Community garden grant due soon!

THE SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO COMPANY AND THE COLUMBUS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN

ScottsMiracle-Gro program enters its eighth year of funding support for community gardens
COLUMBUS, Ohio (September 21, 2009)—The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and The Columbus Foundation today announce grant opportunities available through The Scotts Miracle-Gro Community Garden Academy for neighborhoods developing and maintaining community gardens in Franklin County. Grants of up to $4,000 are available for qualified projects in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Contributions will be made in part by in-kind gifts from The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company established The Scotts Miracle-Gro Community Garden Academy in 2002 through The Columbus Foundation to support a variety of community garden projects in central Ohio. The Academy promotes a “brown to green” concept that creates an oasis and communal gathering place for neighborhoods. “The community gardening movement continues to grow across the United States, enhancing our environment, and uniting communities,” said Rich Shank, chief environmental officer, ScottsMiracle-Gro. “ScottsMiracle-Gro is proud to support the creation of community gardens throughout central Ohio.” Applicants may request support for community gardens or nontraditional gardens, including farmers’ markets, school gardens, artistic gardens, and beautification efforts in the form of a garden. Funding is available to new and existing gardens; grants awarded may include in-kind support. Successful garden projects should involve neighborhood residents, demonstrate positive measurable outcomes, and meet stated objectives. Applicants are required to be a 501(c)(3) organization or have a fiscal agent to receive funds. Click to download the garden application or please visit www.columbusfoundation.org, search keyword—Specialized Grants. Garden applications must be submitted electronically to submit@columbusfoundation.org by Friday, October 16, 2009, 11:59 p.m.
For additional grant information, visit our Grants Opportunities section at www.columbusfoundation.org. Questions, please contact Lisa Courtice at lcourtice@columbusfoundation.org or 614/251-4000.

I have talked to Joe Neidhart at Straders Garden Center and they are finally able to give away spring flowering bulbs to community groups. Here are the procedures to get them. They are compiled and only available at the Riverside Drive garden center.You must take your tax ID number with you to show you are a non profit.You just have to get what they are giving away. They have lots! Let them know you are working with the Growing to Green program of the Franklin Park Conservatory and you got the word through Bill Dawson and Joe Neidhart (Straders).Thank them when you pick up (and maybe a follow up letter later or in the spring when they bloom)I know this is a little later than usual, but I do hope you are able to take advantage of the free bulbs. I am sure that we will have an opportunity to get them in the ground before a solid freeze.

Green America Awards

I know of many Columbus Community Gardens that would qualify for this award. Who will be the first to apply? Bill

Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards
We are pleased to introduce the inaugural Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards. These awards will be presented annually to groups and organizations that are making a difference in their communities. We are looking for community groups who are committed to improving their local environment by planting trees, bushes and shrubs to make their communities a better place to live.
What types of community improvement projects qualify?The award winners will be chosen from those groups who submit a local environment community project that makes best use of the trees, bushes and shrubs that Nature Hills Nursery will award.
Examples of potential Nature Hills Nursery Green America Award winning projects could be:
- A local soil erosion control plan that utilizes plants to stabilize steep hillside slopes or river banks.
- The reclamation of an abandoned lot where a house or factory once stood with the creation of a fruit orchard that will provide much needed fruit to nearby low-income residents.
- Creating or refurbishing the landscape in a community park.
- Creating a wildlife habitat for birds or animals on donated land that is (or has been) abandoned or neglected.
Our goal is to help communities reclaim land, turning eyesores into oases. We want to help dedicated invididuals, groups and organizations make their local communities better by providing a living gift of trees and plants that not only clean the air but also provide respite and a natural retreat. With each reclamation, wildlife and beauty can once again flourish.
Why did we create the Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards?Nature Hills Nursery has been fortunate to prosper from growing and selling plants. All of our plant production is carefully managed so the soils we depend upon are not depleted of their resources, ensuring a healthy soil environment for continued plant growth. We feel it is time to give back a portion of the plants we produce annually to projects that will help reduce carbon dioxide and beautify communities.
Submit your application for the Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards
Award DetailsNature Hills Nursery will donate $5,000.00 of plant materials annually to the earth friendly award-winning projects. Awards will be presented to a Grand Prize winner in the amount of $2,500.00 of plant materials. First place winner will receive $1,500 in plant materials and the Second Place winner $1000.00 in plant materials. The plant materials can contain trees, fruit trees, bushes and shrubs, perennials and vegetable seeds.
Grand Prize - $2,500 of plant materials (Example 25 perennials, 45 small fruit bushes, 50 shrubs, 15 fruit trees, 15 trees)
First Place - $1,500 of plant materials
Second Place - $1,000 of plant material
Application Dates: October 15, 2008 – April 1, 2009
Winners announced April 17, 2009
Awards will be issued to each winner in the form of a gift certificate which can be redeemed for plant materials from Nature Hills Nursery. It is our hope that, by providing plants, we can help these winners create places of beauty and nature in their local communities.
Eligibility Requirements:
· Eligible submissions will be accepted from charitable or educational organizations that operate as a non profit entity
· Awards must be used by the winning organization to complete their project plan and cannot be sold or used in any way other than for the project described in the application submitted by the organization.
Submit your application for the Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards

