Information on Available State and Federal Grants February 1999 Vol. 13, #2

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Environmental Justice Small Grants Program

The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting applications for its 1999 Office of Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to eligible community groups (i.e., community-based/grassroots organizations, churches, or other non-profit organizations) and federally recognized tribal governments that are working on or plan to carry out projects to address environmental justice issues. These grants are offered to assist communities that bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies.

ELIGIBILITY: Any affected non-profit community organization 501c(3) or 501c(4) or federally recognized tribal government is eligible.

FUNDING: Approximately $1.6 million is available, with $1 million of this amount available only for superfund projects. The maximum grant is $15,000 for non superfund projects and $20,000 for superfund projects.

DEADLINE: March 5, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Natalie Loney, (212) 637-3639 or Melva Hayden, (212) 637-5027, USEPA Region 2, 290 Broadway, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10007.

Housing Preservation Grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Housing Service is accepting applications under its Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. The HPG program is a grant program that provides qualified public agencies, private non-profit organizations and other eligible entities grant funds to assist very low- and low-income homeowners repair and rehabilitate their homes in rural areas, and to assist rental property owners and cooperative housing complexes to repair and rehabilitate their units if they agree to make such units available to low- and very low-income persons.

ELIGIBILITY: State and local governments, non-profit corporations, Federally recognized Indian Tribes, and consortia of these entities are eligible.

FUNDING: $7 million is available for this program. It is anticipated that the average award will be $59,000.

DEADLINE: March 23, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the New York Rural Development State Office located at The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 S. Salina Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202; telephone (315) 477-6419.

Technology Innovation Challenge Grants

The Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Program provides grants to consortia that are working to improve and expand new applications of technology to strengthen school reform efforts, improve student achievement, and provide for sustained professional development of teachers, administrators, and school library media personnel.

ELIGIBILITY: Only consortia may receive grants under this program. A consortium must include at least one local educational agency (LEA) with a high percentage or number of children living below the poverty line. A consortium may also include other LEAs, private schools, state educational agencies, institutions of higher education, businesses, academic content experts, software designers, museums, libraries, and other appropriate entities.

FUNDING: Approximately $22 million is available, with individual awards ranging from $500,000 to $2,000,000.

DEADLINE: March 12, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Elizabeth Payer, Technology Innovation Challenge Grants, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20208-5544; telephone (202) 208-3882; e-mail elizabeth-payer@ed.gov. For applications, call (800) USA-LEARN or fax request to (202) 208-4042. The application is also available on the Technology Innovation Challenge Grant web site at http://www.ed.gov/Technology/chalgrnt.html.

Telecommunications and Information
Infrastructure Assistance Program

The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration announces the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP). This program was created to promote the development, widespread availability, and use of advanced telecommunications and information technologies to serve the public interest.

TIIAP will support projects that improve the quality of, and the public’s access to, cultural, educational, and training resources; reduce the cost, improve the quality, and/or increase the accessibility of health care and public health services; promote responsive public safety services; improve the effectiveness and efficiency of government and public services; and foster communication, resource-sharing, and economic development within communities, both rural and urban.

ELIGIBILITY: Non-profit entities; state, local and tribal governments; and colleges and universities are eligible to apply. Although individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply, they may participate as project partners.

FUNDING: Approximately $17 million is available. The average size of a grant award will be approximately $350,000.

DEADLINE: March 11, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Stephen J. Downs, Director of the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program; telephone (202) 482-2048; fax (202) 501-5136; e-mail tiiap@ntia.doc.gov.

Office of Community Services’
Combined Program Announcement

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services (OCS) is inviting applications for competitive grants serving low-income persons and families under the following OCS programs: Urban and Rural Community Economic Development; Community Food and Nutrition; Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals; and the Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Option (REACH) Program.
Funding, deadlines and the contact telephone numbers are listed for each below. To obtain a copy of the application kit, write to the Office of Community Services, 5th Floor West, Aerospace Building, 370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW, Washington, DC 20447, or call the number listed for each program’s application kit.

Urban and Rural Community Economic Development
The OCS is making funds available to support activities of national or regional significance to alleviate causes of poverty in distressed communities with special emphasis on community and economic development activities. This program is divided into six sub-priorities: Operational Grants, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Pre-Development Grants, Developmental Grants, Administration and Management Expertise, and Training and Technical Assistance.

