Webinar: Everything You Need to Know to Apply for the Promise Neighborhoods Grant
Thursday, May 17 at 3PM EST

MEDA's director of development, Jillian Spindle will share MEDA’s approach, knowledge and lessons learned on navigating the application process via a webinar on Thursday, May 17 at 3PM EST.

The Promise Neighborhoods initiative of the Department of Education is a funding opportunity that allows communities to come together to build a cradle- to college- to career continuum of services that improve outcomes for children, youth and families in a neighborhood or particular geographic area. This model is based on the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City. The Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) successfully received a $500,000 planning grant in December 2011 to develop an implementation plan to build the Mission Promise Neighborhood in San Francisco. For 2012, the Department of Education’s budget has been doubled over 2011, with $60 Million available through this program that can greatly impact outcomes for the Latino families we serve. This webinar will share our approach, knowledge and lessons learned on how to navigate the application process, begin pre-planning for a Promise Neighborhood in your community, develop appropriate partnerships, and help more NALCAB member organizations successfully apply for and receive a planning grant in 2012.

More about Promise Neighborhoods:

The Promise Neighborhoods program aims to address significant challenges faced by students and families living in high-poverty communities by providing resources to plan and implement a continuum of services from early learning to college and career. Plans include a range of services from improving a neighborhood’s health, safety, and stability to expanding access to learning technology and Internet connectivity, and boosting family engagement in student learning.

Please confirm your participation by Tuesday, May 15 to jcarter@nalcab.org. You will receive log in information the day before the webinar. Click here for information about the webinar and Promise Neighborhoods Grant program.

IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Grant Program
May 1-31, 2012

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Grant Program is an IRS initiative designed to promote and support free tax preparation service for the underserved, low-income populations. These include the elderly, disabled, limited-English-speaking, non-urban, and Native American taxpayers.

Application instruction packages are now available on IRS.gov for the 2013 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly grant programs.  The application period extends from May 1 through May 31, 2012.

Interested parties may obtain an electronic copy of the following publications from the “Forms and Pubs” section of IRS.gov and entering either 1101 or 4671 in the “Find” box:   

• Publication 1101,TCE Program Application Package and Guidelines for Managing a TCE Program
• Publication 4671, VITA Grant Program Overview and Application Instructions

Although these publications are available now and provide information on how to complete the application, interested applicants must wait until the announcements post on Grants.gov on May 1 to download the appropriate application. 

The Grant Program Office will host a conference call to review the application process on May 8 and May 9.  Please plan to review the publication for the grant you are interested in prior to the conference call and formulate any questions not answered by the publication.  A question and answer session is scheduled at the end of each call.  Material presented each day will be the same so plan to attend only one session by dialing in using the following information.

Time:  1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EDT
Toll-free Number:  (888) 285-4585
Participant Code:  162701

A slide presentation will be posted on the VITA Grant Program and Tax Counseling for the Elderlywebpage on irs.gov by Friday, May 4, 2012, under the “What’s Happening” section.  Please plan to download a copy of the presentation to view during the discussion.  Within a week after the call, a script of the presentation will also be posted.

Registration is not required; however, lines are limited to 200 callers each session.  For organizations planning to have more than one individual attend, please share a line.  Access to the call begins 5 minutes before the scheduled start time.  

Enterprise Community Partners Announces New Affordable Housing Pre-Development Design Grant Pilot Program

With the goal of bringing innovative design to the affordable housing sector, Enterprise Community Partners' National Design Initiatives is launching a Pre-Development Design Grant Pilot Program to help fund exploration of design during the early stages of affordable housing development projects. The new program is intended to precede and complement Enterprise's Green Communities Charrette Grant.

Five grants of $20,000 will be awarded to help developers and architects provide quality affordable housing that strengthens the social and physical fabric of low- to mid-income communities and neighborhoods.

Applications will be accepted and selected on a rolling basis. Deadline for the first round of applications is May 15, 2012. Applicants will be notified three to four weeks after the deadline.

Click here for more information.

$10 Million Available to Promote Farmers Markets
Application Deadline May 21, 2012

The Farmers Market Promotion Program under the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Services has approximately $10 million available for farmers markets, community supported agricultural initiatives and road-side stands.
 
Projects that expand healthy food choices in food deserts or low-income areas (where the percentage of the population living in poverty is 20 percent or above) will receive additional consideration. USDA, in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services, seeks to increase access to fresh, healthy and affordable food choices for all Americans, while expanding market opportunities for farmers and ranchers.

The grants will to increase the availability of local agricultural products in communities throughout the country with hopes of strengthening farmer-to-consumer marketing efforts.

Agricultural cooperatives, producer networks, producer associations, local governments, nonprofit corporations, public benefit corporations, economic development corporations, regional farmers’ market authorities and Tribal governments are among those eligible to apply. The maximum amount awarded for any one proposal cannot exceed $100,000.
 
The application deadline is May 21, 2012. Click here for more information on this grant opportunity.

USDA Announces $3 Million Funding Pool To Provide Technical Assistance to Agricultural Producers
Application Deadline July 24, 2012

Are you seeking funding to provide technical assistance to agricultural producers? The Rural Business-Cooperative Service under the U.S. Department Agriculture (USDA) has made available $3 million for the Small Socially-Disadvantaged Producer Grant (SSDPG) program.
 
The primary objective of SSDPG is to provide technical assistance, such as market research; product and/or service improvement/ legal advice and assistance; feasibility study, business plan, and marketing plan development; and training to small, socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers through eligible cooperatives and cooperative development centers.

The maximum award amount per grant is $175,000.

Application Deadline is July 24, 2012.

Click here for more information.