Does Your Non-Profit Organization Need A Computer?

There is a donation program that recognizes the fact that there are many people and organizations that lack the technology which would enable them to effectively communicate and accomplish their tasks efficiently. So 2 organizations have partnered together to help.

Now local nonprofit organizations are able to apply for a computer grant to benefit the staff and clients of their organization.

The goal of this program is to support social and human service organizations in their quest to provide for their clients.

Here are some examples of the non-profit organizations that may be eligible to apply:

• Community and family services
  
  
• Adult services (e.g., literacy programs, job training)
  
  
• Senior citizen programs
  
  
• Support for the disabled/disadvantaged
  
  
• Youth education/development

* Please be advised that the above list doesn't list the complete eligibilty of non-profit organizations that may be eligible. This donation program is open to any program that will benefit the community; however, preferences will be given to those organizations that utilize the computer equipment in a frontline, visible capacity. To submit a grant request, please download the Application Form Applications must be received by the Brown County United Way no later than Friday, September 2, 2011. If you have any questions you can contact this organization by regular snail mail, phone or by email.

What Kind Of Non-Profit Organizations Receive Grants?

Over 50 local groups are being offered grants in a specific grant program that is aimed at more rural areas!

This "free grant money" was funded by taxpayers in the local rural areas!.

The grants are going to a wide range of community, environmental, cultural and recreational groups. Also being supported are a handful of organizations based in the local municipalities that offer facilities or services used by the rural taxpayers as well. Examples include a theater company and an art gallery.

The grants were all recently approved at one of the monthly meetings of the regional district board, based on the joint recommendations of the local rural directors.

Here is a partial listing of some of the organizations that will be receiving their grants:

• A local garden society will use their $1,5000 grant money to assist with the installation of an automatic underground irrigation system
  
  
• Another organization will use their $2,000 grant award to help pay insurance costs
  
  
• a local are project received a $200 grant that will go towards cultivating vegetables locally
  
  
• a local church received a $200 that they will use towards operating expenses
  
  
• a local art gallery will use their $4,000 grant towards operating expenses
  
  
• another organization received a $6,000 grant to help assist with educating and promoting their agricultural community
  
  
• a local farmer's market will use their $3,000 grant towards operating expenses
  
  
• a rugby club will use their $900 grant to assist with the formation of a mini's program and continuation of a juniors program
  
  
• a historical museum society organization received a $5,000 grant that they will use towards their operating expense.
  
  
• another historical organization will receive a $1,500 grant that they will use to help and to assist with the development and publishing of promotional and educational content ($1,500)
  
  
• a community library will receive a $500 grant that they will use to assist with book purchases
  
  
• a $2,000 daycare grant was awared to a daycare-related organization that they will use to help pay for exterior building improvements
  
  
• a local festival organization will use their $2,000 grant to help with their annual festival
  
  
• a local animal organization will use their $300 grant towards spaying and neutering feral cats ($300)

These are examples of the kinds of non-profit organizations that have (and are) received grant money. If you have a similar kind of organization then you can see from the list above the kinds of non-profit organizations that can receive grants.

But please be aware that there are also grant programs available for for-profit businesses as well!

State Charities Are Being Invited To Apply For A $100,000 Grant!

As I have stated many times before there are lots of grant programs that are looking for eligible applicants! Here is an example of another one!

This free grant program is open to 501(c)(3) organizations located within the state. Your non-profit organization must be focused on improving health experiences or building healthy communities in the areas of:

• Childhood health and education -- Projects or initiatives that seek to improve health and academic achievement of children through the educational landscape
  
  
• Family wellness and active lifestyles -- Projects or initiatives that strengthen the health of families through physical, social, mental, emotional, or environmental support
  
  
• Health literacy for diverse populations and seniors -- Projects or initiatives dedicated to improving people's ability to access, understand, and use health information, especially low income populations, and seniors

Said one spokesperson for the grant program, "The economy has left many of the nation's nonprofit organizations struggling for financial support to keep up with the increased demand of those in need.

The organization that is sponsoring this grant program to inspire others to lend a hand to the organizations that make a difference in promoting healthy lives and a healthy community.

A panel of local judges, comprised of community leaders, public officials and business representatives, will work with the grant program to select the $100,000 grant winner. Finalists will make a formal presentation before the panel of community-leader judges. The winner will be announced at a celebratory dinner Friday, October 8.

Past grant recipients include:

• a nonprofit organization committed to fostering the physical, social, cognitive and emotional growth of young children with special needs
  
  
• a nationwide nonprofit (with a chapter in the state), which had started a program for new parents.

If your non-profit organization is located in the state (or has a local chapter in the state) then you are encouraged to visit the grant program's website to download a copy of this year's application and review program guidelines. Questions can also be directed to the grant program by phone or by e-mail.

A $200K Grant Prize Award For Non-Profit Groups!

It seems that in the last decade, more of the wealthy have been creating prizes in hopes of drawing attention to a particular cause. It doesn’t hurt that their names are on the prizes.

