May 2023 Resources
Each month LOR sends a curated list of funding opportunities and other resources relevant for small rural communities in the Mountain West. To receive a link to our monthly resources guide, drop us a line to connect@lorfoundation.org.
Funding Opportunities
MAY DEADLINES
The Cigna Foundation’s Education and Workforce Development grants range from $50,000 to $125,000 and are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations for education initiatives from pre-K through postsecondary. The grants are intended to support the educational and employment path of individuals who are considering health-related jobs. Areas of particular interest include increasing the number of practitioners who identify with groups that have been underrepresented and underserved and creating learning opportunities for practitioners about how to better understand and address health disparities among diverse groups.
Deadline: May 5
State and tribal governments, schools, and nonprofit organizations are eligible for grants ranging from $100,000 to $2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to improve public health in community buildings affected by wildfire smoke. Eligible projects must improve the capacity of communities to reduce indoor air pollutants from wildfire and can address planning, outreach, training, deployment of portable air cleaners, air quality monitoring, or other building upgrades.
Deadline: May 9
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Value-Added Producer Grants helps agricultural producers generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities and increase their income. Planning grants up to $75,000 and working capital grants of up to $250,000 can help farmers and ranchers pay for or analyze the feasibility of adding business costs associated with processing and marketing products.
Deadline: May 11
The Department of Justice’s Opioid Affected Youth Initiative provides grants to a variety of entities to help identify, treat, and support youth and their families affected by the opioid epidemic. Schools, state, local, and tribal governments, nonprofits, institutes of higher education, public housing authorities, and businesses are all eligible for funding up to $750,000 to implement activities that address overdose prevention, improve connections to treatment and recovery services, and advance overall community health and safety.
Deadline: May 16
AmeriCorps is offering grants between $100,000 and $1 million to support organizations’ efforts to increase the impact of volunteers on critical community needs and rebuild their volunteer infrastructure as impacted by COVID. State, local, and tribal governments, schools, nonprofits, and institutes of higher education are eligible for funding to improve volunteer management practices and strengthen organizations’ ability to increase recruitment and retention of volunteers.
Deadline: May 16
The National Endowment for the Humanities is accepting proposals of up to $1 million for its Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants. State, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations can propose capital projects to protect historically and culturally significant sites. The grants will support the purchase, design, construction, restoration, or renovation of buildings or sites of national, historical, architectural, or cultural significance.
Deadline: May 17
The Veterans Administration’s Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program provides up to $750,000 to state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to implement community-based suicide prevention efforts to meet the needs of veterans and their families. Programs that increase outreach to identify those at-risk, provide mental health screening, educate communities about suicide risk and prevention, provide clinical and case management services, and peer support in areas with limited access, including rural communities, will be prioritized.
Deadline: May 19
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives Grants for Small and/or Rural School Food Authorities will provide grants up to $150,000 to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. In partnership with Action for Healthy Kids, this program provides funding and technical assistance to rural school food authorities (commonly the school district) to implement approaches to serving healthy foods in schools. Schools and community food service providers are eligible to apply.
Deadline: May 26
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is accepting proposals for up to $300,000 through its Rural Health Care Coordination Program. Nonprofits, for-profits, state, local, and tribal governments, and school districts that represent a network of three or more health-care providers and payers are eligible to apply, but must have experience and capacity to work with rural communities. Each grantee can apply for up to $300,000 to implement care coordination strategies and expand access to health care services.
Deadline: May 26
Educating for American Democracy is accepting proposals from schools, governments, and nonprofits to implement projects with budgets between $20,000 and $200,000 for K-5 students. This funding opportunity will allow K-5 educators to implement a civics-focused project for elementary students during school hours in underserved communities.
Deadline: May 31
JUNE DEADLINES
The Herb Block Foundation is offering grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to support projects focused on citizen education and voter participation. The “Encouraging Citizen Involvement” grant program supports nonprofits working to ensure involvement in nonpartisan and non-lobbying activities.
Deadline: June 1
The Clif Family Foundation Small Grants Program supports small to midsize community groups with inspiring ideas to strengthen food systems, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and safeguard the environment and natural resources. General organizational support as well as funding for specific projects is provided to nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. Priority is given to applicants that address two or more of the funding priorities at the same time, demonstrate strong community ties, and operate within viable and clearly defined plans for positive change. The foundation does not provide guidance on funding amounts.
Deadline: June 1 (and, again, October 1)
The Lewis Prize for Music’s Accelerator Awards provides $500,000 to nonprofit creative youth development music organizations that work to ensure all young people have access to learning, creating, and performing experiences that reflect their culture and identity. The focus of the prize is on organizations serving youth between six to 21 years old through afterschool or out-of-school settings with an emphasis on inclusivity as well as youth leadership. By applying for the Accelerator Awards, organizations are also eligible for funding ranging from $15,000 to $50,000.
Deadline: June 3 (Note: An information session is being held on Thursday, May 18th at 10:00 a.m. MT)
USDA’s Housing Preservation Grants award funding to state, local, and tribal governments as well as nonprofits for the repair or rehabilitation of housing owned or occupied by low-income rural residents. Total funding allocated to the program is $18.5 million.
Deadline: June 5
The Economic Development Administration is providing funding up to $500,000 per program to implement innovative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) work-based learning models. Through the STEM Talent Challenge, state, local, and tribal governments, nonprofits, and institutes of higher education can develop or expand workforce development programs. These programs should support high-growth, high-wage entrepreneurial ventures, industries of the future, or other innovation-driven businesses that have a high likelihood of accelerating economic competitiveness and job creation in their respective regions.
