Becky McCray and Associates

Cooperate to build capacity with RCDI

2012-04-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

This one is a little different.

Rural Community Development Initiative grants focus on housing, community facilities, or community and economic development, but they require two organizations to work together to benefit the community. One applies for the grant and is the "intermediary." The other organization receives training or assistance from the grantee and is the "recipient." The recipient uses what they learn at this training or assistance to better serve the people of the community. Make sense?

It's a ‘‘train the trainer’’ type grant. But... at the end, I'll tell you how you can use it to get some engineering work done, too.

For example, the County economic development group might apply for funds to help train local entrepreneurs. They cooperate with the local City (or Town) governments to train the City economic developers to better support entrepreneurs.

Use these grants to train your people
to better serve the community.

USDA also provided some examples:

The intermediary hires a staff person to provide technical assistance to the recipient. (In our example above, the County hires a person to train the City economic development staff.)
Or the recipient hires a staff person, under the supervision of the intermediary, to carry out the technical assistance provided by the intermediary. (So, this would be the City hiring a trainer, under the County's supervision, and then training the City staff people.)

Complicated enough for you? The simple goal is just to make your city better able to serve your people, whether it's in housing, community facilities, or economic development.

The USDA says grants may be used for but are not limited to:

training recipients how to conduct a program on home-ownership education;
training recipients how to conduct a program for entrepreneurs or programs that support micro-enterprise and sustainable development;
providing technical assistance to recipients on how to effectively prepare a strategic plan;
provide technical assistance to recipients on how to access alternative funding sources;
building organizational capacity through board training on developing strategic plans, board operations, management, financial systems, and information technology;
developing training tools, such as videos, workbooks, and reference guides to be used by the sub-grantee;
providing technical assistance and training on how to develop successful child care facilities; and
providing training on effective fundraising techniques.

Digging a little further, I found this bit:

Assist recipients in completing pre-development requirements for housing, community facilities, or community and economic development projects by providing resources for professional services, e.g., architectural, engineering, or legal.
Purchase of computers, software, and printers, limited to $10,000 per award, at the recipient level when directly related to the technical assistance program being undertaken by the intermediary.
Provide funds to recipients for training-related travel costs and training expenses related to RCDI.

There are bonus points for working regionally, for smaller communities under 5,000 in population, for lower income and for addressing renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Get grant leads on Twitter

2012-04-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Don Griesmann now provides grant opportunities on Twitter.

Griesmann has long been a researcher who shared all the great grant leads he finds. Previously, they were available at Charity Channel. Now, you can follow Griesmann on Twitter.

Also, check out Griesmann's Nonprofit Blog for more info.

Regional Economic Development opportunity for Oklahoma

2012-03-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

Training and technical assistance for rural economic development planning is the focus of a new project in Oklahoma called SET, or Stronger Economies Together.

The participants will receive lots of training as the main benefit of the project. You can see an overview of the training here (PDF).

Regions must contain at least 3 contiguous counties and can cross state lines. Regional groups can be brand new or existing. All participants have to commit to attending the bulk of the training. Groups with a wide variety of members (private sector, public sector, etc.) will score more points in the application process.

SET has been done is many other states, and is now expanding into Oklahoma as a partnership of
the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and the USDA-RD State Office.

This is a competitive program, so applications must be submitted by May 4 and up to 2 regions may be selected (depending on available funding).

Questions? Contact Ryan McMullen (405) 742-1000 ryan.mcmullen@ok.usda.gov OR Brian Whitacre (405) 744-9825 brian.whitacre@okstate.edu.

Source: Dave Shideler, via email.

Grant opportunities by email

2012-03-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Whether or not you are in Florida, sign up for Miami Dade County Grant Opportunities email.

The weekly updates include volumes of information, including grants and awards on these subjects:

Grant leads by email, at no charge.

Arts, Culture & Libraries
Children and Youth
Economic and Community Development
Education
General/Miscellaneous
Health
Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness
Housing/Homeless
Human Services
Justice/Crime Prevention
Media
Natural Resources/Agriculture

While many of the grants do not apply for Oklahoma towns, most do. I highly recommend this free resource.

Also, if you haven't yet, subscribe to receive our targeted grant updates for Oklahoma towns.

Preparation is the key to getting more grants

2012-03-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

Looking over long lists of potential grants is like a menu at a fantastic restaurant: it all sounds good. The problem is that your small town can't do it all.

Get all the right people involved in planning
before you seek funding.

Starting with the list of grant opportunities is starting at the wrong end. Where should you start? Planning.

Build a strategic plan for your town. Involve the entire leadership of the town, especially the council or board. Include your goals, your main projects, and the new items you'd like to undertake, funding permitting.
Get the engineering or drawings done for your projects.
Figure out the basic budget. Know what it will cost, and whether it can be done in stages.
Know how much matching funds you can reasonably provide.

