Foundation Center - Funding Information Network
Welcome to Springfield City Library - Funding Information Network Newsletter
 
"Find the knowledge you need to make a difference."
- Foundation Center
 
Nonprofit Tech For Good
Great article by Julia Campbell, a social media and storytelling consultant for nonprofits and author of Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits. She regularly provides useful tips and resources to the nonprofit sector through her blog, #501SocialBlog.
 
"Some year-end giving statistics:
  • 30% of all annual donations occur in December
  • 12% of annual donations occurs on the last three days of the year
  • 28% of nonprofits raise between 26-50% of their annual funds from the year-end ask"  
Read More
 
Foundation Center
Webinar - 10 Strategies for Success with Digital Fundraising
In this webinar, we will learn  how to make your website donor-ready, improve your donation pages, choose the right donor platform, create powerful email fundraising campaigns, promote monthly giving, use social media techniques to grow your email list, and invest in digital advertising to raise money online. We will also address organizational readiness and capacity as a factor in your success.
 
Date: Thursday, November 29 | 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Location: Online
Cost: Free
 
Register
 
Recent RFP & Grant Announcements
ALA's Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries
The American Library Association (ALA) and the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation are now accepting applications for the 2019 Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries, which recognize libraries for their role in the growth of graphic literature.Three recipients will be selected for the Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries – two Growth Grant recipients and one Innovation Grant recipient. Deadline: January 18, 2019 More Information
 
ASM Materials Education Foundation
Through its Living in a Material World program, the foundation will award twenty grants of $500 each to hands-on, curriculum-based K-12 projects that enhance student awareness of the materials around them. The purpose of the grants is to enhance awareness of materials science and the role that materials scientists play in society. Any K-12 teacher in the United States is eligible to apply. Deadline: May 25 More Information
 
Baseball Tomorrow Fund
BTF awards grants to nonprofit organizations involved in the operation of youth baseball and softball programs and facilities. The funds may be used to finance a new program, expand or improve an existing program, undertake a new collaborative effort, or obtain facilities or equipment necessary for youth baseball or softball programs. Grants are intended to provide funding for incremental programming and facilities for youth baseball and softball programs, not for normal operating expenses or as a substitute for existing funding or fundraising activities. BTF does not specify a maximum grant award, but the average is approximately $40,000. Generally, at least 50 percent of the total cost of the project should be committed by other sources of funding; however, the higher the ratio of matching funds, the better chance an application will be successful. To be eligible, applicants must be a U.S.-based or international nonprofit and tax-exempt organization involved in the operation of youth baseball and/or softball programs and facilities. Organizations operating in the U.S. and international locations are eligible to apply. Deadline: January 1 More Information
 
BigLots!
Big Lots invests in partnerships that improve and enrich the lives of families and children. Support is provided in the form of monetary gifts, gift cards, and merchandise in-kind. Big Lots Foundation accepts requests for organizations affecting: Housing, Hunger, Healthcare and Education. Complete grant applications will only be considered. Deadline: For Spring - Summer Requests: January 1, Midnight Organizations will be notified of their application status in March 2019 More Information
 
Boulware Foundation
Seeks to Increase Economic Opportunities for Women and Girls. The foundation's goal is to fund domestic and international programs aimed at empowering women economically and moving them toward financial freedom. The foundation awards grants of up to $10,000 in support of projects or programs aligned with the foundation's areas of interest, including financial literacy education, workforce and vocational skill development, microfinance, and entrepreneurship. In every case, women and girls must be the targeted beneficiary population. Deadline: Rolling More Information
 
Classics for Kids
Accepting Applications From Music Programs. The Classics for Kids Foundation empowers young people to shape their futures through music, helps build sustainable stringed instrument music programs, and provides grants for the purchase of high-quality instruments. To that end, matching grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to schools or nonprofit organizations that incorporate fine instruments in their music programs. To be eligible, public or private schools and nonprofit organizations must demonstrate need and a commitment to raising matching funds. Deadline: December 31 More Information
 
Crayola
In collaboration with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, is accepting applications for the 2019 Creative Leadership Grant program. The program will award up to twenty grants of $2,500 each for innovative, creative leadership team-building programs in elementary schools. In addition, each program will receive an in-kind grant of Crayola products valued at $1,000. Applications will only be accepted from principals who are members of NAESP. Deadline: June 21 Crayola will begin accepting applications on December 1, 2018. More Information
 