Youth Grants and Funding Opportunities!

Please check out these funding opportunities for youth, arts, education, nutrition, etc. Note that some are due very soon.
Bill

Youth Today’s Grants E-Blast
Week of Oct. 27, 2008
© 2008 Youth Today
Compiled by Erika Fitzpatrick



(Subscribers: Login to Youth Today Online to search and sort all available grants, including notices with rolling deadlines, which are not listed here.)


Featured Grant

*Grant: Arts Connect All – To encourage arts organizations to create or enhance multi-session, inclusive education programs for youth with disabilities by strengthening partnerships with local public schools.
Funder: VSA arts and MetLife Foundation.
Eligibility: Nonprofit performing and/or exhibiting arts organizations – such as museums, theaters and multidisciplinary arts presenters – that are creating or have an established educational program.
Deadline: Dec. 12.
Amount: Up to 10 awards of up to $15,000.
Contact: www.vsarts.org/x273.xml.

Advocacy

*Grant: 2009 National CASA Awards of Excellence – To recognize the work of child advocates, program directors, judges, board members and Court-Appointed Special Advocates/Guardians Ad Litem (CASA/GAL) programs excelling in diversity and inclusion efforts.
Funder: National CASA.
Eligibility: Nominations of outstanding judges, board members or volunteers in CASA/GAL programs are invited.
Deadline: Nov. 30.
Amount: Complimentary conference registration, travel and hotel expenses, as well as $1,500 toward honorees’ programs.
Contact: www.casanet.org/conference/excellence.htm.

Arts

Grant: NAMM Foundation Grants – Music education and research grants are available through programs that include the Disney Music in You Grant Program; Sounds of Learning: The Impact of Music Education; and Sounds of Living: The Impact of Music Across the Life Span.
Funder: NAMM Foundation.
Eligibility: Public middle and high schools, and music education and research programs.
Deadline: Disney Music in You – Dec. 15; all others, Dec. 1.
Amount: Grants average $20,000 to $40,000.
Contact: www.music-research.org/Grants/guidelines.html.

Grant: Media That Matters – A showcase for short films with big messages, including youth-produced projects.
Funder: Art Engine.
Eligibility: Individual filmmakers and community/youth media centers.
Deadline: Jan. 9, 2009.
Amount: $1,000 per film.
Contact: www.mediathatmattersfest.org/submit.

Child Welfare

Grant: Brookdale Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) – To develop or expand services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting when the biological parents cannot.
Funder: Brookdale Foundation.
Eligibility: Nonprofits.
Deadline: Dec. 4.
Amount: Each of 30 selected organizations will receive a two-year mini-grant of $10,000.
Contact: www.brookdalefoundation.org/RAPPrfpdownloads.htm.

Civic Engagement

Grant: To promote understanding of environmental issues among youth.
Funder: Captain Planet Foundation.
Eligibility: Nonprofits.
Deadline: Dec. 31.
Amount: $250 to $2,500.
Contact: www.captainplanetfoundation.org/default.aspx?pid=3&tab=apply.

