November 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
November Deadlines
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism is providing grants up to $25,000 for news organizations who are undertaking experiments that will result in changes that support a print transition. Any U.S.-based local news organization that currently distributes a print product may apply regardless of business model or print frequency. The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, in partnership with the American Press Institute, has led the Beyond Print program to support publishers as they transition away from print revenue models toward a sustainable digital future. This funding can support changes in operations, customer service, financial planning, and technology adaptations to support the transition from print.
Deadline: Nov. 10
The Outride Fund provides grants between $5,000 and $15,000 for projects that help youth-focused efforts to promote cycling. Examples of funded projects include school-based cycling programs, youth racing teams emphasizing mental health among riders, trail construction projects in places where there is little trail access or for a specific community-based or school-based program, educational programs, and infrastructure projects tied to a specific program or purpose related to mental and cognitive health.
Deadline: Nov. 11
The Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship program supports high-achieving, low- to moderate-income graduating seniors with significant funding (up to $55,000) to attend college. The Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program is the largest undergraduate scholarship program available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who want to attend four-year colleges and universities. In addition to the monetary award, Cooke Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising, significant cohort-based programming, and graduate school funding, as well as a thriving network of nearly 3,200 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni.
Deadline: Nov. 16
The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, with funding from the U.S. Forest Service, is soliciting proposals for its Landscape Scale Restoration Grant Program (West) to reduce wildfire risk, improve habitat, address watershed and water quality, and improve ecological and economic outcomes in forested lands throughout the West. Nonprofits, collaborations, local governments, or tribal entities can apply for between $25,000 and $300,000 to implement projects that will achieve on-the-ground outcomes on rural forest land
Deadline: Nov. 17
The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries provides grants to schools to update their library collections and encourage students to develop a love of reading and learning. Funding (no amount guidelines provided) can support the purchase of books (audio, print, Braille, e-books) or magazines for Title 1 public schools or private schools where at least half of the students qualify for financial assistance.
Deadline: Nov. 27
The Actors’ Equity Foundation is providing support to professional nonprofit theaters and performing arts organizations with grants to promote performing arts. The Foundations Theater Grants provide support to nonprofit theaters with an established artistic and administrative track record, a history of fiscal responsibility, and who have worked to improve the state of the theater. (Note: The foundation does not identify a grant amount range.)
Deadline: Nov. 30
The National Park Trust’s Every Kid Outdoors small grants program provides up to $5,000 to nonprofits and schools that connect elementary school students to public parks, lands, and waters. Priority areas include fourth grade students and activities that take place on USDA Forest Service lands; funding can cover transportation and overall experience costs of outings.
Deadline: Nov. 30
The Disabled Veterans National Foundation’s Capacity Building grants provide up to $25,000 to nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to veterans for mental and physical recovery. This may include various forms of therapy including equine, art, or recreational therapy.
Deadline: Nov. 30
December Deadlines (and Beyond)
The Paralyzed Veterans of America Education Foundation offers grants up to $75,000 for projects, $20,000 for conferences, and $10,000 for virtual conferences that educate community members about quality of life opportunities for veterans and others living with spinal cord injury and disease. Nonprofits, associations, or academic institutions are eligible for funding.
Deadline: Dec. 1
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) is designed to encourage innovative homeownership opportunities by helping homebuyers with low incomes buy their own homes. Funds (ranging between $1 million and $13 million can be used by nonprofit organizations for land acquisition, infrastructure improvements, and planning and administration costs.
Deadline: Dec. 4
The American Society of Breast Surgeons Foundation is providing up to $5,000 to nonprofit community-based organizations engaged in raising awareness about breast cancer.
Deadline: Dec. 11
The National Endowment for the Humanities Public Humanities Project provides grants for between $75,000 and $4000 to support efforts to bring the humanities to life throughs via public programming. Nonprofit organizations are eligible for grants for planning or implementation. Eligible activities include public programming, through various activities such as exhibitions and humanities discussions that educate the public about local or national history, literature, ethics, or arts that reach broad and diverse audiences outside of classroom settings.
Deadline: Draft: Nov. 29 (optional); Final application: Jan. 11
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing $5 billion in grants to states and local governments to develop and implement plans to address greenhouse gas emissions. Local and tribal governments, state governments, and collaboratives with community based organizations are eligible to apply for varying amounts of funding to design and implement plans that address local sources of carbon and other emissions.
Deadline: Apr. 1
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities National Capacity Builder program funds technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to develop infrastructure projects. Local governments, tribal governments, nonprofits, and economic development organizations are eligible to apply for technical assistance.
Deadline: Rolling
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Corporate Giving program provides funding for projects and events that support wildlife and habitat conservation, connecting new audiences to the outdoors, increasing access to sportsmen’s opportunities, and support for military and veterans. No funding guidelines are provided and all applicants must provide a W-9.
Deadline: Rolling
The Park Foundation is accepting letters of inquiry for grants that support civic engagement, promote good governance, increase community participation, support public interest media coverage, healthy environments, and animal welfare. Nonprofits or fiscally sponsored projects are eligible and recent grants range from a few thousand dollars to $150,000.
Deadline: Letters of interest accepted throughout the year; invited proposals reviewed quarterly
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Strategic Economic and Community Development program supports rural projects and economies by funding planning for community investment. Projects in rural communities that would benefit from a multi-jurisdictional planning process are eligible for funding and could address a variety of community needs including for facilities, water and wastewater disposal, or business development community facilities. For information about requirements, program alignment with community investment projects, or funding amounts available, local governments should contact Gregory Baston at gregory.batson@usda.gov. To apply, applicants should submit the Form RD 1980-88 to the nearest USDA office.