Deadline: June 12
USDA’s Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant provides state, local, and tribal governments or nonprofit organizations with up to $150,000 in grant funding to identity and plan for community facility needs in their areas. This funding can support local efforts to address gaps in community facilities, including recreational facilities, publicly accessible spaces, and other community assets that respond to a community need. Funding can support planning, financing, reports and surveys, management of facilities, and applications for financial assistance.
Deadline: June 20 (paper); June 30 (electronic)
The Department of Energy’s Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas initiative will provide grants between $5 million and $100 million to improve access to clean energy technologies in rural communities. State, local, and tribal governments, nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and for-profit organizations are eligible for funding for financial investment, technical assistance, and other resources to advance clean energy demonstrations and energy solutions that are replicable and scalable in rural communities. Proposed projects could bring established technologies to new settings or places in rural areas, expand the scale of such technologies, explore an innovative approach to energy access, and/or economic development and local job creation in renewable energy fields in rural areas.
Deadline: June 28
USDA’s Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program provides grant and guaranteed loan funding and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. Small businesses and agriculture producers are eligible for $1,500 to $1 million for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.
Deadline: Rolling
U.S. Bank Foundation’s Community Possible Grant Program provides support to nonprofit organizations in the 26 states served by U.S. Bank, including New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Grants (no funding amount guidelines are offered) are provided in the following categories: 1) play, with a focus on access to artistic and cultural enrichment, learning through play, and preserving, protecting, and enhancing outdoor places to play; 2) work, with a focus on small business and workforce development, pathways to higher education, and financial literacy; and 3) home, with a focus on safe, affordable, energy efficient housing and home ownership education.
Deadline: Rolling
The Kars4Kids Small Grant Program is provides grants between $500 and $2,000 to educational initiatives led by 501(c)(3) nonprofits that focus on supporting children. Youth development, mentorship, and education initiatives are primary areas of focus.
Deadline: Rolling
STATE-SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES
Colorado The Stronger Connections Grant program operated by the Colorado Department of Education is designed to support schools in implementing safe and healthy learning environments. Funding can support school-based mental health services, drug and violence prevention activities, health education programs, nutrition and physical education activities, bullying prevention, and a variety of other strategies that support students’ overall well-being. Nearly $9 million is total funding available over a three-year period for the program. All Colorado school districts may apply but certain districts that meet CDE criteria, including Montezuma-Cortez RE-1, will be given priority.
Deadline: May 24 “Intent to Apply” form is due. Application is due June 7.
Montana The Montana Healthcare Foundation will provide support to Montana-based organizations to design and pilot innovative solutions to key health challenges in the state. Examples of funded projects include, but are not limited to, public health and prevention, strategic and business planning, direct collaboration among community agencies to address a significant health issue, partnerships outside the health sector to address upstream influences on health and well-being, and oral health. Grants, which support both planning and implementation projects, range between $10,000 and $50,000 for one-year projects and up to $100,000 for two-year projects. Nonprofit organizations and educational institutions as well as state, tribal, or local government agencies are eligible to apply.
Deadline: May 15
Montana The Rural Fire Capacity (RFC) Grant Program assists rural volunteer fire departments by providing cost-share grants for training, equipping, and organizing. Funding can support training, the purchase of equipment, support radio communications, organization and planning, or the formation of a new rural or volunteer fire district. No single item can cost more than $5,000, but overall proposals can exceed this amount (no ceiling is provided).
Deadline: May 19
New Mexico New Mexico’s Healthy Soils Program provides grants to implement on-the-ground projects that utilize one or more of the state’s priority soil health principles. The program provides grants to organizations and individuals to implement on-the-ground projects that utilize specific soil health principles. Individual applicants can apply for up to $22,000, but entities can apply for higher levels of funding.
Deadline: May 17 for pueblos, tribes, nations, acequias, conservation districts, and other local entities; individual applications (businesses, individuals, nonprofits that are directly farming or ranching) will reopen in 2024.
Wyoming The Wyoming Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Division is accepting applications for the First Responder & Law Enforcement Mental Health Support Grant. The program is designed to deliver and improve access to mental health services for first responders and law enforcement officers. Emergency medical service providers, including paid or volunteer fire departments, and county and municipal law enforcement agencies are eligible to apply. No funding levels or recommended budget amounts are provided at this time.
Deadline: May 31
Resources
SafeSide Prevention is offering free rural suicide prevention workshops beginning in May. This interactive training for service providers in rural communities includes a special focus on youth, substance use, and Indigenous communities. It’s free and participants will receive free, ongoing support—including online discussion forums and monthly Q&A video calls—for one year after the workshop. This opportunity is provided by the University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence (COE).
The National Rural Health Resource Center has developed a customizable behavioral health campaign tool kit that can be used by hospitals, clinics, community organizations, and others to promote 988 (the National Suicide Prevention Hotline) and other local resources. The tool kit can be adapted to local needs and help highlight available resources for rural communities.
The Milken Institute is launching the 10,000 Communities Initiative to ensure that support, federal technical assistance, and funding for infrastructure projects are effectively deployed to the communities that need it the most. Despite myriad new federal and state funding opportunities, many urban and rural American communities are struggling to access the capital, capacity, and talent required to build critical community infrastructure projects. Interested communities can request assistance for a community project that can help secure funding and access technical assistance tailored to the specific project.