Grant: We the People Challenge Grants in U.S. History, Institutions and Culture – To support humanities activities that examine American history through the lens of the nation’s founding principles.
Funder: U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities.
Eligibility: States, special district and tribal governments, institutions of higher education and other nonprofits.
Deadline: Feb. 3, 2009.
Amount: Up to $1 million.
Contact: www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/wtpchallenge.html#awardinfo.

Grant: Lexus Eco Challenge #2: Water Works – To encourage school environmental projects affecting local communities in the areas of water conservation, shrinking wetlands and habitats, and threats to oceans and waterways.
Funder: Scholastic, Inc.
Eligibility: Teams of elementary and high schools students and teacher advisers.
Deadline: Dec. 12.
Amount: 16 teams will receive $10,000 each.
Contact: www.scholastic.com/lexus/waterchallenge_welcome.asp#details.

Grant: AmeriCorps 2009 State and National Grants – To improve lives, strengthen communities and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. Priorities in 2009 are mobilizing more volunteers, ensuring a brighter future for America’s youth, engaging students in communities, harnessing baby boomers’ experience, and helping communities recover from and prepare for disasters.
Funder: U.S. Corporation for National and Community Service.
Eligibility: Organizations that work in just one state apply through state commissions. Organizations that work in more than one state may apply for national grants. Indian Tribes may apply through state commissions, or directly to the corporation. (Check notice for complete eligibility rules.)
Deadline: Jan. 13, 2009.
Amount: Nearly $69 million is available under the various program categories.
Contact: www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/08_0531_nofa_ac.pdf.

Grant: Increase Your Green – For student-led projects to reduce the carbon footprint of schools.
Funder: Do Something.
Eligibility: Middle and high schoolers.
Deadline: The competition started Oct. 13; see website for details.
Amount: $1,500 for first prize and $500 for three second-place prizes.
Contact: www.dosomething.org/increase_your_green.

Grant: Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education (SFE) Fund – For schools and nature centers to plant and maintain natural landscapes.
Funder: Wild Ones.
Eligibility: Schools, nature centers and nonprofit places of learning, including houses of worship.
Deadline: Nov. 15.
Amount: $100 to $500.
Contact: www.for-wild.org/sfecvr.html.

Education

Grant: No School Left Behind Software – Awards of a perpetual license to VIP Tone’s School MATRIX software product, designed to enable educators to manage information on student standards, curriculum and progress.
Funder: VIP Tone.
Eligibility: Any public U.S. school district with total student enrollment of 1,000 or fewer students.
Deadline: Jan. 16, 2009.
Amount: The list price of the license is $18,000.
Contact: www.viptone.com/NSLB.htm.

Grant: Educator grants – To promote aerospace education activities in classrooms from kindergarten through grade 12.
Funder: Air Force Association.
Eligibility: Schools.
Deadline: Nov. 14.
Amount: Up to $250.
Contact: www.afa.org/aef/aid/educator.asp.

Grant: Love Your Veggies – To increase access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in elementary schools.
Funder: Hidden Valley Salad Dressings.
Eligibility: Elementary schools.
Deadline: Nov. 7.
Amount: 10 grants of $15,000 each.
Contact: www.loveyourveggiesgrants.org.

Grant: Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowships – To support the artistic revitalization of outstanding arts teachers in public arts high schools.
Funder: The Surdna Foundation.
Eligibility: All permanently assigned full- and part-time arts faculty in public arts high schools.
Deadline: Nov. 14.
Amount: 20 awards of up to $5,500 each, with a complementary grant of $1,500 to the fellow’s school to support post-fellowship activities.
Contact: www.surdna.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=697830.

Health

*Grant: Olympus Innovation Awards – For innovation in education.
Funder: National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA).
Eligibility: Faculty nominees from NCIIA member institutions.
Deadline: Nov. 21.
Amount: Winners receive awards ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
Contact: www.nciia.org/olympus/index.html.

*Grant: Healthy Start Initiative – To eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in perinatal health indicators.
Funder: U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
Eligibility: Public and private nonprofits.
Deadline: Dec. 5.
Amount: Nearly $80 million for 74 awards.
Contact: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=43140.

