September-October 2022 Resources | LOR Foundation

September-October 2022 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

OCTOBER DEADLINES

The National Archives is providing up to $150,000 in funding to improve online access to historical records and collections. Nonprofit organizations or institutions, including museums, colleges, universities, and other academic institutions, state or local governments and tribes can apply for up to $150,000 to increase access to online records and collections that promote understanding of the history of states and territories from their founding periods.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 6

Nonprofit organizations safeguarding basic freedoms, working to eliminate prejudice, and helping government agencies to be more accountable to the public are eligible for funding from the Herb Block Foundation. The foundation also considers support for programs that create pathways out of poverty. Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000.
Open: Now
Deadline: Letters of inquiry are due October 6

Community Wildfire Defense Grants of up to $10,000,000 can assist at-risk communities with wildfire planning and fire mitigation. The grants are available to nonprofits, local and tribal governments, and institutes of higher education, and can be used to help communities in the wildland urban interface implement landscape restoration and maintenance, establish fire-adapted communities, and improve wildfire response.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 7

The Older Adults Home Modification Program offers grants averaging $750,000 to nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and public housing authorities to implement programs that make safety and functional home modifications repairs and renovations to meet the needs of low-income elderly homeowners.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 13

Funding is available from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to support a wide array of programs and activities for individuals living with paralysis and their families. Examples of funded projects include, but are not limited to, sports wheelchairs for a wheelchair basketball team, an adapted glider in a community playground, accessible gym equipment, a hydraulic lift at a pool, electronic door openers at a community center, camp programs, and subsidized lessons for therapeutic horseback riding. Nonprofit organizations, municipal and state governments, school districts, recognized tribal entities, and other institutions such as community or veterans’ hospitals are eligible to apply with most awards up to $25,000.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 13

New funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is available to support school-based mental health programs and services as well as violence prevention and community youth engagement. Two programs will support youth mental health:

  1. The Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (AWARE) will support the development of school-based mental health programs and services. Grant recipients (local or tribal governments, health facilities, or nonprofits) must build collaborative partnerships with a variety of stakeholders to promote the healthy social and emotional development of school-aged youth and prevent youth violence in school settings. HHS anticipates awarding up to $1.8 million annually to around 20 awardees for up to four years.
    Open: Now
    Deadline: October 13
  2. The Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) grant program, will help assist high-risk youth and families by promoting resilience and equity in communities. Grant recipients (same as above) will implement evidence-based violence prevention and community youth engagement programs. HHS anticipates awarding $1 million per year to 10 awardees for up to four years.
    Open: Now
    Deadline: October 17

The Budding Botanist Grant, presented by KidsGardening and the Klorane Botanical Foundation, provides grants up to $1,000 to K-12 schools across the United States for school garden programs. In 2022, 20 high-need schools will receive $1,000 in funding to support the development of new—or expansion of existing—gardens that teach students about environmental sustainability and the importance of biodiversity. Public, charter, and private K-12 schools demonstrating that at least 40 percent of their student population qualify for free or reduced-price meals are eligible to apply.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 14

The Healthy Homes Production Grant Program offers local and tribal governments, nonprofits, or consortiums of those entities grants from $1 million to $2 million to make homes in their communities safer for children. Funds can be used to identify and remediate housing-related health and safety hazards; promote cost-effective and efficient healthy home methods and approaches; support public education and outreach; build local capacity to operate sustainable programs that will prevent and control housing-related environmental health and safety hazards; and develop a professional workforce that is trained in healthy-homes assessment and principles.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 18

The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts aims to help community-based organizations enhance their ability to deliver services addressing the opioid crisis.  Grants of up to $75,000 per year for up to two years will be provided for projects that support community-based organizations’ capacity to reduce opioid use disorder and overdose mortality. Potential activities include conducting organizational assessments, enhancing operational effectiveness, strengthening communication efforts, expanding and stabilizing resources to develop financial stability, strengthening and evaluating programming, or fostering collaborations with a broader range of allies. This funding opportunity is limited to community-based organizations.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 21

General operating support to theater and dance companies and other arts-related organizations is available from the Shubert Foundation. The grants—ranging from $15,000 to $325,000 (the larger grants are usually for ongoing grantees)—are open to nonprofit, professional theater and dance companies, as well as some arts-related organizations that help support their development.
Open: Now
Deadlines: Dance, Arts Related, and Shubert Scholars applications are due October 18; theater applications must be submitted by December 1. 

