Information on Available State and Federal Grants June 2000 Vol. 14, #6
New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
...On the State Level

Learn and Serve America: K-12 School-Based Program

NYS Education Department

The New York State Education Department is accepting applications for Learn and Serve America: K-12 School-Based Program awards. Funds are to be used to develop and implement service-learning and service-learning/mentoring programs for students in grades K-12 to volunteer their services for the benefit of others and their community. Service-learning is defined as a deliberate integration of community service into classroom curriculums, linking learning activities to learning outcomes and accompanied by ongoing, creatively structured opportunities for students to reflect on their service experience and to critically assess the meaning and impact of their efforts.

ELIGIBILITY: Public elementary, middle and secondary schools, and school districts or consortia of such agencies in partnership with at least one public or private non-profit organization with demonstrated expertise in the provision of service to address unmet needs in human, educational, environmental or public safety. Public schools may collaborate with non-public schools, however, non-public schools are not eligible to apply for funding directly.

FUNDING: Funding and award levels will be finalized upon completion of a Federal budget.

DEADLINE: July 17, 2000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Write to the Education Department, Bureau of College, School, Community Collaboration, Education Building Annex, Room 965, Albany, NY 12234 or go to their web site: www.higher.nysed.gov/ohpe/oea/cscc/lsa/htm

Legal Assistance Program for Municipal Non-toxic Pest Management Training and Structural Improvements

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting applications for their Legal Assistance Program for Municipal Non-toxic Pest Management Training and Structural Improvements. The purpose of the program is to provide state financial assistance to municipalities to train municipal employees in non-toxic pest management methods and to make minor repairs to municipal structures that will prohibit pest infestations. Although both training and structural improvements are components of this program, the emphasis is on the municipal training element.

Examples of eligible structural improvement projects include caulking of cracks and crevices, and repairing of screens and damaged wood. The cost of major structural repairs and pest management program development will not be eligible.

Municipalities which intend to apply for assistance under this program must request the local assistance package for further information on eligible projects and the application requirements.

ELIGIBILITY: Municipalities, including counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts and improvement districts, local public benefit corporations, local public authorities, and Indian tribes residing within New York state, and any combination of these are eligible. Multi-municipal projects are encouraged.

FUNDING: Grants are available up to $50,000 per award. No municipal funding match is required.

DEADLINE: July 7, 2000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Mary A. Roy, Environmental Program Specialist 2, Department of Environmental Conservation, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12233; telephone (518) 457-0917.

Innovative Construction Methods
and Building Materials

NYS Energy Research and Development Authority

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is seeking proposals to develop, demonstrate or commercialize innovative construction methods and building materials for residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. The proposed technologies must provide economic, energy, and/or environmental benefits in New York State.

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to: demonstrations of technologies that improve on- and off-site construction productivity; development of materials and products that improve a building’s performance; design of integrated systems that provide construction or operational savings; and evaluation of construction methods that improve building performance.

ELIGIBILITY: Eligible project types include new technologies or substantial improvements to existing technologies.

FUNDING: NYSERDA will make awards of up to $200,000 per project, for a total not to exceed $750,000. Cost-sharing of at least 50% is preferred.

DEADLINE: August 16, 2000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Jane Powers, PON 542-00, NYSERDA, 286 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY 12203-6399; e-mail jap@nyserda.org or by fax (518) 862-1091. Information can be found on NYSERDA’s home page at www.nyserda.org

Power Systems Technology

NYS Energy Research and Development Authority

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announces a program to support the development, demonstration, and commercialization of innovative transportation products and systems. To be eligible for a contract award, proposals must, at a minimum:

ELIGIBILITY: Projects must meet above the criteria.

FUNDING: NYSERDA has $1,000,000 available for multiple cost-shared contracts.

DEADLINE: July 11, 2000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: The full solicitation, which includes program requirements, proposal format, and evaluation criteria, is available at the NYSERDA web site: www.nyserda.org/535pon.html or, to request a copy by mail, provide your name, address, and phone number to Jane Powers, Request for PON No. 535-00, NYSERDA, 286 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY 12203-6399; e-mail jap@nyserda.org or fax (518) 862-1091.

...On the Federal Level

Loan Guarantees for Essential Community
Facilities and Rural Utilities Service Water
and Wastewater Systems

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Rural Development, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, can guarantee loans to develop essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Loan guarantees can also be made through the Rural Utilities Service to develop water and/or wastewater systems in rural areas and towns of up to 10,000 in population.