Now you're ready to consider what funding sources might fit.

We can help you with the preparation process. That will put you in a much better, more competitive, position when you find the right opportunities to seek.

Oklahoma Brownfields Conference focuses on redeveloping old properties

2012-03-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma will host a Brownfields Conference May 22-23, 2012, in Oklahoma City.

This property was the subject of a Phase 1
environmental review through EPA funds.

Brownfields are properties that have lost value
due to real or perceived environmental contamination. Brownfields funds are available to evaluate and clean up those properties so they can be put back into use in the community.

Properties that once housed gas stations or dry cleaners are especially popular for Brownfields funding in small towns. Since almost every property could contain asbestos, it makes sense for many different projects. Every small town government should know about the Brownfields funding for redeveloping old properties.

More information: Oklahoma Brownfields Conference.

Regional economic development projects eligible for Rural Jobs Accelerator

2012-03-18T15:03:00.003-07:00

We have more details on the Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator that will provide funding for regional economic development initiatives.

Members of the Northwest Oklahoma
Alliance work together on regional issues.

If your town is part of a regional economic development project, it makes good sense to look into this as a group.

From the website:

This opportunity will support customized solutions targeted to address the gaps and opportunities specific for individual regions by strengthening linkages to self-identified, high-potential industry clusters in competitively selected rural regions across the nation and across all sectors.

Funds awarded to the winning applicants can be used to support and accelerate a range of projects including improving rural communities’ capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or economic and community development along with creation of regional linkages that connect communities with innovation clusters and regional opportunities leading to job creation, expanded markets, and economic growth.

An informational webinar will be on March 20, 2012, and will be recorded and be available after that.

The deadline to apply is May 9, 2012.

Grant targeting rural job creation

2012-03-08T12:47:00.002-08:00

The Obama Administration today announced a $15 million multi-agency Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator challenge to spur job creation and economic growth in distressed rural communities. This competition, which is being funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), was designed by the Taskforce for the Advancement of Regional Innovation Clusters and the White House Rural Council.

The Rural Jobs Accelerator Challenge is expected to give out approximately 20 awards, depending on the number of eligible applications. To be eligible for an award, projects must benefit rural communities, but the applicant is not required to be located in a rural area. Nonprofits, higher education institutions, tribes and state and local governments can collaborate to apply for funding. Although businesses are not eligible to apply directly, applicants can also partner with the private sector on implementation.

In addition to the four funding partners the initiative is supported by nine other Federal agencies: Commerce's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership; Denali Commission; U.S. Department of Education; U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Department of Energy; Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and the Small Business Administration.

The deadline for applications is May 9, 2012 and guidelines for submissions are accessible here.

Want to learn more? There will be a Rural Jobs Accelerator Prospective Applicant Webinar on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. CDT.

Upgrade infrastructure to create jobs

2012-03-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program.

Infrastructure projects that will create more
jobs are a good fit for REDLG.

Eligible recipients are USDA rural utilities program borrowers. Those recipients pass the funds to local organizations. That means you may need to partner with a rural electric cooperative to handle the funds.

The funding is leveraged to create projects that retain or create jobs and upgrade public infrastructure. The maximum amount of funding for any one project is $1 million for loans and $300,000 for grants.

For example, the Utilities District of Western Indiana received a REDLG loan and grant in 2011 to construct an elevated water storage tank and supply lines. The project will serve a technology park and two communities, creating nearly 400 jobs.

The deadline for submitting applications is the last business day of each month through September 30th of 2012. Applications must be submitted to the Rural Development state office where the project will be located.

Source: Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program announcement.

Tony Hawk Skatepark grants

2012-02-28T07:35:00.000-08:00

Providing skate parks gives
boarders alternatives to
city streets.

Tony Hawk grants are probably the best known skatepark funding source, and that means lots of competition. if you want to seek one, get all your details in order. Applications open June 15, 2012, and are due July 2, 2012.

Grants support public parks in low-income areas. Preference goes to professionally designed and constructed parks.

Details are available from the Tony Hawk Foundation.

Playground grants at KaBOOM!

2012-02-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

Could your playground use some
sprucing up?

KaBOOM! isn't a granting agency, but they do sometimes work with funders. Right now, they have Let's Play grants with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.

Construction Grants offer $15,000 for purchasing equipment. (Must purchase $24,000 to $40,000 worth of equipment.)

Maintenance Grants award $750 gift cards to make playgrounds cleaner, safer and more inviting.

There are also several more grants listed on the KaBOOM! website.

