Tips & Tools

The Surdna Foundation seeks to foster just and sustainable communities throughout the United States. The goal of the Foundation’s Strong Local Economies Program is to support the development of robust and sustainable economies that include a wide range of businesses and access to quality jobs. The Foundation aims to create opportunities for upward economic mobility among communities that have experienced historical economic barriers, including low-income people, communities of color, women, and immigrants. The basis of their work is guided by a strong commitment to social justice and equity. 

Wednesday, October 09, 2013 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET

Learn the characteristics of effective nonprofits and assess whether yours is ready for foundation fundraising.

This class is designed for new nonprofits or community groups with very little experience in grantseeking. We focus specifically on foundation fundraising.

The course will address such questions as:

• What groundwork do I have to have in place before approaching foundations for funding?
• What are the steps to obtaining incorporation and nonprofit status and where can I get some help to do so?
• What are the characteristics of successful nonprofits?

This session will provide you with a step-by-step checklist approach to help you determine your own readiness for foundation fundraising.

View website for more details

The Chronicle of Philanthropy has a nice article explaining how the U.S. Federal Government shutdown could affect non-profit organizations, including those receiving federal grant funds. 

The American Hiking Society has a grant program called the National Trails Fund.  The program provides $500-$5,000 support to grassroots nonprofit organizations throughout the country working toward establishing, protecting, and maintaining foot trails in America. 

The National Gardening Association (NGA) awards Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations throughout the U.S. with child-centered garden programs. 

USArtists International, administered by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, is committed to ensuring that the impressive range of the performing arts in the United States is represented abroad, and that American artists can enhance their creative and professional development through participation at important international festivals. Support is available to American dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists that have been invited to perform at significant international festivals anywhere in the world outside of the United States and its territories. Grants, which generally range from $1,000 to $10,000, will seldom cover the applicant's total expenses. The upcoming application deadlines are December 6, 2013, and April 18, 2014. Eligibility details and application guidelines are available on the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website - http://www.midatlanticarts.org/funding/pat_presentation/us_artists/index.html

One of the major advantages to our company is shared resources.  Rather than a small non-profit or association having to lease/purchase a phone system, copier, fax, folder, mail machine, computer, server, and so forth, these items are essentially shared by our clients.  In addition to shared products are shared systems. For example, data security is a major issue for small organizations that may currently have files either scattered among volunteers or on one individual's home computer!  At Prime Management, our data is stored securely and backed up every night.  

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) today announced a $5 million investment to identify and cultivate innovations in the growing field of family engagement that support children’s educational success from birth to 8 years old. Organizations that have developed effective family engagement models that address obstacles faced by low-income families are encouraged to send initial submissions for possible funding of up to $500,000 for one to three years.

Read more details at the organization's web site.

The Georgia-Pacific Foundation primarily invests resources in four key areas that are essential to creating and sustaining strong communities: Education, Environment, Community Enrichment, and Entrepreneurship. Georgia-Pacific leverages these four key areas ("The Four Es") to impact communities.

Requests for support will be accepted between January 1st and October 31st. No requests will be accepted after the annual deadline. Requests should be postmarked by October 31st for current year consideration.

See http://www.gp.com/gpfoundation/ for additional details.

Grants made by MVAT are for military and veterans groups who support or provide services to promote and enrich the lives of active and retired military and their families. Included are educational and research programs that directly benefit veterans or who educate the public about veterans.  Organizations must be IRS tax exempt public charities, 501(c)(3).

See additional details at http://www.mvat.org/grants/