Under this program, Rural Development guarantees a loan made by a bank, savings and loan, insurance company, Federal Land Bank, or other qualified lender against a certain percentage of loss. The agency is able to finance the following types of essential community facilities:

ELIGIBILITY: Non-profit entities are eligible.

FUNDING: Financial support is through loan guarantees.

DEADLINE: This is an ongoing program.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact any Rural Development office listed in the telephone book under United States Government, Department of Agriculture or call Eileen McGrath at (315) 477-6434.

Community Youth Mental Health Promotion and Violence/Substance Abuse Prevention
Partnership Grants

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) announces the availability of grants to state and local government organizations to promote mental health and prevent violence and substance abuse among youth. Two types of grants are available: (1) Planning and Partnership Development Grants for State, Tribe, and sub-entities to develop new coalitions and partnerships with community service organizations and constituencies; and (2) Partnership Resource and Infrastructure Support Monies (PRISM) for existing coalitions/partnerships to develop resources and infrastructure to support program implementation and evaluation.

These grants allow political entities to obtain federal support to build the necessary relationships, organizational structures, financing mechanisms, and partnership agreements necessary to establish an infrastructure that will support promotion and prevention programs for the long-term.

ELIGIBILITY: States; subdivisions of states, such as county and city governments and their organizational units; and Indian tribes or tribal organizations are eligible.

FUNDING: Approximately $6 million will be available to support 25 awards.

DEADLINE: July 12, 2000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Application kits are available from National Mental Health Services, Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN), P.O. Box 42490, Washington, DC 20015; telephone (800) 789-2647; fax (301) 984-8796.

Research on Rural Cooperative
Opportunities and Problems

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the availability of funds for research related to agricultural and non-agricultural cooperatives serving rural communities. The intent of the funding is to encourage research on critical issues vital to the development and sustainability of cooperatives as a means of improving the quality of life in America’s rural communities.

Issue areas on which proposals should focus are:

(1) Equity management issues in new generation cooperatives including alternatives to appreciated delivery rights: the challenges, benefits, and pitfalls;

(2) Cooperatives and e-commerce: how the internet is changing the competitive landscape for farmer-owned businesses and their adaptation to it;

(3) Marketing-agencies-in-common: a case-study examination of successes and failures;

(4) The role of social capital in generating positive market outcomes for cooperatively owned agribusinesses;

(5) Governance and control issues in evolving cooperative structures and environments;

(6) Cooperatives as a means of putting global markets within reach of small farmers;

(7) The roles of cooperatives contracting and helping producers of identity-preserved crops match the needs of end-users and negotiate acceptable terms of trade; and

(8) Evaluation of cooperatives’ roles in the changing market structure of the food and fiber system.

ELIGIBILITY: Proposals may be submitted by public or private colleges or universities, research foundations maintained by a college or university, or private non-profit organizations.

FUNDING: Approximately $300,000 is available for several awards. Funds may be used to pay up to 75 percent of the total cost for carrying out relevant projects.

DEADLINE: Applications must be postmarked by June 30, 2000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Dr. Thomas H. Stafford, Director, Cooperative Marketing Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop 3252, Room 4204, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3252; telephone (202) 690-0368.
All forms required to apply are available from the Cooperative Services Program web site at www.usda.gov/rbs/coops/rrcop.htm

Grant Writing

Council on Opportunities for Professional Excellence
Albany and Kingston

The Council on Opportunities for Professional Excellence (COPE) is offering a one-day grant writing seminar at the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road in Albany, New York on June 19, 2000 and at the Ramada Inn in Kingston, New York on June 27, 2000. The seminar costs $145 per person or $118 per person if two or more from the same organization attend.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact COPE at (914) 756-2673 or e-mail them at jnb@copeinc.com

The Grantsmanship Center
Buffalo, Rochester and Oneonta

The Grantsmanship Training Program is coming to New York:

The five-day program will be conducted by The Grantsmanship Center. The class is kept at a maximum of 26 participants. The cost of the program is $675.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For Buffalo call David Sampson at (716) 847-8370; Rochester call Rod Jones at (716) 546-4930, X211; and Oneonta call Mark Simonson at (607) 278-5744. Or contact The Grantsmanship Center at 800-421-9512. The Center also has a library of federal grant proposals on CD-ROM—which lets you download the text of top ranked proposals for dozens of major programs. More information is at the web site: http://www.tgci.com

New on the Internet

Programs Aiding New York’s Local Governments

The Catalog of State and Federal Programs Aiding New York’s Local Governments is now available on the New York State Assembly web page:
http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/Reports/

The catalog, which is published by the New York State Legislative Commission on State-Local Relations, contains information on hundreds of funding programs available to local governments and agencies.

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