Tuesday, January 25, 2005: Volume #2, Issue #58
The VERB Weekly Email Digest
Edited by Sophy Pich, VERB Project Associate

Note: Documents on this page or in this section may be in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. In order to read them, you require Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is downloadable free from Adobe.

In This Week's Issue

1. Announcements
• Touching Lives and Communities
• Various Trainings
• UCLA Extension
• Volunteer Management
• Grants for Minorities
• Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership
2. Promising Practices
• Government Funding: Use it Well
3. News
• Police reaching out to St. Paul's Hmong
• Haven Here for Refugees to Start Anew
• FVTC offers new course on integrating Hmong
• Community Invited to HHS Diversity Conference
• Asian Lunar New Year Beginning February 9, 2005
• Immigrants motivated to learn, employ English
• San Jose's Top Cop Gets Top Marks
• Love of tradition draws Hmong couple together
• Color Madison's Work Force White
4. Funding Opportunities
• The Hasbro Children's Foundation
• American Express Economic Independence Fund
• Independent Sector
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Quality Health Foundation
• The Meyer Foundation
• The West Group Community Partnership Program
• Mattel and the Mattel Children's Foundation
• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Tony Hawk Foundation
• The Community Technology Foundation of California
• The Washington Area Women's Foundation
5. Resources
• The Quality 990

I. Announcements

Touching Lives and Communities

Making It Real!
Universal Access and Improved Performance
Through Faith-Based And Community Partnerships

Wednesday, March 2, 2005; 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Marriott Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
1999 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA 22202

Please register by February 2, 2005

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Various Trainings

Proposal Writing Basics

Advanced Budgeting For Nonprofits in DC & MD

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UCLA Extension Offers Online Skill-Building for Fundraisers and PR Professionals

For more information about the Journalism, Public Relations, and Fund Raising Certificate Programs call (310) 825-0641 or e-mail jrprfr@uclaextension.edu.

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02/11/2005 Volunteer Management. All-day. Location: Oakland, CA. Registration: Required. Host: Father Joe's Villages. Phone: 619-446-2135. Email: vti@neighbor.org

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Grants for Minorities is one of 12 subject-specific Grant Guides published by the Foundation Center. This new edition reveals the scope of current foundation giving in the field. You'll find descriptions of 13,437 recent grants of $10,000 or more-totaling over $1.2 billion! Link:

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Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership offers Spring and Summer sessions of the Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program. The program, which was recently featured in the Washington Post, strengthens leadership and management skills of nonprofit practitioners and transitioning professionals. Unique scheduling options which cater to non-local participants available. For more information: call 202-687-0595, write npmcert@georgetown.edu or Visit:

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II. Promising Practices

CompassPoint Senior Consultant Jeanne Peters has an article called Government Funding: Use it Well in the latest issue of The Nonprofit Quarterly (Fall 2004). The article outlines seven capacities--from avoiding mission drift to developing an individual donor program--to which community-based nonprofits should pay close attention when government funding is a significant part of their income mix.

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III. News

Police Reaching Out to St. Paul's Hmong
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5191357.html
Minneapolis Star Tribune

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Haven Here for Refugees to Start Anew
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/01/18/b1.cr.montagnard.0118.html
The Register-Guard

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FVTC Offers New Course on Integrating Hmong
http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/local_19150423.shtml
Appleton Post Crescent

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Community Invited to HHS Diversity Conference
http://www.holmencourier.com/articles/2005/01/21/news/03conference.txt
Holmen Courier

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Asian Lunar New Year Beginning February 9, 2005
http://namct.com/news/index.php?p=1599&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
New Age Media Concepts

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Immigrants Motivated to Learn, Employ English
http://www.wisinfo.com/journal/spjlocal/296942032110515.shtml
Stevens Point Journal

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San Jose's Top Cop Gets Top Marks
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/the_valley/10707932.htm
San Jose Mercury News

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Love of Tradition Draws Hmong Couple Together
http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/local_19510642.shtml
Appleton Post Crescent

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Color Madison's Work Force White
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/index.php?ntid=25657&ntpid=1
Wisconsin State Journal

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IV. Grants

1. (National)
   The Hasbro Children's Foundation

   The Hasbro Children's Foundation is committed to improving the emotional, mental and physical well-being of children from birth through age 12, through the support of innovative direct service programs in the areas of health, education, and social services.

