Disney Friends for Change Grants (Deadline: July 15)

Disney's Friends for Change grants encourage kids everywhere to take steps together with their friends to help the planet. YSA will award 75 $500 grants to youth-led service initiatives around the world that demonstrate youth leadership and the commitment to making a positive impact on the environment. Eligible applicants will be asked to implement their projects between September and November and to connect their projects to International Coastal Cleanup Day, National Public Lands Day (both September 25), or other environmentally-focused days of service.. Disney Friends for Change Grants are open to schools, organizations, and individuals planning service projects. Applications submitted by younger children aged 5-14 are especially welcome. The goal of the grant is to inspire children to join their friends and families, schools, and communities to address critical environmental needs as "friends for change" at the local, national, and/or global levels. Grant applications are due Thursday, July 15, 2010. Learn more at: www.ysa.org/grants/announcements/friendsforchange2010

Thanks to the Portage County Alliance for Youth for sharing this announcement!

Healthy Living Grant for nutrition/fitness project

Here is a funding opportunity for a nutrition/fitness project/activity.  Only eligible for small non-profits with budgets of less than $500,000 that are working with at-risk kids 2-21.

Thanks to Candy Markman for sharing this opportunity!

Youth Civic Engagement Grant - Notice of Funding Opportunity

From the Volunteer Tennessee newsletter:


Volunteer Tennessee announces the availability of approximately $75,000 in new grant funding for Youth Civic Engagement programs. Public and private non-profit, governmental and faith-based agencies are eligible to apply.


Funded Youth Civic Engagement Grant programs, subject to 50% non-federal cash or in-kind match, will assist in implementing the state service plan, recruiting of volunteers for service-learning projects, and the developing of projects, training and technical assistance for national and community service. Volunteer Tennessee calls for proposals from non-profits and local and state government agencies that will use service-learning to carry out these responsibilities in local communities in Tennessee.


Jim Snell, executive director of Volunteer Tennessee, explained that local agencies committed to using service-learning to meet community needs are encouraged to apply.


“Service-learning is a fantastic way to maximize an agency’s ability to provide needed services to others,” Snell said. “By engaging youth in problem solving in communities across the state, programs will be able to meet some of our most challenging issues in innovative ways.”


To view the Youth Civic Engagement Grant Notice of Funding Availability and Application Instructions, please visit www.volunteertennessee.net.

My Idea grants program

With nearly one in three students not finishing high school on time, America’s Promise Alliance (the Alliance) and AT&T are looking for the energy, enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to help make this country a Grad Nation through the My Idea grants program. “My Idea,” will empower high school-aged young people to examine the dropout crisis and take action to help more of their peers to graduate on time.


National grants of $10,000-$20,000 will be awarded to 20 – 25 youth for the best ideas submitted to help increase their community’s graduation rate. Additional opportunities are available for young people living in Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Jackson, Louisville, Nashville, New York, New Orleans, Oakland, and Washington, D.C with grants of $500-$1500 to support targeted local projects.

Help a young person, or group of young people, make a lasting difference in their community by forwarding this email to your affiliates and ask that they help spread the word. Other promotional materials (template newsletter articles, email templates, etc.) can be accessed by clicking this link.

The application and more information is available at http:// www.americaspromise.org/myideagrants.

Deadline: June 11, 2010.

Habitat for Humanity State Farm Service-Learning Partnership Grants

Service-Learning Partnership grants provide funds for teachers and schools to develop and implement service-learning projects in partnership with their local Habitat affiliate. For the 2010-2011 school year, teachers and local Habitat affiliates can jointly apply for a one-year grant to cover educational expenses associated with the service-learning project. Maximum Grant: $7,000. Deadline: May 15, 2010. http://www.habitat.org/youthprograms/parent_teacher_leader/grants.aspx

Thanks to Melia for sharing this grant opportunity with us!

The Pepsi Refresh Everything Project is currently offering grants to individuals and organizations with innovative project ideas.

Character Counts shared this ideas for potential projects:
Service learning projects for your students with workshops on integrating character and service
Programs to address issues like bullying and cheating
Parent nights and workshops to help parents instill values at home
Sportsmanship initiatives to improve the behavior of athletes, coaches, and spectators

Grant details:
At the beginning of each month, Pepsi will review the first 1,000 applications they receive. The next application cycle will open on March 1. You can visit the Refresh Everything website now to begin reviewing the information and preparing your application. Pepsi expects lots of applications each month, so get started right away to make sure your application is submitted in time. Applications can only be completed and submitted online.

Grants will be awarded based on an online voting period. Grant applications submitted in January are up for voting this month. If you submit your grant in March, you can vote for your application in April. This is a great opportunity to get your community involved in supporting your project!

