NC CAP funding pages will help providers:

• Understand different types of funding available to afterschool programs
• Connect to potential funders
• Acquire tools for a competitive edge in the grant-seeking world

 To learn more about the types of funding available and to link to potential funders, visit the Federal, State, Local, and Business and Foundation pages.

To connect to some tools that may help in securing funding, click on the links and articles below.

Announcements:

 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act presents several funding opportunities for afterschool. A detailed outline of these sources, as well as other resources, is available on our Effective Practices page, under Funding and Sustainability. The Afterschool Alliance has also created a wiki page with current information on the ARRA. Continue to check this website for up-to-date information on stimulus dollars and ideas on how to spend them.


 Grants for Teen Driving Safety
State Farm and the National Youth Leadership Council are sponsoring grants for service learning projects that teach youth about safe driving. Teams of students in grades nine through 12 who are age 13 or older may submit proposals for engaging and educational service projects (like holding a mock crash at school). Twenty-five grants of $2,000, and a grand prize of $10,000, will be awarded. For more information, click here.

Deadline: June 30, 2009


 STEMester of Service Grants
Contingent on federal funding, Youth Service America (YSA) will implement a program to support middle school science teachers and service-learning coordinators to strengthen their classroom practices through service-learning, a teaching method that combines meaningful service with curriculum or program-based learning. The grant targets students from disadvantaged circumstances in states with the highest drop out rates in the nation (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Washington).

STEMester of Service engages middle school youth in science and technology-focused service-learning projects that address community problems. Research shows that service-learning connects students to their schools and communities while improving academic achievement. Semester-long service-learning opportunities incorporate youth voice and opportunities for reflection, are connected to educational standards, and demonstrate community impact. With training and preparation occurring in the fall for grantees, school programs will launch on Martin Luther King Day, January 18, 2010, and culminate on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25, 2010. With a focus on environmental concerns, STEMester of Service’s goals include addressing community problems, encouraging students to explore STEM careers, and preventing early dropout. Environmental issues addressed can include green space availability, health effects, climate change, and disaster management.  The projects should provide students with opportunities to use technology to deepen and demonstrate their learning.

Deadline: July 15, 2009 (Eligibility Quiz required)


 American Legion: Grants for Child Welfare
American Legion Child Welfare Foundation Grants to Help Children fund proposals that contribute to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual welfare of children through innovative organizations and/or their programs designed to benefit youth.
Maximum award: $70,000
Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations
Applications and more information are online.

Deadline: July 15, 2009


 GoGirlGo!
Recognizing high school teams that show community leadership by inspiring girls to get involved in sports and physical activities.
Funder: Women's Sports Foundation administers the program, which is sponsored by The Gatorade Company.
Eligibility: School-, amateur-, community- and/or nonprofit-affiliated teams whose members are female, enrolled in 9th- to 12th-grade and residents of the United States, its territories or protectorates.
Amount: 20 grants of $2,500 each.

Deadline: July 17,2009


 LEGO Children's Fund Grants
The LEGO Children’s Fund will provide quarterly grants for programs with a special interest paid to collaborative efforts and in providing matching funds to leverage new dollars into the receiving organization. LEGO will give priority consideration to programs that both meet their goals and are supported in volunteer time and effort by LEGO employees.

The Foundation awards grants to qualified tax-exempt organizations (as determined under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code) including educational organizations as defined in USC 26 § 170 (C) with specific, identifiable needs primarily in these areas of support:
-Early childhood education and development
-Technology and communication projects that advance learning opportunities
-Sport or athletic programs that concentrate on under-served youth

Typical awards are between $500 and $5,000. If you are interested in applying for a grant and feel you meet the criteria, please complete the Eligibility Quiz online.  This quiz will assist in determining if a full application should be completed.

Next Deadline: August 1 (complete eligibility quiz BEFORE July 15)


Build-A-Bear Workshop Giving Programs
The Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation supports charities in the United States and Canada through the following special grant programs:
Children's Health & Wellness: Champ-A Champion Fur Kids grants provide direct support for children in the areas of health and wellness. Grant request deadlines are at the end of April, July, and October.
Literacy and Education: Grants provide support for children in literacy and education programs. Grant request deadlines are at the end of February, May, August, and November.
In addition, organizations seeking unrestricted support for children, families, and animals or for wild animals and the environment are encouraged to apply for grants through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Grants range between $1,000 and $10,000 each.
Click here for more information on all of these grants.