   Deadline: Open
2. (National)
   American Express Economic Independence Fund

   The American Express Foundation will grant $1 million in 2005 to fund financial literacy and education projects as part of the American Express Economic Independence Fund.

   The program is designed to support the delivery of financial literacy education to underserved adult segments of society, including the newly employed, young workers, individuals moving from welfare to work, and immigrants. The fund is being administered jointly with the National Endowment for Financial Education.

   Any U.S. nonprofit organization that is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and whose clients are representative of underserved adult audiences targeted by the fund and who would benefit from financial literacy education is eligible to apply. The focus is on organizations operating at the community level that may or may not have affiliations with state, regional, and national groups. Multi-organizational partnerships or statewide programs are acceptable.

   Grant amounts will range between $15,000 and $30,000, and proposals will be considered for projects ranging from twelve to twenty-four months in duration.

   All applicants are required to consult the Financial Education Clearinghouse to select pre-approved curricula and educational materials.

   Deadline: March 4, 2005

3. (National)
   Independent Sector

   Independent Sector established the Leadership IS Award in 1999 to recognize organizations that value and develop a culture of investing in the people of the independent sector as they work to build community. The Leadership IS Award supports this principle by acknowledging an organization that incorporates the development of future leaders in its policies and daily operations.

   The recipient of the award receives a statuette and a gift of $10,000.

   The recipient organization will have demonstrated its commitment to internal and external leadership development by embodying and promoting an inclusive and diverse community, including youth and emerging leaders; holding principles of leadership development central to the way the organization functions as reflected in its mission, programs, and activities; possessing and incorporating concrete strategies and systems that encourage and provide opportunities for staff and volunteer leadership development in the organization and the community; and having in place and exercising strategies that advance the vision, mission, and values central to the work of the organization and its desired outcomes.

   Anyone may nominate an organization to receive the award. To be eligible, an organization must be a nonprofit but need not be an Independent Sector member.

   Deadline: February 18, 2005

4. (National)
   The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

   The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is awarding $70 million for approximately 700 grants through its Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFCSP).

   All community-based coalitions that promote alcohol and other drug abuse prevention are eligible to apply for the grants, which will be awarded at an average $100,000 per year, for five years, depending on availability of funds. Those not eligible to apply directly must use a local government, nonprofit, or charity as an intermediary.

   For program issues, contact Mike Lowther at 240-276-2581 or e-mail mike.lowther@samhsa.hhs.gov. For grant-management issues, contact Kimberly Pendleton at 240-276-1421 or e-mail: kimberly.pendelton@samhsa.hhs.gov.

   Deadline: March 11, 2005

5. (California & DC-metro)
   Quality Health Foundation

   Grants of up to $50,000 per one-year cycle may be awarded for programs that focus on issues such as better education on health issues, increasing accessibility to health-care services to underserved populations, and others. All nonprofits, faith-based organizations, individuals, and governments in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. areas, as well as in Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, Florida, Michigan, and California are eligible to apply.

   For more information on types of programs and eligibility, visit the QHF online. Forms for applications and proposal are available in pdf format. Grant applications and proposals should be sent to Quality Health Foundation, 9240 Centreville Road, Easton, MD 21601. Questions should be directed to qhfstaff@dfmc.org.

6. (DC-metro)
   The Meyer Foundation

   The Meyer Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations that serve the people and communities in the Washington, DC region. Grants are awarded the areas of arts and humanities, community service, education, health and mental health, law and justice, and neighborhood development and housing.

   Deadline: February 11, 2005

7. (National)
   The West Group Community Partnership Program

   The West Group Community Partnership Program supports nonprofit organizations in the communities where West Group offices are located, including communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Washington, DC. (For a list of office locations go to http://west.thomson.com/contacts/locations.asp.) Support is provided for organizations focused on educating the future workforce, providing arts and cultural experiences to the community, and developing and strengthening youth, families and communities. Deadlines vary according to area of interest.