Grant awards vary in size depending on the project and your organization. Each month, up to $1.3 million will be awarded as follows: two grants at the $250,000 level; 10 grants at the $50,000 level; 10 grants at the $25,000 level; and 10 grants at the $5,000 level.
For details, visit http://www.refresheverything.com. Specific questions about the grant can be directed to Young America at 1-800-768-2784 or PepsiRefresh@young-america.com.

Thanks to Character Counts for sharing this info!

The Grantsmanship Center's signature Grantsmanship Training Program

is coming to Nashville, Tennessee, August 23-27, 2010.
The YMCA of Middle Tennessee is proud to co-host the program with Tennessee’s Community Assistance Corporation.

About the training
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The Grantsmanship Training Program is a comprehensive, hands-on workshop that covers the complete grant development process, from researching funding sources to writing and reviewing grant proposals. More than 115,000 nonprofit and government personnel have attended this fast-paced, five-day workshop, which is followed with a full year of membership support services.



What will you learn
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During the workshop, participants learn The Grantsmanship Center's proposal-writing format, the most widely used in the world. In addition to practicing advanced techniques for pursuing government, foundation, and corporate grants, participants work in small teams to develop and then review real grant proposals.

Participants exit the class equipped with new skills, new professional connections, and follow-up services for one year, including a professional proposal review, access to The Grantsmanship Center's exclusive online funding databases, and an array of other benefits. Many also leave with proposals that are ready to polish and submit.



How to attend
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Tuition for the Grantsmanship Training Program is $895 ($845 for each additional registrant from the same organization).

To ensure personalized attention, class size is limited to 30 participants. For more information, click here. To register online or to learn about scholarship opportunities for qualifying organizations, click here. Or call The Grantsmanship Center's Registrar at (800) 421-9512 (outside California); (213) 482-9860 (within California).

Do Something Awards - For youth-led initiatives that have a pivotal impact in their communities. Four young people will receive $10,000 and one grand prize winner will receive $100,000 toward their organization or cause. Deadline: Dec. 15. www.dosomething.org/programs/awards. (From the HCHY listserve)

Youth Garden Grants

The National Gardening Association (NGA) awards Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs. Home Depot will join with the NGA to sponsor 100 Youth Garden Grants for 2010. Five (5) programs will receive $1000 in gifts cards: $500 to Home Depot and $500 to the Gardening with Kids catalog and educational materials from NGA. Ninety-Five (95) programs will receive a $500 gift card to Home Depot and educational materials from NGA . Deadline is November 2, 2009. See http://assoc.garden.org/grants/ for more info.

Thanks to Kids Care Club for telling us about this opportunity!

CAD and Volunteer Tennessee Receive National Service-Learning Grant Funding!

Breaking News from the Volunteer Tennessee Newsletter. This is one of the big projects that the YMCA Center for Asset Development will be working on for 2009-2011. We are very excited!

Volunteer Tennessee has received a new Learn and Serve America Community-Based grant totaling $586,996 from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Only eight agencies across the nation received funding from this competition this year.

The purpose of the Learn and Serve Community-Based grants is to involve youth, ages 5-17, in service to their communities through organized, structured programs that take place during the non-school hours. Through these programs, youth meet real needs in their communities while also participating in learning activities designed to enhance their social, civic, and/or academic skills.

Volunteer Tennessee's proposal focuses on mobilizing three of Tennessee's largest youth organizations -- BRIDGES-PeaceJam, 4-H and YMCA (through the Y-CAP programs) -- to engage thousands of students in out-of-school service programs during spring, summer, fall and winter breaks. By identifying local needs and assets, students participate in relevant and engaging service-learning projects that are valuable to the community. Middle and high school-aged students will lead younger youth in their service projects, with the goal of extending these initiatives to all partner affiliates across Tennessee through curriculum frameworks developed by the Center for Asset Development.

Volunteer Tennessee's service-learning team is ecstatic about the new funding. Meredith Freeman, Deputy Director for Service-Learning, says the new funding will help further the long-term goals of keeping students engaged when they are not typically in school. "This grant is a real win for service-learning in Tennessee," she said. "Through key partnerships with such amazing organizations, we'll be able to reach students throughout the year when they're isolated and harder to reach. The program will build on students' academic momentum and help them stay connected to the community in a healthy, productive way."

Money for Service-Learning in TN School Districts

New Learn and Serve Funding Available
Deadline to Apply: June 30, 2009

New 2009-2012 school-based Learn and Serve funding is available from the Department of Education and Volunteer Tennessee. All Tennessee public school districts are eligible to apply. The deadline to submit applications is June 30, 2009. Please download the Request for Proposals (RFP) here.