According to a report released last year the dollar amount for prizes over $100,000 has tripled in the last decade to $375 million a year. There has also been a shift from prizes that recognized past accomplishments to “inducement"-style prizes that focus on achieving a specific, future goal.

One particular grant program fits into this category. It was established five years ago and awards a $250,000 prize to recognize leadership among nonprofit groups worldwide and share their best practices.

Past recipients have ranged from a project on rural land development to this year’s recipient non-profit group which educates children in rural India. The group will receive its award later on this week.

Did you know that there was a study that said that 10 years ago a third of all prizes went to the arts, but today only a 10th do that. The focus now is on the environment, science, engineering and aviation, where the dollar amounts of prizes have increased sevenfold, according to the study.

Entrepreneurs who made their money in fast-growing industries of the last decade, like technology and biotechnology, particularly like prizes because of their ability to spur people to do work in a particular area. For example there is a prize award competition which gives out a prize of at least $10 million for the first group to achieve a specific goal.

Grant Program For Community Art Organizations

Applications are being acepted for local community art programs.

Applications are now being accepted for organizations wishing to apply!

The deadline for receipt of the applications is Monday, December 21, 2009!

The funds allocated in the grant are intended to encourage arts participation across the local area. Supported arts disciplines include

• dance
  
  
• theater
  
  
• visual arts
  
  
• music
  
  
• film/media arts
  
  
• literary arts
  
  
• folk/heritage/traditional
  
  
• multi-disciplinary arts programming

Individual grants average $100-$900.

Programs must take place between January 1, 2010 and June 30, 2010.

Applications are evaluated on the following criteria: artistic merit, organizational effectiveness, and service to the community. Organizations receiving funds must be located or producing programs within the local specified area and be incorporated as a not-for-profit organization or be in the process of obtaining 501(c) (3) certification.

To obtain an application you can visit the office's location during normal business hours. For more information you can also contact them by phone.

Please be advised that this is a direct phone number and not a toll-free phone number.

Grants For Small Businesses Announced! It was announced last month that a new grant program for small businesses would spend $500 million dollars to help small businesses as part of a program offering education, mentoring and access to capital to over 5,000 small businesses! The effort also involves billionaire investor Warren Buffet, community colleges and other organizations. Although this is not a free government grant program, it is a grant program for small businesses that is being offered by an organization outside of the government. The purpose of the grant program for small businesses is to invest $50 million for grants and $250 million in loan programs for small business. This same grant program for small businesses will also provide $200 million in grants to community colleges and universities, which will use the funds for scholarships to small-business owners.

A Drug Prevention Program May Get Over $1 Million Dollars In Grant Money!

One organization has won a highly competitive federal grant that will enable them to start a number of programs in an effort to reverse there area's high rate of teen alcohol and drug use. Their grant application included a 196-page application for the grant. Recently the area's school district released results which showed seniors and sophomores using drugs and alcohol at a rate far above the state average and that they perceive the community as being tolerant towards such use. A past survey two years ago revealed similar numbers.

The volunteer program was rekindled two years ago after having lain dormant for several years — and, since then, a number of volunteers have poured countless hours into the organization, identifying the most important issues to address and beginning the hard work of building a coalition and securing funding.

The initial grant funding is $115,000 but this same grant could total more than $1 million if the non-profit organization can continue to receive subsequent funding from the same grant over the next nine years!

The grant which consists of an inital grant award of $115,000 will also subsequently include grant amounts of up to $125,000 for each of the next nine years!. This will enable the non-profit to hire a coordinator. In the first year of funding, the non-profit also plans to strengthen its community mobilization skills, strengthen the coalition and begin addressing youth substance abuse by undertaking an awareness campaign about the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco on youth. The organization also plans to involve youth in the effort, supporting and enhancing youth mentorship efforts as well as a range of youth-initiated activities.

The grant itself is highly competitive. According to one spokesperson "Only a fraction of those organizations that submit proposals get past the initial screening, and after that, fewer than a third get funded". In one state, nine other communities received funding this year for the first time. Nationwide, 160 new groups got funded.

Once funded, coalitions or agencies get annual funding for 10 years if they can show they’re making progress.

Homebuyers To Receive Grant Money! Here is another example of how the government's stimulus money is helping individuals! In an effort to help stimulate a slow housing market, one state will be offering grant awards in the amount of $4,000 to a number of home buyers! This grant program comes on the heels of a previous grant program that used $10 million in stimulus funds to offer $6,000 grants to home buyers in an effort to eliminate a glut of roughly 3,000 newly built homes that had never been occupied. The state awarded those 1,600 grants in less than 12 weeks earlier this year! So far the grants have led to home sales of $376.7 million, creating thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in wages. Also the new grants will lead to 9,000 jobs either being saved or created and $25 million in income and sales tax revenue. Home buyers would have to secure a fixed-rate mortgage to qualify, and the money would only be available to individuals with income of $75,000 or less or married couples with income of $150,000 or less. There is no limit on the price of homes, and the grants are available to anyone buying a new home, not just first-time home buyers!. (The state grant also can be combined with a federal tax rebate of $8,000 for first-time home buyers.) Both programs expire December 1, 2009!