Grant: Coverage Ideas From the Field – For applicant-initiated projects related to national health reform.
Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Eligibility: Public or private nonprofits.
Deadline: Dec. 2.
Amount: $2 million for grants of up to $400,000 each.
Contact: www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20541.

Grant: For human nutrition in the areas of health, education, training and research.
Funder: Allen Foundation.
Eligibility: Nonprofits.
Deadline: Dec. 31.
Amount: Ranges from $2,000 to around $75,000.
Contact: https://www.allenfoundation.org/commoninfo/aboutus.asp.

Grant: Child Mental Health – To support integrated home- and community-based services for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families.
Funder: U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Eligibility: Public entities.
Deadline: Jan. 15.
Amount: 17 grants of up to $1 million.
Contact: http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/2009/sm_09_002.aspx.

Grant: Emergency Medical Services for Children – To solidify the integration of a pediatric focus within state emergency medical services (EMS) systems.
Funder: U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
Eligibility: State EMS agencies.
Deadline: Dec. 2.
Amount: 47 grants of up to $140,000 each.
Contact: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42959.

Grant: New Connections: Increasing Diversity of RWJF Programming – To expand the diversity of perspectives that inform the foundation’s programming, introduce new researchers and scholars to the foundation, and help meet staff needs for data analysis.
Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Eligibility: Scholars from historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities who have received their doctorate within the last seven years.
Deadline: Brief proposals, Nov. 13; full proposals, March 12.
Amount: 12 two-year grants of up to $75,000.
Contact: www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20425.

Grant: Community Health Leaders – To honor 10 outstanding and otherwise unrecognized individuals who overcame dramatic odds to improve health and health care, especially to underserved populations.
Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Eligibility: Public or nonprofit organization.
Deadline: Nov 7.
Amount: Ten awards of $125,000 each.
Contact: www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20422.

Grant: Campus suicide prevention – To facilitate a comprehensive approach to preventing suicide in institutions of higher education.
Funder: U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Eligibility: Institutions of higher education.
Deadline: Nov. 25.
Amount: $2.1 million for 21 awards of up to $100,000.
Contact: www.samhsa.gov/grants/2009/sm_09_001.aspx.

Life Skills

Grant: “Go-Brennan” Scholarships – For scholarships for training in the trades.
Funder: Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Foundation.
Eligibility: Youth headed to a two-year trade school.
Deadline: Nov. 9.
Amount: 25 $500 scholarships.
Contact: www.fma-foundation.org.

Grant: YouthBuild Grants – To provide opportunities for disadvantaged youth in education, employment and community engagement.
Funder: U.S. Department of Labor.
Eligibility: Nonprofits.
Deadline: Jan. 15.
Amount: $47 million for three-year grants of $700,000 to $1.1 million.
Contact: www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm#youthbuild.

Grant: Community-based Job Training – To support workforce training for high-growth/high-demand industries through the national community and technical college system.
Funder: U.S. Department of Labor.
Eligibility: Community and technical colleges, community college districts, state community college systems, and one-stop career centers.
Deadline: 45 days after the Oct. 10 publication date.
Amount: $500,000 to $2 million.
Contact: www.doleta.gov/business/Community-BasedJobTrainingGrants.cfm.

Grant: Young Parents Demonstration – To provide educational and occupational skills training to young parents, especially those in high-risk categories.
Funder: U.S. Department of Labor.
Eligibility: Nonprofits.
Deadline: Nov. 17.
Amount: $5 million for grants of $500,000 to $1 million.
Contact: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-23319.htm.

Media/Technology

*Grant: Public Telecommunications Facilities – To plan and construct public telecommunications facilities that extend delivery of services to as many citizens as possible.
Funder: U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Eligibility: Public or noncommercial educational broadcast stations, telecommunications entities, educational or cultural nonprofits, and governments.
Deadline: Dec. 18.
Amount: Up to $10 million is available for grants of more than $10,000 each.
Contact: www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp.

Recreation

Grant: Stonyfield KaBOOM! Double Play – To fund a volunteer project to build or improve a playground, skate park, basketball court, sports field or similar play space.
Funder: Stonyfield Farm.
Eligibility: Schools and youth organizations.
Deadline: Dec. 31.
Amount: One $50,000 grant.
Contact: www.stonyfield.com/kaboom/rules.cfm.