For questions or additional information, please contact Meredith Freeman, Volunteer Tennessee Deputy Director, at meredith.freeman@tn.gov.

Money for Youth Development Professionals and Teachers

Here's a great list of grants published by Volunteer Tennessee:

Support for Community Pedestrian Safety Groups
(Deadline: May 29)

The University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC) has been awarded a Cooperative Agreement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to pilot test a new guidebook entitled, "A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities." HSRC is seeking up to ten communities or neighborhoods interested in making their environment safe for pedestrians and walkable to pilot test the Resident's Guide. Each selected site will receive $2,000 for its participation, as well as technical assistance from pedestrian safety experts. Visit www.walkinginfo.org/res_guide/index.cfm.


Target Early Childhood Reading Grants
(Deadline: May 31)

Reading grants are awarded to schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations, supporting programs such as weekend book clubs and after-school reading programs that foster a love of reading and encourage children from birth through age 9 to read together with their families. Visit http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031821.


Do Something Grants
(Deadline: Ongoing)

Did you recently create a sustainable community action project, program or organization or have a great idea for helping your community? Do you need $500 to further the growth and success of your program or turn your idea into reality? Are you age 25 or under? If you answered, "YES!", you are eligible to apply for a Do Something Grant. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and stay active for consideration for two months after submission. Visit www.dosomething.org/grants.

Girls Helping Girls College Scholarship Art Contest
(Deadline: May 13)
Girls Helping Girls' Fund-for-Respect Program is organizing a "Mirror, Mirror" art and multimedia contest to empower girls to redefine "real beauty" and widen their perspectives on beauty. Girls aged 11-19 can submit a visual, literature, or video piece responding to the question, "Who is the most beautiful woman to you?" All entries must fall into the categories of literature (poem, short essay, song, etc.), visual art (painting, sketch, photography, etc.) or video, and must be received by May 13. The winners in each of the three categories will receive a $500 scholarship and publicity. Visit www.sisters4peace.net/blog/sejal/win-college-scholarship-entering-our-art-contest.

mtvU Grants
(Deadline: Weekly Throughout School Year)
The Every week throughout the school year, mtvU in partnership with Youth Venture will help fund a new student-run community service organization, or a new project being undertaken by an existing organization. If you've got an original idea about how to make the world--or your campus--a better place, mtvU Grants can help you make it happen. Are you interested in launching your own organization to address issues like global warming, literacy, health issues, civic participation, community and social problems - any problem you can identify mtvU grants can get you started to help find a solution. Visit www.genv.net/mtvU.

Mix It Up Grants Program
(Deadline: Ongoing)
Have a great idea about how to challenge social boundaries and bring down the walls that divide your school? We want to help, and, to prove it, we offer $500 grants to support youth-directed programs and projects that address social boundaries in schools or communities. The Mix It Up Grants Program funds small-scale, youth-directed activist projects that focus on identifying, crossing and challenging social boundaries in schools and communities. Learn more: Visit www.tolerance.org/teens/grants.jsp.



Office Depot Foundation Grants
(Deadline: April 30)
The Office Depot Foundation supports local nonprofit organizations that make a positive impact on the quality of life in company communities around the world. The Foundation provides grants through the following funding categories: Making a Difference in Children's Lives supports activities that serve, teach, and inspire children, youth, and families. Building Communities focuses on civic organizations and activities that serve the needs of the community. Disaster Relief funds recognized national, regional, and local relief agencies. Visit www.officedepotfoundation.com/funding.asp.

iMentor Grants
(Deadline: April 30)
iMentor is offering grants to provide financial support to organizations that may not otherwise be able to afford iMentor Interactive member organization user fees. The purpose of the grant is to help improve graduation rates through mentoring by providing technical assistance to small and medium-sized nonprofit organizations serving high-school students. Grant recipients will receive up to $6,000 in funding for iMentor Interactive member organization user fees (approximately 200 mentor/mentee users) for one year, with the potential for grants to be renewed for up to three years. Visit http://imentorinteractive.wordpress.com/imi-rfp/.



2009 ING Unsung Heroes Awards
(Deadline: April 30)

Applications for the 2009 ING Unsung Heroes Awards Program are now being accepted. These awards support K-12 educators from throughout the U.S. who are employing new and innovative methods and techniques to improve student learning. Applicants describe projects they have initiated or which they wish to pursue; these projects are then judged based on their creativity and innovation, as well as their ability to positively influence students. One hundred selected finalists will each receive $2,000 grants to support their programs; ING hopes to award at least one grant in each state. Visit www.ing-usa.com/us/aboutING/CorporateCitizenship/Education/INGUnsungHeroes/index.htm.