Grant Program For Individual Artists!

Applications are now being accepted with a deadline date of:

Friday, October 9, 2009!

This grants program provides cash awards to local artists and cultural organizations that are engaged in projects that help create a strong, stable, and diverse arts and culture industry for the local area and contribute positively to the quality of life and economic vitality of the region. Preference is given to specific program initiatives, particularly those enhancing the arts education of learners of all ages, and to collaborative efforts within the arts community.

So far more than $50,000 in grant money has been given to 45 individual artists and cultural organizations within the past 12 months!

Guidelines and application materials are available on their website or by calling them by phone.

$1000 Grant Program To Help Fight Child Obesity! If your school or youth-focused community group needs financial funding to help start programs to help fight child obesity then your organization may be eligible to apply for a $1,000 grant for programs that address the health risks of childhood obesity and / or have solutions for combating obesity in schools and communities. Please note that the application deadline is: Oct. 22, 2009! For more information or to obtain an application online please be sure to visit the website

$700 Grant Program For Non-Profits!

Applications are now being accepted for projects that help people in need!

Applicants must prove their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, have a budget of less than $2 million and have clear goals and objectives with measurable outcomes. Endowment or capital projects and campaigns, special fundraising events, general operating expenses, organizations that promote a religious or political ideology, and intermediary funding agencies will not be considered.

For information or to request an application you write to the organization that is providing this grant.

*Co-incidently this organization does not have a website!

Believe it or not there are still angel investors out there willing to invest their money into new businesses! For example there is one network of angel investors interested in investing capital in promising companies with the expectation of receiving a substantial return on their investment. While ROI is absolutely the primary goal for these investors, the group also recognizes the value of supporting the entrepreneurial community for the economic benefit of the entire mid region and main areas of one state. You can either visit their website or contact the director of the group by phone. For more investor-related information, just click here.

How About A $500 Grant?

This grant program was started by a business person who received a business grant of their own and who has now decided to help others by providing a grant program of their own!

If you have a business of your own and are experiencing financial difficulties then this may just be the grant program for you!

All you have to do is mail in your story. If you are chosen as the grant recipient all that is asked of you is that you after your business gets back on its feet again you promise to provide the same kind of grant program to another business that is struggling.

For more information, guidelines, application instructions and program-specific contact information please visit the website. This is also where you will get the information on the right address to mail your application to. *Please be advised that all applications will only be accepted via snail mail address only!

Does Your Business Need A Loan? Although I mainly provide information about grants and grant programs, there are still many of those who are looking for loans that their businesses can apply for. Here is one such loan program: This funding program supports small businesses in their initial stage of development with a minimum loan amount of $1,000, for example, an existing company can grow, or a start-up business can receive a needed boost to help it through a tough period. Although this funding program is limited to one state there are still many of those who have started their own business in this state alone! Entrepreneurs are starting hundreds of businesses, but they struggle when they can't obtain the necessary capital to provide their productions and services for a variety of reasons, many small businesses often can't rely on traditional sources of funding, such as banks and credit unions for business loans. The mission of this funding program is to provide growth capital for small businesses. The goal of the program is to support emerging, start-up, and existing businesses, create jobs, and help sustain operations during difficult times, explore growth opportunities and expand hiring of workers. This loan program also provides counseling mentor support. Businesses must meet certain criteria. To be eligible a business at a minimum: Must be based in specific areas of the state Must be private for-profit Must be unable to obtain capital from traditional sources, such as banks and credit unions Loans will not be given to repay old debt or refinance existing loans from other lenders!

Hispanic Organization Offers Up To $5000

For Outstanding Latina Businesses!

In order to help support Latino Businesses this organization provides financial awards and also assistance to outstanding Latina businesses throughout the United States.

If you are the owner of a Latina business or know someone who is the owner of a Latina business then you may want to check this organization's website for more information.

Application forms are also provided via the website link above.

Could Your Business Or Business Idea Use Some Seed Money? One state has announced the formation of a business plan competition for entrepreneurs! This program aims to raise $25 million for 30 yearly recipients by connecting each with mentors and venture investors willing to invest $500,000 to $1.5 million! The program hopes to replicate past competitions that were related. The goal of the program is to launch new and innovative businesses in the state. As part of the rules, winners must establish their startup headquarters in the state and create a minimum of five jobs in the state. Additionally, one outside investor must agree to match state investment funds. The competition will be financed through public and private funds and features six category tracks: health care and life sciences IT, software and gaming clean technology and energy Social development and nonprofit open category, seed stage and open category, expansion stage Winners will receive about $50,000 in cash to support business launch, with further seed money available, contingent on outside matching investment funds. The program would also like to find mentors for young startups to bring them to the point where they are ready for venture investment on a bigger scale. To find out more about this program and / or whether or not you are qualified to enter, please visit their website for more information.

There are currently over 25 government grant programs that involve inventions and / or machinery of some kind and they are ALL open for anyone to apply - including inventors!