Wal-Mart State Giving Program
For projects in education, health and wellness, job training and the environment.
Funder: Wal-Mart
Eligibility: Nonprofits
Amount: Minimum grants are $25,000.
For more information, click here 

Deadline: September 18, 2009

 The National Science Foundation - Informal Science Education Program
The National Science Foundation is charged with promoting the vitality of the nation's science, technology, engineering andmathematics (STEM) research and education enterprises. The Foundation has established an Informal Science Education (ISE) program that supports projects that promote lifelong learning of science,technology, engineering, and mathematics by the public through voluntary, self-directed engagement in STEM-richinformal learning environments and experiences. While many of the funding programs within ISE focus on research and evaluation, another investment is for expanding the capacity of professionals engaged in the work of informal STEM education programs. Check out the Foundation's website for funding opportunties, especially under the Communicating Research to Public Audiences component. These awards can be up to $150,000 in size and have a duration of two years. No preliminary proposal necessary.

Deadline: November 19, 2009

Saucony Run for Good Grant
You can play a role in getting the children in your program to embrace running and fitness programs and can get some help from Saucony Inc. The Saucony Run For Good Foundation, a grant program designed to encourage active and healthy lifestyles in children, is now accepting applications. Saucony, a subsidiary of the Stride Rite Corp. is a global supplier of performance athletic footwear and apparel.

2009-2010 deadlines have not been announced. 
 
GoodSearch for Your Charity
You search, they give!  GoodSearch.com is a new search engine that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any search engine, and it's powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results.

Go to goodsearch.com to sign your charity up, or enter NC CAP in the charity box if you want donations to go to us. Just 500 people searching four times a day will raise about $7300 in a year without anyone spending a dime! And, be sure to spread the word! 
 

Monthly Funding Tip from The Finance Project

Preparing to Take Advantage of New Programs in the Economic Stimulus Package - Considerations for Out-of-School Time Providers and Stakeholders
1. Think Strategically. Meet with key policy makers and stakeholders, including your program’s advisory board or board of directors, to review program goals and finances.
2. Build on Success. Review past successful grant applications and proposals and ensure evaluation and outcome data is up-to-date.
3. Secure Help. Consider contracting with a grant writer. A grant writer will be able to help you quickly write a compelling application to respond to requests for proposals.
4. Prepare Ahead. Create an electronic grants application account.
5. Collaborate. Reinvigorate relationships with local school system, community-based and faith-based partners.
6. Get Information. Consult newsletters and websites of intermediary and advocacy organizations. Many intermediary and advocacy organizations have grant announcement pages and monitor federal register notices for funding opportunities.

To read the full report, visit our Effective Practices page and click on Funding and Sustainability.

Grants for Community, Health and Education Projects
"The RGK Foundation is offering grants up to $25,000 for community, education and health projects including youth development, community improvement, abuse prevention and educational enrichment programs." Letters of inquiry are accepted year-round.

 

Tapping the US Department of Justice and SAMHSA to Support Afterschool

Two new funding notes provide an overview of funding opportunities for afterschool programs from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  Publications describe examples of programs currently accessing these funds and tips for programs interested in doing so.  Visit site for free downloads of these new resources.

The Finance Project
The Finance Project helps public and private sector leaders to finance and sustain initiatives that lead to better futures for children, families and communities.

Finding Resources to Support Mentoring Programs and Services for Youth
This brief highlights three strategies that leaders and stakeholders can use to finance and sustain mentoring programs and services for youth. These strategies include building partnerships with businesses and foundations, conducting community fundraising to generate revenue and maximizing public revenue.  In addition, it provides information on 25 federal funding sources that can be used to finance and sustain these programs.

 

Grantwriting Tools for Nonprofits
This Non-profit Guides website is designed to assist established non-profit organizations through the private and public grant-writing process. 

Help with Grant Proposals
About.com provides tools for securing contributions and grants for non-profit organizations.

GrantsAlert
GrantsAlert helps nonprofits, especially those involved in education, secure the funds they need to continue their work. 