ELIGIBILITY: Each sub-priority has its own eligibility requirements.

FUNDING: $26,560,000.

DEADLINE: April 23, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For assistance, contact Thornell Page at (202) 401-5333 or Thelma Woodland at (202) 401-5294. For an application kit, call (202) 401-9354.

Community Food and Nutrition
Funds are available to coordinate existing private and public food assistance resources; to assist low-income communities to identify potential sponsors of child nutrition programs; to initiate new programs in underserved or unserved areas; and to develop innovative approaches to meet the nutrition needs of low-income people.

ELIGIBILITY: States and public and private non-profit agencies/organizations with a demonstrated ability to successfully develop and implement such programs are eligible.

FUNDING: $2 million will be awarded for approximately 33 grants.

DEADLINE: March 26, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For assistance, contact Thornell Page at (202) 401-5333 or Catherine Rivers at (202) 401-5252. For an application kit, call (202) 401-9354.

Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI)
Projects funded through the JOLI Program are for the creation of new jobs and employment opportunities, through micro-business/self-employment, the start-up of a new business, or the expansion of an existing business.

ELIGIBILITY: Not-for-profit organizations are eligible.

FUNDING: $5,500,000 for approximately five to ten grants is available.

DEADLINE: April 22, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For assistance, contact Nolan Lewis at (202) 401-5282 or Thornell Page at (202) 401-5333. For an application kit, call (202) 401-1195.

Residential Energy Assistance Challenge Option (REACH) Program
The OCS is authorized to provide competitive grants to LIHEAP grantees that develop innovative programs, administered by community-based organizations, to reduce the energy vulnerability of LIHEAP-eligible households.

ELIGIBILITY: Funds will be awarded to states, Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations for REACH projects administered by nonprofit Community Based Organizations.

FUNDING: $6,875,000 is available for up to ten grants.

DEADLINE: May 3, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For assistance, contact Anna Guidery at (202) 401-5318 or Richard Saul at (202) 401-9341. For an application kit, call (202) 401-1195.

Job Training Partnership Act -
Incumbent Worker Demonstration Program

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA),
announces a demonstration program to test the ability of the workforce development system to partner with employers, training providers, and others to develop incumbent worker training programs which promote retention, as documented by continued employment at the employer-of-record; upgrading the skills of incumbent workers; increasing the firm's or firms', sector's or industry's profitability; and enabling workers to become more competitive in the workplace.
Two types of projects will be funded under this program: incumbent worker training for small and medium-sized firms or regional sectors and incumbent training for large firms or industries.

ELIGIBILITY: For projects providing training for small and medium-sized employers, regional economic and industry sectors or regional industries, the eligible applicant must be an intermediary organization, which will work with a number of small and medium-sized employers and coordinate their training activities. Such intermediary organizations may be state or public entities, training institutions, such as community colleges, manufacturing extension centers, local workforce boards or private industry councils. Eligible applicants for projects providing training for large employers, industries or regional sectors include the intermediary organizations mentioned above, employers with 500 or more employees, or groups of large employers.

FUNDING: $9 million is available to fund ten to twelve grants.

DEADLINE: March 1, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Questions should be faxed to Mamie D. Williams, Division of Acquisition and Assistance, at (202) 219-8739.

Council on Opportunities for Professional Excellence, Inc. (COPE)

The Council on Opportunities for Professional Excellence, Inc. is holding a grant-training seminar on Thursday, February 25 1999 at the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road in Albany, New York. The seminar is $135.00 per person. To register, call (914) 756-2673 or e-mail COPE at jnb@copeinc.com. Please leave your fax number.

Oneida County Grant Writing Seminar

The Oneida County Child Sexual Abuse Task Force, through a grant from the Office of Children and Family Services, will be providing a one day seminar on grant writing and fund raising, in Utica, New York, on March 26, 1999. This seminar is free of charge to community service and not-for-profit organizations. This one day seminar will provide information on the research, writing, and submission of grant proposals. Space will be limited, but seats (up to 2 per organization) can be reserved by calling Chief Deputy Kevin Revere, at (315) 732-3990. Reservations must be made prior to February 15, 1999.