Eos Foundation
Accepting applications from Massachusetts schools/districts and charter public schools for its After the Bell (ATB), Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program, which aims to combat childhood hunger and improve student learning. ATB BIC is proven to increase access in and participation in school breakfast. Benefits of the program include lower absentee and tardy rates, fewer morning nurses visits and behavioral problems, and higher academic achievement. The majority of Massachusetts schools operating ATB BIC maintain 80 percent or more participation rates, drawing down USDA reimbursements that sustain the program beyond grants from private funders like Eos. 
Through the program, Eos provides one-time grants of up to $10,000 to eligible Massachusetts schools/districts and charter public schools interested in making breakfast part of their school day by launching or expanding ATB BIC programming. Grant amounts are based on school enrollment: 1) $5,000 for schools with up to 300 students; 2) $7,500 for schools with between 301 and 600 students; and $10,000 for schools with more than 601 students.Deadline: February 25  More Information
 
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
Accepting applications from public schools and public libraries anywhere in the United States and its territories to its mini-grants program, which supports projects that foster creative expression, collaboration, and interaction with a diverse community. Through the program, mini-grants of up to $500 will be awarded to educators in support of special activities and events outside the standard curriculum. Projects funded in the past have included murals, pen pal groups, quilts, theater productions, student newspapers and other publications, intergenerational activities, and programs that bring disparate communities together. Any public school or library is eligible to apply, as are preschool Head Start programs, Private and parochial schools and charter schools are not eligible. Applicants must be located in the U.S. or one of its commonwealths or territories, including Puerto Rico and Guam. Only one application from a library or school will be considered. Deadline: March 31 More Information
 
J.M. Kaplan Fund
Supports nonfiction book publishing about the urban experience; natural and historic resources; art, architecture, and design; cultural history; and civil liberties and other public issues. The program seeks work that appeals to an informed general audience; demonstrates evidence of high standards in editing, design, and production; promises a reasonable shelf life; might not otherwise achieve top quality or even come into being; and "represents a contribution without which we would be the poorer."
Individual grants will range from $1,500 to $15,000 and may be used to support writing, research, editing, design, indexing, photography, illustration, and/or printing and binding. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations. Trade publishers and public agencies may apply for grants in partnership with an eligible nonprofit sponsor. Deadline: March 1  More Information
 
KidsGardening
Invites Applications for School Garden Package. The 2019 Youth Garden Grant program aims to support school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities. A total of twenty-five programs will receive award packages. The top five will receive packages valued at $2,100 that include a $1,000 cash prize, plants, tools, seeds, a $100 gift certificate for gardening supplies, and a KidsGardening curriculum package. In addition, twenty programs will receive a similar package valued at $500. Any nonprofit, school, or youth program planning a new garden program or expanding an established one that serves at least fifteen youth between the ages of 3 and 18 is eligible to apply. The selection of winners is based on demonstrated program impact and sustainability. Deadline: December 17 More Information
 
Local Initiatives Support Consortium
Accepting grant proposals to the NFL Foundation Grassroots Program that address the shortage of clean, safe, and accessible football fields in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Sponsored by the National Football League Foundation, the goal of the program is to provide nonprofit, neighborhood-based organizations with financial and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields.
 
The program offers two levels of support:
1) General Field Support: Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to capital projects not associated with the actual field surface, including the installation/refurbishment of bleachers, concession stands, lights, irrigation systems, etc.
2) Field Surface Grants: Grants of up to $250,000 will be awarded to help finance the resurfacing of a community, middle school, or high school football field and the installation of synthetic sports turf.
In addition, a smaller number of matching grants of up to $100,000 are available to help finance the resurfacing of a community, middle school, or high school football field using natural grass or sod surfaces. (Funds from the program may not be used to maintain field surfaces, as all grant funds must be used for capital expenditures.) To be eligible for a grant, projects must be sponsored by a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or a middle or a high school. All organizations applying for funds must be located within NFL target markets and serve low- to moderate-income areas within those markets. Deadline: January 31 More Information
 