VIA Art Fund grants for up to $100,000 are available to support innovative contemporary visual art endeavors. VIA’s Artistic Production grants, ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, provide support to individual artists and nonprofits for the production and exhibition of new artistic commissions that take place outside museum or gallery walls.
Open: Now
Deadline: Letters of inquiry for the spring 2023 awards cycle must be submitted by October 24.

Two funding opportunities from USDA can help underserved agricultural producers access land, capital, and markets, and train the next generation of agricultural professionals.

  1. The Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program will help underserved (including veterans, limited resource producers, beginning farmers and ranchers and those living in high poverty areas) agricultural producers with business planning, land ownership, and market access. Nonprofits, local, and tribal governments, and educational institutions are eligible for grants ranging from $250,000 to $40,000,000 for multi-year projects.
    Open: Now
    Deadline: October 28
  2. The From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program will support institutions of higher education with grants ranging from $500,000 to $20,000,000 for a variety of services, including providing student scholarship support, paid internships, fellowships, and job opportunity matching.
    Open: Now
    Deadline: November 15

PeopleForBikes offers grants to nonprofits and local governments for projects that make bicycling better in communities. Projects that support increased ridership, improved safety or health, or economic improvements are supported with grants averaging around $9,000.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 31

Grants between $1,000 and $20,000 are available from the Sparkplug Foundation to support music, education, and community engagement. The Sparkplug Foundation provides grants to startup nonprofit organizations and new projects of established nonprofits in the areas of education, community organizing, and music. Projects the foundation supports include helping musicians share their work, engaging students in new ways, and encouraging community collaborative efforts. Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $20,000 (most programs are funded at $10,000 to $15,000) and are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or those fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3).
Open: Now
Deadline: Grant application process must be initiated before October 31

NOVEMBER DEADLINES

USDA offers both loans and grants to help rural communities provide broadband service via the ReConnect program. Funding for grants, loans, or a combination of the two for $25 million to $50 million are available to state and local governments, companies, tribes, and others for construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas.
Open: Now
Deadline: November 2

DECEMBER DEADLINES

The U.S. Department of Energy’s newly launched Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize aims to help community coalitions develop a strategy to address a local clean energy challenge and comes with up to $145,000 to implement it. New or adapted coalitions made up of nonprofits, city governments, school systems, and other community organizations are encouraged to tackle energy challenges and implement clean energy solutions. Phase one awards of $30,000 are available; winners of Phase 1 will be eligible for additional funding up to $115,000 for the coalition in Phase 2.
Open: Now
Deadline: December 7; informational webinar October 19

T-Mobile is providing grants up to $50,000 to create and refresh community spaces in small towns. The program will fund projects to build, rebuild, or refresh community spaces that help foster local connections in small towns (with populations less than 50,000), including town squares, historic buildings, outdoor parks, ball fields, or libraries. Elected leaders, town managers or employees, or nonprofit leaders are eligible to submit project details.
Open: Now
Deadline: Awards will be made quarterly. Applications will be open on a quarterly basis and the portal will close on the last day of each quarter and reopen for the new quarter on the first of the month.

Funding available to support fire prevention efforts by local fire departments, volunteer organizations, and other nonprofits working on fire-related public safety. Grants of, on average, $2,500 for local governments or nonprofit organizations can support a wide array of fire prevention, preparedness and control efforts, including pre-incident planning, fire prevention education/training and arson prevention/fire investigation.
Open: Now
Deadlines: Grant applications are reviewed four times per year. The next grant review period closes December 31 or after 100 applications are received. 

ROLLING DEADLINES

The Wish You Well Foundation is offering grants from $200 to $10,000 to develop or expand adult literacy and education programs. Nonprofit organizations with new or existing adult literacy programs can apply for funding on a rolling basis for either project-specific or general support.
Open: Now
Deadline: Rolling 

State and local governments, nonprofits, and other public entities can also pursue USDA telecommunications infrastructure loans.  This program provides financing for the construction, maintenance, improvement and expansion of telephone service and broadband in rural areas.
Open: Now
Deadline: Rolling

USDA Rural Development offers grants and loan programs to support the development of essential community facilities in rural areas. Public entities (cities, towns, and counties, for example) and community-based nonprofit organizations can apply for funds to support facilities such as hospitals, courthouses, child care centers, museums, food pantries, and more. There are different programs with different funding amounts and requirements so interested organizations are encouraged to examine the funding announcement and contact their local Rural Development office.
Open: Now
Deadline: Rolling

STATE-SPECIFIC FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Wyoming and Colorado Grant funds up to $25,000 are available to support nonprofits that break down barriers between community groups. Through the Intercultural Harmony Initiative, the Laura Jane Musser Fund supports nonprofits and local governments with project planning grants up to $5,000 or implementation grants up to $25,000 for projects that build bridges between groups with different backgrounds.
Open: Now
Deadline: October 17

Montana The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is now accepting applications for grants of up to $500,000 through the Montana Forest Action Plan to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health. Funding—between $100,000 and $500,000 per project—for local governments and local collaboratives can support forest management and conservation, reduce wildfire risk, support working forests and economies, and improve community health. Successful applications will involve collaboration from multiple partners.
Open: Now
Deadline: November 6

Wyoming The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality is providing more than $800,000 of grant funding for replacement of diesel school buses. The program is designed to help school districts replace their current diesel buses with clean fuel buses by offering grants to defray the costs of school bus replacement.
Open: Now
Deadline: Whenever funds have been fully expended

Other Resources

Many nonprofit and public employees are eligible for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, but must apply by October 31. In addition to the recently announced forgiveness of student loans for all borrowers, public service employees are eligible for targeted loan forgiveness. 

Need advice on identifying and applying for federal grants? Join representatives from USDA Rural Development and other federal agencies for a virtual workshop that includes tips on how to locate federal grants, complete applications, and understand federal grants management. Workshops will take place regionally, and you can attend whichever workshop is most convenient for you. 

USDA Rural Development has developed a resource guide for rural communities to support the growth of their recreation economy. The guide includes information on funding opportunities, strategies, and approaches to support rural recreation economic development.

A newly-created website is designed to help local communities track funding opportunities created in the recently-passed CHIPS Act. Congress passed and the president signed the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to provide the Department of Commerce with $50 billion for a suite of programs to strengthen and revitalize the U.S. position in semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing. This website will help local communities hoping to develop and expand their technology manufacturing sector track federal funding opportunities.

A survey by Target Analytics found that 47 percent of potential donors did not donate to a nonprofit if it had an outdated or poorly designed website. TechSoup’s free Website Wellness Assessment service includes an examination of a nonprofit’s website for common mistakes and pitfalls that can cause it to underperform and frustrate users. 

The Campaign for Rural Progress, in partnership with the RuralOrganizing.org Education Fund, has created a “Rural Advocacy Calendar” to help local communities identify and engage in advocacy opportunities on a variety of issues.

BroadbandUSA has created a single, searchable and sortable database of various broadband funding opportunities that local community leaders can review for alignment with local broadband expansion priorities. USDA has also created a guide to support rural-specific broadband funding opportunities. 

The Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation portal is an online dashboard that provides real-time and location-specific information about extreme weather threats. It features an interactive map that offers hazard-specific information, such as how many personnel are responding to a particular wildfire or what kinds of flood alerts have been issued in a certain community. The website, created in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Interior Department, also shares projections for future weather threats. 

Local communities seeking support for their opioid response efforts can access technical assistance from the Opioid Response Network. The Opioid Response Network has local consultants in all states to respond to local needs by providing free educational resources and training to states, communities, and individuals in the prevention, treatment and recovery of opioid use disorders and stimulant use.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has created a guide to help local communities understand how they can use ARPA Recovery Funds for Housing Initiatives. The guide can help local decision makers identify flexibilities and opportunities to invest federal recovery dollars in housing initiatives.