31, 2010) will be funded at $50,000 per contract.

DEADLINE:  July 31, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact Layna Maher, Project Director, Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, 401 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305-2397; by phone: (518) 388-0693; by fax: (518) 388-3375; or by e-mail: layna.maher@cqcapd.state.ny.us.

... On the Federal Level

Rural Youth Development Grants Program

United States Department of Agriculture

Rural youth encounter economic and physical barriers that prevent them from receiving adequate care, services, or resources necessary for healthy development. The Rural Youth Development Grants Program is intended to breakdown barriers to participation, especially for rural youth; enhance opportunities for youth involvement in policy and decision-making; create safe and inviting environments for youth activities; and improve access to information and technology. The overall goal of the program is to provide opportunities for rural youth to improve their own lives and the communities in which they live.

ELIGIBILITY:  Girl Scouts of the USA, the National 4-H Council, the Boy Scouts of America, and the National FFA Organization.

FUNDING:  Individual grants may receive up to $549,000.

DEADLINE:  May 20, 2009.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact Nancy Valentine, National Program Leader, Families, 4-H, and Nutrition Unit, 4465 Waterfront Center, 800 9th St., SW, Washington, DC 20024; or call: (202) 720 -5347; or fax: (202) 720-9366; or e-mail: nvalentine@csrees.usda.gov.

... On the Private Level

Grassroots Organizing Grants Program

Ben & Jerry’s Foundation

The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is a non-profit, charitable foundation, established in 1985 through a donation of stock from Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation offers competitive grants to not-for-profit, grassroots organizations throughout the United States which facilitate progressive social change by addressing the underlying conditions of societal and environmental problems. The Foundation supports programs and projects that are examples of creative problem solving. Projects must lead to societal, institutional, and/or environmental change, address the root causes of social or environmental problems, and lead to new ways of thinking and acting. Grant applicants need to demonstrate that their projects will lead to societal, institutional and/or environmental change, address the root causes of social or environmental problems, and lead to new ways of thinking and acting.

ELIGIBILITY:  Not-for-profit, grassroots organizations.

FUNDING:  Full grants range from $1,001 to $15,000. Small grants are $1,000 or less.

DEADLINE:  Full proposals are due on July 1 or November 1.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Contact the Review Committee, Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, 30 Community Dr., So. Burlington, VT 05403; or visit the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation Web site: www.benjerry.com/company/foundation/.

... More Grants Information

For more information about privately funded education grants, you may wish to visit SchoolGrants at: K12grants.org/. SchoolGrants was created in 1999 as a way to share grant information with K-12 educators. The SchoolGrants goal is to help the most kids possible by empowering those who teach them with the knowledge and resources necessary to write successful grant proposals.

... Grant Writing

Grantsmanship Center

The Grantsmanship Training Program is coming to New York: East Farmingdale, June 1-5, 2009, hosted by Molloy College.

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 May 2009:

Grantseeking Basics:
May 2, 6, 12 and 19
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:
May 21
Attendees will learn about the basics of writing a proposal for their nonprofit organizations.

Introduction to the Foundation Directory Online:
May 2, 6, 12 and 19
This session provides a hands-on introduction to the Center’s comprehensive Web subscription database.

How to Approach a Foundation:
May 1
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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