Deadline: Rolling
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance program provides support to local governments who are implementing strategies to alleviate poverty in their communities. Through the program, the department provides technical assistance to local governments in smaller communities with populations under 50,000 people. Technical assistance helps local governments overcome gaps in capacity or expertise related to addressing the challenges of poverty or unemployment.
Deadline: Rolling
The Climate Initiative’s Youth Action Grants provides up to $2,500 to community-based, youth-led projects that empower youth ages 13 to 23 to develop climate solutions for their communities. The goal is to encourage youth to take action within their communities to better mitigate climate challenges, foster climate change discussion and education, and provide young people with the necessary resources to fill the gaps of climate adaptation in their communities.
Deadline: Rolling
State-Specific Opportunities
Colorado, New Mexico The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Southwest Rivers Headwaters Fund is accepting proposals to restore, project, and enhance aquatic and riparian areas in the headwaters of the Colorado River and Rio Grande river watersheds. Projects led by nonprofits and local governments that protect the watersheds and promote species and habitat conservation are eligible to compete for up to $2 million in total grant funding.
Deadline: Nov. 9
Colorado The Colorado Media Project is accepting applications from local news outlets and projects for its Advancing Equity in Local News grants which range between $5,000 and $25,000. Funding can be used to support internal diversity, equity and inclusion capacity-building efforts in Colorado newsrooms; strengthen connections and build trust between Colorado newsrooms and the diverse communities they serve; and/or support more diverse and inclusive civic news leadership, entrepreneurship, ownership, and narratives.
Deadline: Nov. 27
Colorado The Colorado Ag Water Alliance is accepting proposals for on-farm projects that help farmers and ranchers address long-term drought resilience by implementing strategies that cost between $2,000 and $30,000.
Deadline: Jan. 2
Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming The California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant provides support to public school sports programs with grants up to $1,000 for middle and high school programs impacted by budget reductions. An employee of the public school must be the one who submits the application.
Deadline: Jan. 15
Montana The Otto Bremer Trust invests in strategies that create healthy, vibrant communities by providing general operating, program, and capital grants to nonprofits, local governments addressing a wide variety of challenges, including housing, food security, wellness and healthcare, youth, and workforce development. Beneficiaries of the project must reside in the foundation’s target geography; no funding amount guideline is provided.
Deadlines: Nov. 30 and Feb. 8
New Mexico New Mexico’s Healthy Food Financing Fund supports economic development in the food and agriculture sector while also helping increase the food security for New Mexicans. The program provides funds to local and tribal governments, for profits, small farmers and ranchers, co-ops, and nonprofit organizations to cover food production, distribution, and retail costs that address local food insecurity challenges. Predevelopment, brick and mortar facility development or capital costs, packaging of goods, agricultural development, or other soft costs are eligible for funding. While individual project cost guidelines are not provided, $950,000 is available and 13 projects were funded last year.
Deadline: Nov. 13
New Mexico The Frost Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations working in the areas of human services, the environment, or education in New Mexico and Louisiana. While the funder does not provide a dollar amount recommendation, it is focused on improving quality of life by supporting initial funding or operating funds to organizations that encourage self-reliance, creativity, and ingenuity on the part of the clients the organization serves.
Deadline: Dec. 1
Resources
The Greenlights Grant Initiative provides information and support to school districts for help with school safety grants. Educators and volunteers supporting school districts can sign up to request support and information in the pursuit of federal grant funding to help address school violence prevention, mental health services, and academic enrichment.
The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign is hosting a webinar titled, “Improving Access to Health Care Coverage in Rural Communities with Medicaid and CHIP” on Thursday, Nov, 9, 2023 at noon MST. With National Rural Health Day falling on Nov. 16, the webinar will discuss the importance of Medicaid and CHIP in rural communities now and year-round. In this webinar, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services staff and partners will discuss important strategies, resources, and best practices for rural community outreach and enrollment and address health equity challenges in rural communities.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready was created for small business owners by small business owners and is a free program with short courses on marketing, finance, efficiency and more. Small businesses looking to address growth opportunities or finance challenges can access the content for free.
The Rural Impact Podcast has recently released a short series, “Food For Thought: Facing the Facts About Food Insecurity,” which explores the link between federal food policies and programs and hunger and food access in rural America.
The “Local and Regional Food Systems Resilience Playbook” is a collaborative effort between university-based researchers, food systems leaders, and USDA experts. The playbook is designed to support food systems leaders seeking to broaden and deepen their understanding of the distinct strengths and vulnerabilities of local and regional food systems in times of disruption.
The Save the Music Foundation has compiled a resource list for young people interested in exploring music careers. This guide features renowned organizations led by musicians, executives, and advocates who strategically promote and invest in student pathways to music careers.
The Strategic Communication Planning Hub is a free resource designed to help nonprofits and organizations of all sizes become more skilled in the fundamentals of communication to advance policy, advocacy and programmatic goals.
The White House released an updated technical assistance guide aimed at accessing and deploying Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding. This new guide highlights programs that help communities navigate programs and resources that can help them deliver infrastructure, clean energy, and climate resilience projects.
The Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group has compiled a set of resources that can help rural communities plan for, prepare for, and develop resilience to disasters.
Montana Montana State University Extension is accepting applications for its “Reimagining Rural 2024” program. Reimagining Rural is a program to increase volunteer engagement in rural communities where communities host an in-person gathering of local volunteers and leaders, engage with speakers via Zoom, and have a local discussion about applying solutions locally.
Deadline: Dec. 15
New Mexico The New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) has updated its popular resource directory that helps communities with economic development programs and provides businesses with information they need to start, maintain, and expand. The 2024 toolbox can be accessed directly online at: