From our colleagues at USDA-Rural Development in Washington, DC: there’s a theme of entrepreneurship and small businesses across the resources this week, as well as a number of resources dealing with financing local development.
From: Agans, Suzette - RD, Washington, DC [mailto:Suzette.Agans@wdc.usda.gov]
Sent: Friday, February 07, 2014 10:44 AM
Subject: Publications, Tools, Learning, and Funding and Comments Request
PUBLICATIONS
3 Reason High Schools should teach Entrepreneurship - http://www.youngupstarts.com/2014/01/13/3-reasons-high-schools-should-teach-entrepreneurship/
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's article - A high probability of lower corn prices in 2014 is leading to prospects of lower incomes for U.S. corn producers. The latest issue of the "Main Street Economist" from the Kansas City Fed explains that markets appear more convinced that corn prices are unlikely to match the levels of the past few years, underscoring the importance of liquidity for agricultural producers. Read the article at: http://www.kansascityfed.org/publications/research/mse/index.cfm?ealert=mse0114
RUPRI and NADO Research Foundation Release Financial Planning for Disasters Workbook
Is your community or region financially prepared for a natural disaster? RUPRI, with the support of the NADO Research Foundation through a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has released a new workbook, “Financial Planning for Disasters: A Workbook for Local Governments and Regions.” This workbook is designed to help local governments and regions understand their financial vulnerabilities to natural disasters, evaluate their financial capacity to cover the costs of those disasters, identify strategies to close the gap between financial vulnerability and capacity, and identify and address the spillover effects of neighboring local governments’ financial vulnerabilities to disasters. Click here to download the workbook and watch an introductory webinar explaining financial resiliency strategies.
A PR Newswire article reports that “Nine Rural Communities in Indiana, Michigan and California Collaborate to Create the National Rural Accountable Care Organization (ACO)". The new model, the National Rural ACO, is being tried by nine rural health systems to kick off their participation in the 2014 initiative. The model will allow smaller providers to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program without the usual massive upfront costs or large patient base. Read the article here.
County-level Oil and Gas Production in the U.S.
County-level data from oil and/or natural gas producing States—for onshore production in the lower 48 States only—are compiled annually for 2000 through 2011.
January 31, 2014
Food Strategies for Rural Communities - This is the first in a series of quarterly reports from Art-Force to explore and expand options for small towns, from ideas to leadership to implementation. This post is about food issues that face our rural communities.
Assets & Opportunity Network Shines Spotlight on Financial Security from Coast to Coast
Despite some signs of an improving economy, CFED’s 2014 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard data revealed last week that families remain in a state of persistent financial insecurity. The summary report, “Treading Water in the Deep End,” calls attention to the 44% of American households who are liquid asset poor. These households have less than three months’ worth of savings—conservatively measured as three times a monthly poverty-level income.
New Microbusiness Publications Explore Innovations in Practice, Policy Opportunities
CFED is excited to share two new publications on microbusiness. These resources can help practitioners and advocates in the microbusiness and assets fields identify new opportunities to support entrepreneurial clients, learn about innovative emerging microbusiness development practices, and advocate for policies that can help low- and moderate-income (LMI) microbusiness owners, including the self-employed, build wealth through their businesses. Each publication examines the potential for microbusiness ownership to contribute to families’ financial security, a major theme of our recent and upcoming entrepreneurship work.
Read More >>>
Energy Efficiency Financing and Clean Water Funding Synergize
In a feature article from Clean Energy Finance Center, Catherine Feerick from CDFA discusses the applicability of the unique NYSERDA bond structure as a national model for energy portfolio securitization.
Financing the Next Generation of Solar Workers - This paper marks the culmination of a joint effort between The Solar Foundation, SolarTech, and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), working together under the SolarTech Workforce Innovations Collaborative (SWIC), to conceive of a number of innovative funding mechanisms to provide adequate private-sector funding for workforce training programs. This concept paper provides a starting point for a new path forward in financing solar workforce training. The three funding mechanisms described in the paper are not offered prescriptively; rather, our intention in proposing them is to motivate a discussion on how the solar industry and other stakeholders might come together to bridge the impending workforce funding gap.
TOOLS
Top 100 Tools for Learning. You may find something in here useful for your work. http://c4lpt.co.uk/top100tools/ [Note: scroll down to the list, skip the slide show]
The anti-poverty organization Half in Ten has developed a toolkit with state-by-state data, talking points, sample press releases, op-eds, and editorials to help community developers with their messaging on the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty. A project of the Center for American Progress, the Coalition on Human Needs, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Half in Ten is dedicated to cutting the poverty rate in half by 10 years. Get the toolkit here.
The National Indian Health Outreach and Education Initiative has produced Tribalhealthcare.org, a website that provides training tools for community representatives and consumer-oriented education materials to assist American Indians and Alaska Natives in understanding their rights and opportunities under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). Click here to visit the website.
CapNexus™ is an online database that matches money and partners to community development finance opportunities. CapNexus provides a database of mission-aligned loans and lenders, helping those lenders and investors buy, sell, or participate in community development financing. The platform is comprised of local and national CDFIs, big banks, regional banks, credit unions, foundations, and institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies with a community development mission. Check out the website here. [Note: Currently free, but will be fee-based in the future]
LEARNING
Apply Now for Economic Development Training Scholarship, Funding Opportunity
Are you interested in learning a new framework for effective economic development? Apply to join NADO’s WealthWorks Network and find out what WealthWorks can do for your region! NADO is soliciting applications from regional planning and development organizations to participate in a nine-month-long training process to learn concepts of inclusive, asset-based economic development and explore how to implement them within your organization’s work. With support from the Ford Foundation, NADO will pay for the training for two individuals per region (which must be one RDO staff member and one from a strategic partner), a $2400 value, as well as support travel to an on-site training component occurring April 27 – 30 at the Pendle Hill Retreat Center outside Philadelphia, PA. The training will be led by Yellow Wood Associates. Teams who participate in the training may be considered for additional funds to support the training program that will continue after the on-site training until February 2015. Online applications are due by February 18. Click here for a PDF flyer with more details. For more information please contact NADO Associate Director Carrie Kissel at ckissel@nado.org or 202.624.8829.
WEBINAR: The Value of Public Policy Engagement Programs, 12:30 PM, February 10, 2014 EST
WEBINAR: Sharpen Your Pitch: How to Present a WealthWorks Value Chain to Investors, February 27th WCRL webinar (1-2 pm ET) presented by Josh Humphries and Robert Donnan. If you want to get better at pitching to investors, join us! Please share the registration link with your colleagues.
WEBINAR: CDFA Announces Intro Food Systems Finance WebCourse
CDFA is pleased to announce the Intro Food Systems Finance Webcourse, the newest course offering from the CDFA Training Institute. The Intro Food Systems Finance WebCourse examines the development finance programs that sustain local food systems. The WebCourse will be held online this June 4-5 from 12:00-5:00pm (EDT) daily. For more details visit cdfa.net
FUNDING
Retirement Research Foundation Accepting Applications for Projects to Improve Lives of Aging Americans -DEADLINE: ROLLING
Grants will be awarded in support of local and national projects designed to improve the quality of life for older Americans....
Kress Foundation Invites Applications for Scholarly European Art Projects - DEADLINE: ROLLING
Grants ranging between $1,000 and $90,000 will support projects that enhance the appreciation and understanding of European art and architecture, from antiquity to the dawn of the modern era....
Chesapeake Bay Trust Accepting Applications for Green Streets Initiative -DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 14, 2014
Grants of up to $250,000 will be awarded for projects designed to enhance green spaces and improve stormwater management in communities located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed....
Wellmark Foundation Accepting Applications for Community-Based Health Projects - DEADLINE: VARIOUS (March 3, 2014 and May 20, 2014)
Grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations with initiatives related to childhood obesity prevention and community-based wellness in Iowa and South Dakota....
Taproot Foundation Offers Pro Bono Professional Services to Nonprofit Organizations -DEADLINE: QUARTERLY
Pro bono marketing, human resources, information technology, and strategy management consulting services valued at $45,000 or more will be awarded to qualified nonprofit organizations....
THE WALMART FOUNDATION STATE GIVING PROGRAM awards grants to nonprofit organizations at the state and regional level throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico for programs that give individuals access to a better life. Applications will be accepted in all four funding cycles for programs within the scope of one of these two Focused Giving areas: Career Opportunity or Hunger Relief and Nutrition. Organizations seeking funding for programs outside of the Focused Giving categories, and whose programs address the unmet needs of underserved low-income populations, can apply in cycles three and four only. Grants range from $25,000 to $250,000, with an average size of $40,000. Visit the Foundation’s website here to learn more about the State Giving Program.
THE SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO COMPANY is offering GRO1000 Grassroots Grants help foster the development of gardens and green spaces in the U.S. Grants of up to $1,500 are awarded to local communities throughout the country to help bring edible gardens, flower gardens, and public green spaces to more neighborhoods. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies. Deadline: 2/17/2014. Visit the company’s website here to review the application specifics and submit an application online.
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION is offering grants to Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) and nonprofits collaborating with an IHE through the College Assistance Migrant Program Grant. Deadline: 2/19/2014. Click here to read the NOFA for details.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE is offering grants to encourage governments and courts to treat sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking as serious violations of criminal law requiring the coordinated involvement of the entire criminal justice system as well as community-based victim service organizations. The application deadline is 2/19/2014. Click here to review the application guidelines.
THE DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION supports nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and libraries that offer literacy programs in communities served by Dollar General in 40 states. Currently the Foundation is accepting grant requests through the following programs: Adult Literacy Grants that support nonprofit organizations providing direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance; Family Literacy Grants supporting family literacy service providers that combine parent and youth literacy instruction; and Summer Reading Grants helping nonprofit organizations and libraries with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs for students who are new readers, below grade level readers, or readers with learning disabilities. Online applications for the three programs described above must be submitted by 2/27/2014. Visit the Foundation’s website here to access guidelines for each grant program.
THE STEELE-REESE FOUNDATION provides support to nonprofit organizations that serve rural communities in Idaho, Montana, and Appalachian Kentucky. Nonprofit organizations working in the areas of rural education, health, human/social services, the arts and humanities, and environmental conservation and historic preservation are eligible to apply. Grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 per year. Deadline: 3/1/2014. Visit the Foundation’s website here to learn more about the program areas and application guidelines.
THE NATIVE AMERICAN LIBRARY SERVICES BASIC GRANTS PROGRAM provides support to enhance existing library services or implement new library services. Supplemental Education/Assessment grants are also available for training, workshops, and consultations. Deadline: 3/3/2014. Click here to apply.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is offering funds to Indian Tribes to provide tribal and urban Indian communities with tools and resources to plan and design a holistic, community-based, coordinated system of care approach to support mental health and wellness for children, youth, and families. Deadline: 3/7/2014. Click here to review funding guidelines and to apply.
METLIFE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY-POLICE PARTNERSHIP AWARDS. The Community-Police Partnership Awards, sponsored by the MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), recognize innovative partnerships between community groups and police to promote neighborhood safety and revitalization. Five Neighborhood Revitalization Awards, ranging from $20,000 to $30,000, will celebrate exemplary collaboration between community groups and police that result in crime reduction as well as economic development outcomes such as real estate development, business attraction, and job growth. Five additional awards of $15,000 each will recognize exemplary collaboration between community and police partners who have achieved significant public safety outcomes in eight targeted categories. Deadline to apply: 3/9/2014. For more information, visit the website here.
BEN & JERRY'S FOUNDATION is offering grants of up to $20,000 to support nonprofit community-organizing groups in the United States working to further social and environmental justice and support sustainable and just-food systems. Deadline: 3/14/2014. Click here to visit the Foundation’s website.
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is offering grants to nonprofit organizations, consumer cooperatives, and tribally designated housing entities that can provide supportive services to very low-income Veteran families to assist with housing needs. Deadline: 3/14/2014. Click here to read the NOFA.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE is offering grants to states, local governments and Indian Tribes to increase the post-release employability of offenders in jobs and a variety of career fields, while offering mental health services. Deadline: 3/18/2014. Click here to review the application.
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is offering grants to community-based coalitions through its Drug Free Communities Support Program to establish and strengthen collaboration to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent youth substance use. Deadline: 3/24/2014. Click here to review application requirements.
MUTUAL OF AMERICA FOUNDATION is accepting applications for 2014 Community Partnership Awards. The annual $25,000 award recognizes outstanding contributions to society made by nonprofit organizations, in partnership with public, private, and other social sector organizations, to society. Deadline: 4/1/2014. Click here to visit the Foundation’s website.
USDA is offering funds to nonprofit and public agencies to increase the number and diversity of students who will complete a postsecondary degree in the food and agricultural sciences. Deadline: 4/10/2014. Click here to learn more about this funding.
DOL VETS Announces Availability of Stand Down Grants (FY 2014 – FY 2016); Outlines Application Process for Non-Competitive Grants
“Stand Down” is a military term referring to an opportunity to achieve a brief respite from combat. Troops assemble in a base camp to receive new clothing, hot food, and a relative degree of safety before returning to the front. Today more than 160 organizations across the country partner with local businesses, government agencies, tribal governments, community, and faith-based service providers to hold Stand Down events in local communities for homeless veterans and their families.
Stand Down funding is provided in the form of non-competitive grants that are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until available funding is exhausted. For the purpose of a Stand Down grant award, applicants must describe a plan that clearly demonstrates how grant funding will be used for homeless veterans only. While both veterans and non-veterans may participate in Stand Down events, grant funding can only be used to purchase items, to include food and meals, for homeless veteran participants. DOL/VETS describes the process for Fiscal Year 2014 Through 2016 Stand Down Grant Requests in a January 28, 2014 FEDERAL REGISTER notice.
Scholarship for Rural Students - The Blaze Wifi Rural Students Essay Contest is offering an opportunity to win $500 to help pay for college costs for current rural high school students who are planning to start college in Fall 2014 and for current college students who went to high school or grew up in a rural community.
The deadline to apply is May 30, 2014. Please share this information in your rural communities.
FEEDBACK REQUESTED
CDFI Fund is seeking public comment on the NMTC Program Allocation Application. In order to claim the New Markets Tax Credit, taxpayers make Qualified Equity Investments (QEIs) in Community Development Entities (CDEs) and substantially all of the QEI proceeds must, in turn, be used by the CDE to provide investments in businesses and real estate developments in low-income communities and for other purposes authorized under the statute. The application under review is part of the award selection process for the allocation of tax credit authority to CDEs. Comments are due by March 17, 2014. For details, click here.
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