Lead2Feed Challenge
Student teams from public, private, or charter middle or high schools are invited to enter. Each team must create and execute a service-learning project that raises awareness of hunger by establishing a goal that attempts to solve a local, statewide, or national hunger-related issue (i.e., helping an existing charity or creating a project whose aim is to address or solve a hunger-related problem locally or nationally); develop an action plan to achieve the goal; and demonstrate leadership. Each entry also must include a written summary or video overview of the project as well as quantifiable results. First-, second-, and third-place prizes as well as honorable mentions in the amounts of $10,000, $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000, respectively, will be awarded. In addition, technology grants in the amount of $2,000 (first place), $1,000 (second place), and $1,000 (third place) will be awarded.
To be eligible, entrants must be located in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Guam and be full-time students in grades 6 to 12 at a public, private, or charter middle school or high school. Each team must comprise at least three students and a sponsoring teacher or adult adviser. Deadline: May 31 More Information
 
MassGov.org
Utilizing funds recovered by the Office of Massachusetts Attorney General (AGO) through a nationwide state-federal settlement resolving allegations that certain banks engaged in unlawful foreclosure practices on residential properties in Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey is pleased to launch the Abandoned Housing Initiative Technology to Enrich Community Housing (TECH) Grant. In keeping with the mission of the Abandoned Housing Initiative (AHI) to ensure safer neighborhoods through blight reduction and the creation of safe, habitable homes, grant awards made under TECH will provide assistance to communities that suffer from the negative health and economic impacts of severely blighted residential properties.
 
Eligible applicants for funding include:
  • Massachusetts municipal government;
  • Massachusetts regional code enforcement entity.
Applicants must have an active partnership with AHI to be considered eligible. Prospective partners to AHI may inquire about their eligibility status directly at AbandonedHousing@state.ma.us.

Proposals must be delivered electronically through the AGO’s online grant application process. Interested applicants may access the application here.
 
Massachusetts Service Alliance
National Volunteer Week - April 7-13, 2019
National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out ways to engage in their communities. It’s about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, we have the fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals. National Volunteer Week embodies the energy and power volunteers evoke on a daily basis as they lead by example—not only encouraging the people they help, but motivating others to serve as well.
 
2019 National Volunteer Week RFP
The Request for Proposals for the National Volunteer Week mini-grant is released in mid-November and due in early January. Questions regarding National Volunteer Week may be directed to Lis Lohmueller, Administrative Coordinator, at elohmueller@mass-service.org or 617-542-2544 x221.
 
National Endowment for Democracy
Seeking Proposals to Strengthen Democracy Worldwide. To advance this mission, NED is seeking proposals for projects that advance democratic goals and strengthen democratic institutions. Grants of up to $50,000 over twelve months will be awarded to nonpartisan programs that seek to promote and defend human rights and the rule of law, support freedom of information and independent media, and promote accountability and transparency.To be eligible, applicants must be a nongovernmental organizations (i.e., civic organizations, associations, independent media, and other similar groups). Applications are encouraged from organizations working in diverse environments, including newly established democracies, semi-authoritarian countries, highly repressive societies, and countries undergoing democratic transition Deadline: December 21 More Information
 
New England Grassroots Environment Fund
Accepting applications for its 2019 Grow Grant program. Through the program, Grow grants of up to $3,500 will be awarded to established groups that are ready to expand the scope of their work. Grants are intended to support community groups in New England that represent the most exciting energy in the environmental movement and are not being reached by traditional funders. Examples of Grow grant projects include a community garden looking to initiate a food policy council and take on food security challenges in a community; a local energy committee planning to implement a community-wide energy plan; or a sustainability committee working to establish an initiative to support local resources. To be eligible, applicants must be a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont with no more than two full-time paid staff and an operating budget of under $100,000. Deadline: March 15 More Information
 
PeopleForBikes
Accepting Letters of Interest for its Community Grant Program. Through the annual program, grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to important and influential projects that leverage federal funding to build momentum for bicycling in communities across the United States. Projects can include bike paths and rail trails, as well as mountain bike trails, bike parks, BMX facilities, and large-scale bicycle advocacy initiatives. To be eligible, applicants must be a nonprofit organization with a focus on bicycling, active transportation, or community development; a city or county agency or department; or a state or federal agency working locally. PeopleForBikes only funds projects in the United States.
Deadline: Letters of Interest must be received no later than January 18. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by April 5. PeopleForBikes will begin accepting LOIs on December 10. More Information
 