   Deadlines: March 15, 2005 for programs focused on educating the future workforce; June 15, 2005 for arts and culture programs; and September 15, 2005 for programs to strengthen youth, families, and communities.

8. (National)
   Mattel and the Mattel Children's Foundation

   Mattel and the Mattel Children's Foundation have launched a new Domestic Grants Program. For the first time in over 5 years, unsolicited grants are being accepted for review for funding. Charitable organizations throughout the U.S. that directly serve children in need will be eligible for financial grants in amounts of $5,000 to $25,000, depending on program, organization and individual community need.

   Deadline: April 8, 2005

9. (National)
   The Corporation for Public Broadcasting

   The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has just announced the release of the 2005 Radio Program Fund Request for Proposals (RFP). CPB has available approximately $6.4 million to invest in national programming projects in radio. This year, this request for proposals is focused specifically on programming. Information regarding the RFP and application process can be found on the website above.

   Deadline: March 3, 2005

10. (National)
    Tony Hawk Foundation

    The primary mission of the Tony Hawk Foundation is to promote high-quality, public skateparks in low-income areas throughout the United States.

    Foundation grants are awarded to encourage and facilitate the design, development, construction, and operation of new skateboard parks and facilities in low-income communities. Grants may be requested in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.

    The foundation's grantmaking program is extremely competitive. Proposed skateparks that are not located in low-income areas and that do not have strong community and grassroots support are unlikely to receive a significant grant from the foundation.

    To be eligible, applicant organizations must be a public charity, organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and qualified under section 170(b)(1)(a), or a state or local agency, including public school systems or public projects. The foundation will consider assisting start-up organizations.

    Deadline: March 1, 2005 and September 1, 2005

11. (California)
    The Community Technology Foundation of California

    The Community Technology Foundation of California works to foster social justice, equity, and access for underserved communities in California through the use of information and communications technologies (ICT).

    With an overall focus on content and technology literacy, CTFC's General Grants program concentrates on the key areas of communications, media, and outreach. CTFC's current grantmaking focuses on the development and maintenance of—as well as the removal of barriers to—digital media, communications, and outreach for under-served Californians. Successful grantees will be those who effectively utilize ICT in a manner that enables their target communities to become more active and engaged participants in civic action.

    CTFC is soliciting proposals in the range of $10,000 to $50,000.

    To be eligible, applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or organizations that have a commitment in writing from a 501(c)(3) sponsoring fiscal agent.

    CTFC accepts proposal applications on a rolling basis for its General Grants program. The first 2005 grant application deadline is February 14, 2005.

    Deadline: February 14, 2005

12. (DC-metro)
    The Washington Area Women's Foundation

    The Washington Area Women's Foundation supports nonprofit organizations working to increase resources and opportunities for women and girls in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

    The foundation's philanthropy over the next three years will be focused on building the financial and economic independence of low-income, women-headed families. To accelerate the process of equipping more women with the tools they need to move from poverty to economic stability to long-term prosperity, grantmaking will be made through three new funds—Financial Literacy & Wealth Creation; Jobs, Education and Training; and Child Care & Early Education—as well as the Open Door Capacity Fund (existing grantee partners only).

    Each of the three funds will release a Request for Proposals for two types of grant opportunities: planning grants, targeting organizations that are developing or improving an idea, approach, and/or collaborative model; and impact grants, targeting organizations that can demonstrate a track record in delivering results.

    The foundation has issued RFPs and is accepting proposals from community organizations for the Financial Literacy & Wealth Creation Fund. This fund is designed to help low-income, women-headed families in the Washington metropolitan area obtain a base level of financial knowledge (e.g., training in money management, saving/investment, credit, and income) and increase their collective wealth (e.g., through debt reduction, receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit, Individual Development Accounts, savings accounts, increased income, home ownership) by $40 million in the next three years.

    Deadline: Various

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V. Resources

The Quality 990 (qual990.org) website encompasses a number of projects and activities to improve the quality of IRS Form 990 reporting by nonprofit organizations.

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If you wish to contribute to the VERB Weekly e-Digest, please send all materials to sophy@searac.org