The Foundation Center
This is the nation's leading authority on philanthropy.  Use this website to find all types of funders and grantwriting resouces.

Awards Offered to Youth Service
This comprehensive list of funding sources is a compliation of awards offered by companies, agencies, government, and schools around the U.S. related to all aspects and ages of youth service. 

The Grantsmanship Center
This site offers information on federal funding, a database of community foundations by state, and grantwriting training to nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

Funding and Policy
This brief by the Forum for Youth Investment examines blending funding streams to ensure that out-of-school programs have sufficient and stable resources. 

Initial List of Tutoring Services & Afterschool Program Providers that could provide supplemental services under Title I
The Council of Chief State School Officers created a tentative list, including contact information, of tutoring services and afterschool program providers that may serve as providers of Supplemental Services under Title I. 

Supplemental Educational Services
This article prepared for the Education Trust discusses Title I funding for supplemental educational services.  The article explains eligible schools and students, notification of parents, duration of supplemental services, paying for services, and district and state responsibilities. 

Title I Supplemental Educational Services and Afterschool Programs: Opportunities and Challenges
This brief by The Finance Project discusses the benefits and challenges of afterschool programs becoming supplemental services providers.  The article is designed to help afterschool program administrators understand what supplemental services are, consider the implications of becoming a provider, and identify the steps necessary to become a successful provider.   

Common Core of Data: Information on Public Schools and School Districts
The U.S. Department of Education's Common Core of Data (CCD) is a database on public elementary and secondary education.  The site provides comprehensive, annual, national statistics that are comparable across all states.  General descriptive information on schools (approximately 95,000 are included) and school districts (approximately 17,000 are included), data on students and staff, and fiscal data are included.  Users can create customized tables using data from multiple years.  
 
Making the Case
This fact sheet published by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time provides statistics on the benefits of participation in afterschool programs. 

eSchool News Funding Center
The Center provides information on grant programs and funding sources for schools. School based or linked afterschool programs may be eligible for some of these grant programs.

Financing and Sustaining Out-of-School Time and Community School Initiatives
This initiative of The Finance Project provides information on funding technical assistance and resources.  The website includes information on mobilizing communities, measuring and using results, finding funding, planning for sustainability, and developing partnerships.  The project also highlights profiles of successful financing strategies. 

Using the Workforce Investment Act to Support Out-of-School Time Initiatives
This strategy brief by The Finance Project explains the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), outlines strategies for leveraging WIA funds and provides examples of afterschool programs that benefit from WIA support.  WIA links youth development and youth employment, in keeping with research, which is the most effective way to attract and retain youth.  Afterschool programs can benefit from this opportunity by accessing funds for both staffing and services. 

Proposal Writing Short Course
The Foundation Center's two-part guide helps grantwriters through the process of writing a proposal. 

Grant Proposal.com
This site provides resources for both inexperienced and advanced nonprofit grant writers.  Topics include research, inquiry letters, full proposals, advice from funders, and hundreds of tips. 

Grantionary
The Grantionary lists grant-related terms and their definitions. 

Grant Writing Tips
SchoolGrants has compiled a helpful set of grant writing tips for those who need help in developing grant proposals. 

Using an Online Auction to Raise Program Funds
The National Service Resource Center's Effective Practices Collection offers tips on using a free online auction service.  The process requires a minimal number of volunteers, could be successful in a fairly rural area and has the potential of raising a minimum of $5,000. 

Using NCLB Funds to Support Extended Learning Time
This strategy brief from the Finance Project and the Council of Chief State School Officers describes how six major funding streams included in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) can support extended learning opportunities. 'Using NCLB Funds to Support Extended Learning Time: Opportunities for Afterschool Programs' provides important context for those seeking to access these funding streams, and includes a  discussion of strategies, considerations and tips for accessing each source.

Profiles of Successful Afterschool Financing Strategies: 2005
The Finance Project profiles the innovative approaches of the Ella J. Baker House in Boston and Heads Up in Washington D.C.   Learn from the promising practices they use to secure funding and sustain their initiatives.  These are the latest in a series by The Finance Project highlighting effective strategies for financing afterschool programs.   Review all 18 profiles at: http://www.financeproject.org/irc/ost/profiles.asp