Grant: NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program – For upgrading existing facilities that are in poor condition or otherwise underutilized; partnerships with parks, recreational departments and YMCAs that promote youth and community programming are encouraged, among other types of projects.
Funder: National Football League Youth Football Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corp.
Eligibility: Nonprofit community-based organizations.
Deadline: Dec. 15.
Amount: Up to $200,000 each.
Contact: www.lisc.org/docs/2008_nfl_grassroots_rfp.pdf.

Grant: Responsible Sports Community – To defray the costs of youth sport programming.
Funder: Liberty Mutual.
Eligibility: Nonprofit youth sports organizations or school sports programs that are registered with Responsible Sports.
Deadline: Nov. 30.
Amount: $2,500 each to 20 organizations.
Contact: http://responsiblesports.com/community_grants/community_grant_details.aspx.

Research

Grant: Foundation for Child Development Young Scholars – To stimulate both basic and policy-relevant research about the early education, health and well-being of children living in immigrant families from birth to age 10, particularly those who are living in low-income families, and to support young investigators from the behavioral and social sciences or in an allied professional field.
Funder: Foundation for Child Development.
Eligibility: Researchers who have earned their doctoral degrees within the last 15 years.
Deadline: Nov. 5.
Amount: Three to four fellows receive up to $150,000 each to use over one to three years.
Contact: www.fcd-us.org/programs/programs_show.htm?doc_id=447982.

Safety

Grant: Prisoner re-entry services – For post-release services primarily to the prisoners receiving pre-release services under an existing re-entry grant program.
Funder: U.S. Departments of Labor and Justice.
Eligibility: Faith-based and community organizations working in selected jurisdictions – listed in the notice – that have received prisoner re-entry grants.
Deadline: 60 days after the Sept. 5 publication of the notice.
Amount: Up to $300,000 each.
Contact: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-20570.htm.

Substance Abuse

Grant: Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grants (SPF SIGs) – To help state governments organize programs for and fund substance abuse prevention.
Funder: U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Eligibility: Chief executives of states, District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
Deadline: Nov. 7.
Amount: $38.1 million.
Contact: http://samhsa.gov/grants/2009/sp_09_001.aspx.

Youth Development

Grant: Developmental and Learning Sciences – Fundamental research that increases understanding of youths’ cognitive, linguistic, social, cultural and biological processes related to development and learning.
Funder: National Science Foundation.
Eligibility: Researchers may apply for individual investigator or workshops/small conference projects.
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2009.
Amount: Up to $100,000 per year for investigators and $15,000 for workshops/small conference projects.
Contact: www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=8671.

Grant: Palm Foundation grants – For projects related to the education of youth at risk.
Funder: Palm Foundation.
Eligibility: Nonprofits.
Deadline: Dec. 1.
Amount: $1,000 to $25,000.
Contact: www.palm.com/us/company/corporate/foundation/cash_grants.html.

Grant: Community Action Grants – For innovative programs or non-degree research projects that promote education and equity for women and girls.
Funder: American Association of University Women.
Eligibility: Individuals, AAUW branches, AAUW state organizations and community-based nonprofits.
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2009.
Amount: $5,000 to $10,000 each.
Contact: www.aauw.org/education/fga/fellowships_grants/community_action.cfm.

Grant: Shared Site Best Practice – To raise the profile of intergenerational shared site programs (where children, youth and older adults receive services at the same facility or on the same campus) and to encourage new models.
Funder: Generations United and MetLife Foundation.
Eligibility: Nonprofit shared site programs.
Deadline: Nov. 14.
Amount: Up to five shared site programs will receive $2,500.
Contact: www.gu.org/Curre6271219.asp.

Cash Cash Cash

Hopefully all of you community gardeners in Columbus were able to submit your grant application to the Columbus Foundation on time. I have mine in for the Sycamore Hills Community Garden, so wish me luck!

In the meantime, if you are looking for additional resources for your garden funding, or are outside of the Columbus, OH area, make sure to check out Fiskar's "Project Orange Thumb" and Aveeno "Seeds of Natural Beauty" contest. Click on the title of this posting for the Aveeno contest rules.