Tufts Health Plan Foundation
Accepting applications for its James Roosevelt, Jr., Leadership Fund.Grants will be awarded in support of community leaders working with multiple stakeholders toward a common goal in communities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Projects can include current or new activities that directly or indirectly lead to more age-friendly communities and address barriers to success in the most vulnerable communities. The foundation will consider the intersection between policy and practice as well as collaborative community work in areas of the built environment, transportation, housing, social and civic participation and inclusion, employment, communication and information, and community support and health services. To be eligible, organizations must be considered tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and serve communities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Deadline: Letters of Intent must be received no later than January 23. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by March 29. More Information
 
Verizon
Provides grants to eligible recipients. Our funding priorities are STEM education for K-12 youth and domestic violence education and prevention for youth, women and older adults. New applications are by invitation only.  You can contact your local community relations manager to see whether you are eligible to apply or learn other ways to get involved in your community. Stephanie Lee - stephanie.s.lee@verizon.com
 
Walmart Foundation
Accepting applications through its Community Grant Program.  Through the annual program, grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to support local nonprofit organizations within the service area of individual Walmart stores in the areas of hunger relief and healthy eating, sustainability, women's economic empowerment, and/or career opportunities. To be eligible, an organization must be tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), (4), (6) or (19) of the Internal Revenue Code; be a recognized government entity (i.e., state, county, or city agency, including law enforcement or fire departments) that is requesting funds exclusively for public purposes; be a K-12 public or private school, charter school, community/junior college, state/private college or university; or be a church or other faith-based organization with a proposed project that benefits the community at large. Deadline:  Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until December 31. More Information
 
 
Do you know of an organization that could benefit from any of this information? Please share and support our community!

 
Upcoming Events, Classes & Workshops
NonProfit Institute at Berkshire Community College
Board Financial Management Tools and Techniques - Providing nonprofit leaders and board members with tools and analytic techniques to enhance their knowledge of financial management for nonprofit businesses.
 
Date: November 28 | 9 am – 12 pm
Location: Red Lion Inn, 30 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA
Cost: $35 NPC members | $45 nonmembers More Information
 
The Women's Fund
The Power of Women Book Event -  Celebrating Women from Western and Central Massachusetts from the 1600s to the Present Day
Celebrating The Republican’s latest publication, The Power of Women. The event begins with a social hour from 5pm to 6pm where you can purchase the book, meet editors & authors, and enjoy light refreshments.  The social hour will be followed by a presentation where we’ll hear from Wayne E. Phaneuf and Joseph Carvalho III, the regional historians who undertook this project, and see the video about the book that was viewed at the launch party in October.
 
Date: December 3 | 5-7 PM
Location: Community Room, 3rd Floor 1350 Main Street, Springfield MA
Cost:  Free but please pre-register as seating is limited
 
Association of Fundraising Professionals Western MA
Webinar: Nonprofit Accounting for Fundraisers - Bring-Your-Own-Lunch event
Looking for synergy between your development and financial offices? This 60-minute session is for you! Come learn about common situations that impact both development and finance offices, and walk away with a high-level view of nonprofit accounting. We use simple language and realistic scenarios to demystify the financial side of fundraising. Development personnel at all experience levels will benefit from this course.  Key takeaways: Define basic accounting terms and identify scenarios with implications for both the development and finance offices.
 
Date: December 12 | 12-2:30 PM
Location: Community Foundation of Western, 333 Bridge Street, Springfield MA
Cost: $10 for non-members and students. No-charge for AFP members  Contact for more information - (413) 532-5687
 
Resources
Foundation Directory
Learn more about FREE access to the professional version of this online database available at the Central Library.
Springfield City Library
Learn more about the Funding Information Network and the resources you can access at the Central Library.
GrantSpace.org
Sign up with an e-mail and password for FREE access to all GrantSpace.org has to offer - right from the comfort of home.
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Contact: Kim Sheridan - ksheridan@springfieldlibrary.org
 
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Our Newsletter Archive
 
Material contained in this newsletter is intended for informational purposes only. Please check with each organization for specific details.
 
 

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