Preserve historic records

2012-02-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions
Deadline: May 1, 2012 for projects in 2013

Proper records storage
can be expensive.

Many small town governments may have historic collections records that actually qualify as humanities materials. Libraries, museums and even town records offices are eligible. The types of materials may include:

books and journals
archives and manuscripts
prints and photos
architectural and cartographic records
decorative and fine art objects
digital materials

The cost of professional conservators can be covered with this grant. Other covered costs include general assessment of collections, purchase of preservation supplies, and specialized training.

Small governments that have never applied to NEH before are "especially encouraged" to apply.

TIGER grants for transportation

2012-02-16T07:28:00.000-08:00

Much like the previous TIGER Discretionary Grants, the FY 2012 grants provide funding for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure. Local governments are eligible. Multi-modal or multi-jurisdictional projects have had a higher rate of funding.

Find full details at DOT TIGER. Pre-applications are accepted Feb 13 - 20, 2012.

Engage your community with art

2012-02-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

Challenge America Fast-Track from National Endowment for the Arts

Arts tourism is big business.

This grant is targeted at small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. (Most cities and towns in Northwest Oklahoma could claim geography and probably economics.) City governments and nonprofits are eligible.

The involvement of professionally trained, experienced artists and arts professionals is essential.

Fast-Track grants are available only for specific types of projects in these two categories.

1. Engagement of the public with art:

events that feature one or more guest artists
unified promotion of community-wide arts activities and cultural tourism
development of professionally-directed public art projects

2. Livability, or strengthening communities through the arts:

design and planning for new or existing cultural facilities and civic spaces (including streetscapes and signage)

Deadline: May 24, 2012
Start date: January 1, 2013

Oklahoma Citizen Corps disaster preparedness grants

2012-02-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Wilder Volunteer Fire Fighters
educate Job Corp Students
on protective gear. Photo by USDA.

Cities and towns in Oklahoma may apply for grants to support their volunteer Citizen Corps Partner Programs, which include:

CERT: Community Emergency Response Team
VIPS: Volunteers in Police Service
Fire Corps
Neighborhood Watch
MRC: Medical Reserve Corps

Due to the short time between the application deadline (March 2, 2012) and deadline for spending funds (June 30, 2012), there may be little competition for these grants. If your town has one of these programs already in place, this is an opportunity to quickly inject funds with no matching requirement.

This application (PDF) explains the details of the program and application.

Music program for libraries

2012-01-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Would your small town library like to host a feature on popular music? The National Endowment for the Humanities has a program that might be a good match for an outstanding small town library. Small towns and rural communities are listed specifically as a target.

Music program at the Newcastle Library.
Photo (cc) by Pioneer Library System.

America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway is a six-week public program featuring documentary film screenings and scholar-led discussions of twentieth-century American popular music. ... The project will provide DVDs of compelling documentary films, discussion guidelines, original essays by eminent scholars, extensive resource guides, and Web support. The project will offer participating organizations training in how to organize, promote, and run the series successfully. All libraries and nonprofit organizations selected to implement the public program will receive grants of $2,500 for project expenses. Fifty organizations (libraries and other eligible nonprofits) will be selected to receive a grant to present this series of community programs on the history of American popular music. The grantee institutions are expected to offer the programs between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2013.

Local governmental agencies are eligible. Small towns and rural communities are specifically mentioned as targeted underserved audiences. Application deadline is March 14, 2012.

Find out more at Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway.

Emergency water grants

2012-01-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

A new Greensburg, KS, water tower
went up after the 2007 tornado.

The USDA Rural Development provides Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants for communities in rural areas and cities under 10,000 in population.

The emergency must include a significant decline in the quantity or quality of drinking water, but can also include the imminent threat of decline. Listed emergencies include natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and chemical spills.

Grants for new water sources may be funded up to $500,000, and grants for distribution may be up to $150,000.

Details are available at Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants.

Biking trails grants from Bikes Belong

2012-01-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

Photo by Laurie Reyes' daughter, Lacie.

The Bikes Belong Grant Program funds bike trail projects across the U.S. The Facilities project funds bike paths, lanes, trails and bridges, end-of-trail facilities, mountain bike facilities, bike parks and BMX facilities.

It would mesh well with Oklahoma Recreational Trails Grants Program projects that include bike facilities.

Funding is limited to $10,000, and the minimum match is 1 to 1. Oklahoma communities that have successfully applied in the past are Enid and Yukon.

Cities and towns are encouraged to partner with local riders groups or clubs to carry out the project. Find out more at the Bikes Belong Grant Program.

USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grants RBEG

2012-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

Support entrepreneurs and small businesses with RBEG funds from the USDA Rural Development. These funds are exceptionally flexible for economic development projects. Eligible uses include:

Economic development projects are eligible
for RBEG funding from USDA.

Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way;
Construction, conversion, renovation, of buildings, plants, machinery, equipment, access streets and roads, parking areas, utilities;
Pollution control and abatement;
Capitalization of revolving loan funds including funds that will make loans for start ups and working capital;
Training and technical assistance;
Distance adult learning for job training and advancement;
Rural transportation improvement;
And project planning.

Any project funded under the RBEG program should benefit small and emerging private businesses in rural areas. Small and emerging private businesses are those that will employ 50 or fewer new employees and have less than $1 million in projected gross revenues.

Towns with population of fewer than 50,000 are eligible. Grants usually range from $10,000 to $500,000 and smaller projects get higher priority. Applications can be made at local USDA Rural Development offices.

USDA Water and Waste Disposal Grants and Loans

2012-01-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Water systems require
constant maintenance.

The USDA Rural Development offers grants and loans to develop water and waste disposal systems in rural areas and towns smaller than 10,000.

Fund can be used for construction, land acquisition, legal and engineering fees, initial operation and maintenance, as long as the projects primarily benefit rural users.

Applications are accepted year round at Rural Development offices.

Hire more firefighters with SAFER grants

2012-01-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

Wilder Volunteer Fire Fighters
educate Job Corp Students
on protective gear. Photo by USDA.

The FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for equipment is well known, but their staffing grant, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) may have more potential to help struggling rural fire departments.

SAFER grants can support either hiring or recruitment and retention of firefighters. Fire departments can use these grants to supplement their training, benefits, recruiting, and certification budgets.

To help departments prepare for applying, FEMA AFG has issued to Get Ready Guides.

Hiring Get Ready Guide (PDF)
Recruitment and Retention Get Ready Guide (PDF)

More information is available at the AFG website.

Promote reading throughout your town

2011-12-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

The National Endowment for the Arts is now accepting applications for The Big Read, promoting community-wide reading programs between September 2012 and June 2013.

Approximately 75 towns nationwide will be awarded a grant, access to online training resources, and promotional materials. Public libraries, local governments, art centers, museums, historical societies and arts organizations are eligible.

Grants range from $2,500 to $20,000 and must be matched 1 to 1 with non-federal money. The funds may be used to purchase books, pay speakers and travel, advertise and related expenses. The application deadline is February 1, 2012.

Prevent youth tobacco use

2011-12-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

For the first time, mini-grants are available to fund Kick Butts Day events.

The $500 or $1000 grants will be used to support youth-planned events to encourage their peers to be tobacco-free. There are no special eligibility requirements for organizations, so this could be used by any number of community groups.

The sponsors are looking for a combination of creativity, youth involvement in planning and implementing events, detailed description, a strong communications/media plan, and demonstrated financial need. Educational items, materials, and local transportation are among the eligible costs.

The deadline to apply is January 27, 2012. More information is available at the Kick Butts Day site.

Arts funding for small towns

2011-12-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

Arts projects are gaining
steam in Alva, Oklahoma.

Small towns are frequently "art deserts" with limited access to arts and artists of all kinds. Grant funding is critical to bringing more arts to small towns. Arts and culture are key parts of thriving small town economies.

The National Endowment for the Arts is once again making Our Town grants for creative placemaking, or making arts a central part of life in your town. The goals are to improve quality of life, encourage creative activity, create community identity and a sense of place, and revitalize local economies. Grants will range from $25,000 to $150,000. The deadline is March 1, 2012.

The Kresge Foundation is supporting Arts and community building in communities of all sizes. Very few projects will be awarded. Preliminary applications are being taken through February 1, 2012.

Project management for Oklahoma towns at OML

2011-10-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

Chip Outhier and Becky McCray
in the booth at OML

We always go to the Oklahoma Municipal League conference, because it gives us a chance to talk to friends and associates from other small towns in Oklahoma.

Some of the ideas Oklahoma towns talked to us about included ball fields, industrial parks, recreational facilities, helping CDBG recipients, community foundations, and water system consent orders.

This year, Chip Outhier joined our crew. An independent consultant from Okeene, Oklahoma, he knows a lot about construction management, project management and municipal utilities.

Most recently, he was city administrator for Waynoka, Oklahoma, where he managed the electric system upgrade. The grant that funded part of that project was written by our own Karen Payne and Laurie Reyes. Chip was thrilled to learn the upgrade had earned Waynoka the Clarence Fulkerson Electric System Achievement Award from the Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma (MESO). Waynoka Mayor Daryal Toellner stopped by our booth to share the award with Chip.

Chip Outhier and Waynoka Mayor Daryal Toellner
celebrate the award for Waynoka's electric upgrade.