Western Union will sponsor 'community and grassroots giving' events

This is cool, perhaps a bitt iffy for libraries but when we partner with other agencies this is, essentially, what we do. See the Western Union site for complete details. 

To qualify for community and grassroots giving from Western Union your organization or event needs to support empowerment, with an emphasis on the following:

• Job-Creation
• Small Business or Entrepreneurship
• Education or Financial Literacy
• Immigrant Integration & Social, Language or Financial Inclusion

How to Apply:

Please submit a written proposal including:

• Description of the organization and sponsorship
• Contact name and organization's address, phone, fax, and email
• Date and time of the event
• Levels of sponsorship
• Sponsorship benefits
• IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter
• IRS form W-9

all submissions must be addressed to:

 

Western Union Community Relations
12500 East Belford Ave., M1G
Englewood, Colorado, 80112

Fax: +1 720-332-4761

Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation Community grants: $5K-25K

The Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation is dedicated to improving communities by supporting public education and community improvement projects. Their primary philanthropic focus areas are:

• Community improvement projects
• Public Education, priority is given to K-12 public schools 

Details at http://www.cybergrants.com/lowes/start_app.html.

LCEF provides funding only to 501(c) (3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and public agencies in communities where Lowe’s operates stores and distribution centers; there is a required eligibility quiz..

• Grants generally range from $5,000 to $25,000.
• LCEF considers an organization's grant application only once per calendar year.

LCEF recommends contacting local Lowe’s stores when seeking a modest gift card, door prize or donation of materials for a community project or event. 

Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Library Mini-grant Program

As noted here and on the ‘additional grants’ page, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Mini-grant program awards funds to programs that encourage literacy and creativity in children.

Multiple awards of $500 each are available. Public schools and libraries are eligible to apply.

Deadline: March 15, 2012.

Upcoming FREE webinars from the Foundation Center

If I've said it once, I've said it once: The Foundation Center offers crackerjack free online webinars. These five upcoming webinars are free.

1.) Proposal Budgeting Basics, geared to the novice grantseeker; Wed, 3/20/13 from 2PM-3PM Eastern. Register. This will cover such topics as:

·         What is included under the "personnel" section and how to calculate it?

·         What level of detail do you need to include for non-personnel expenses?

·         How do you determine reasonable costs?

·         What types of expenses are considered "overhead"?

·         What other financial documents will funders want to see?

Prior attendance at Proposal Writing Basics is strongly recommended.

2.) Proposal Writing Basics, for those new to proposal writing, Tues, 3/19/13 from 1PM-2PM Eastern. Register.

·         How the proposal fits into the overall grantseeking process

·         What to include in a standard proposal to a foundation

·         Tips for making each section of your proposal stronger

·         What funders expect to see in your proposal and attachments

·         Tips for communicating with funders during the grant process

·         Additional resources on proposal writing, including sample proposals

3.) How to Approach a Foundation, Thurs, 3/14/13 from 2PM – 3PM Eastern. Register. Learn how to build relationships with foundation prospects and prepare for calls and meetings with funders. From initial contact to getting funded, following field-tested best practices will increase your chances of getting the grant.

·         Initiate contact with potential funders

·         Plan calls and meetings, including site visits

·         Effectively communicate with funders during the grant process

4.) Introduction to Finding Funders, Wed, 3/13/13 from 1PM – 2PM Eastern. Register. Learn to find funders for your nonprofit with the Foundation Center's comprehensive funding research tool. This session provides an introduction to the Foundation Center's comprehensive online database, Foundation Directory Online Professional. Learn how to create customized searches to develop targeted lists of foundations that will match your nonprofit organization's funding needs. We will spend time exploring Power Search, which allows you to search across nine Foundation Center databases – grantmakers, grants, companies, 990s, news, jobs, RFPs, nonprofit literature, and PubHub reports.

5.) Grantseeking Basics, Tues, 3/5/13 from 1PM – 2PM Eastern. Register.

·         Gain an introduction to the world of foundation fundraising.

·         Are you a representative of a nonprofit organization?

·         Are you new to fundraising?

·         Do you want to learn how the funding research process works, and what tools and resources are available?

If you've never taken a Foundation Center webinar before, click here to see how they work.

ING Unsung Heroes Program for educators

ING's Unsung Heroes program allows educators to apply for funding for innovative class projects; each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000.

Judgment criteria: * Innovative Method * Creativity  * Ability To Positively Influence Students

Eligibility: All K-12 education professionals are eligible to apply. Applicants must be employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the U.S. and be a full-time educator, teacher, principal, paraprofessional, or classified staff member working on a project with demonstrated effectiveness in improving student learning.


Deadline: April 30, 2013.

Wells Fargo in Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, and New Haven counties

Wells Fargo makes grants in two primary areas in the Connecticut counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, and New Haven. The application and scads of information is online. Deadlines are rolling.

Community Development, supporting the improvement of low- and moderate-income communities through programs that:

• Create and sustain affordable housing
• Facilitate financial literacy and empowerment
• Provide job training and workforce development
• Revitalize and stabilize communities

Education, supporting organizations and programs that:

• Work to eliminate pre-K – 12^th grade achievement gap in public education through curriculum-based or school-sponsored programs
• Support post-secondary education

Wells Fargo also considers grants in the following areas: Arts and Culture, Civic Engagement, Environment, and Human Services.

501c3’s and governmental agencies - including public school systems – are eligible. The application is online only.

It’s All About the Fruits and Veggies Grants Program: up to $500

The National Gardening Association’s It’s All About the Fruits and Veggies Grants Program is open to schools, community organizations, and nfp’s gardening with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18. Schools must be located within a 50 mile radius of a Jamba Juice store (there’s one in Orange at Bruegger's Bagels in the Crossroads Plaza) and a few in New York.

I guess how it works is, applicants complete a Garden Registry profile, and then, through the Sip To Support A Garden Program, schools and community gardens can earn credits that can be applied against the purchase of essential gardening equipment suitable for any age from the national gardening association’s Gardening With Kids Catalog.

Deadline: 2-18-2013; maximum award: $500.00.