Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling State Assistance Program and Household Hazardous Waste State Assistance Program

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is authorized to provide State assistance for Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling Capital Projects, Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling Coordinator Projects, and Household Hazardous Waste Projects. For complete details on eligible projects, visit DEC’s web site.
ELIGIBILITY:  Municipalities including counties, cities, towns, villages, local public authorities, local public benefit corporations, school districts, supervisory districts and improvement districts, Native American tribes or nations residing in New York State, or any combination of the above.
FUNDING:   Both programs provide up to 50 percent reimbursement to local governments for eligible project costs, with reimbursement limited to $2 million per project. Anticipated funding from the Environmental Protection Fund is subject to annual legislative appropriations.
DEADLINE:  Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Visit DEC’s web site, www.dec.state.ny.us. Applications are available at http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dshm/redrecy/sap.htm.

Funding for Parks, Historic Properties and Heritage Areas

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) has announced the availability of funding for municipalities and not-for-profit organizations under Title 9 of the Environmental Protection Act of 1993 for the acquisition, development and improvement of parks, historic properties and heritage areas. In addition, municipalities may apply for funds under the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (FLWCF) for the acquisition and development of outdoor recreation facilities.
ELIGIBILITY:  Municipalities and not-for-profit organizations with an ownership interest in the property. Such an interest may be outright ownership (fee simple), or a lesser interest such as development rights, an easement or a long term lease of duration equal to the period of OPRHP's oversight of the project. For the FLWCF, only municipalities can apply.
FUNDING:  This is a matching grant program; therefore, grant recipients will be expected to provide at least a 50 percent match to these awards.
DEADLINE:  May 26, 2006.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Visit http://www.nysparks.com/grants or contact T. Kevin Burns, Chief of Grants, Bureau of Grants Management, New York State OPRHP, Empire State Plaza, Agency Building One, 16th Floor, Albany, New York 12238; phone (518) 474-0427; fax (518) 486-7377.

Advanced Transportation Technologies

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced a program to support the development, demonstration, and commercialization of innovative transportation products, systems, and services. Two rounds are scheduled under this program.
ELIGIBILITY:  Contact NYSERDA for eligibility details.
DEADLINE:  The deadline for Round 1 is April 26, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. EST and the deadline for Round 2 is September 27, 2006 at 5 p.m. EST.
FUNDING:  Total funding available is $3,000,000. All, or none, of the available funds could be allocated in either round.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  This is not a solicitation for proposals. To receive the full solicitation, visit NYSERDA’s web site at www.nyserda.org, or submit your request to Roseanne Viscusi by fax at (518) 862-1091, by e-mail at rdv@nyserda.org, or by mail to Roseanne Viscusi, PON 1003, NYSERDA, 17 Columbia Circle, Albany, New York 12203-6399.

Farmers' Market Grant Program

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets invites proposals for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation of farmers' markets in New York State.
ELIGIBILITY:  Municipal corporations, regional market authorities, public benefit corporations, not-for-profit corporations, and agricultural cooperatives organized pursuant to the Cooperative Corporations Law. For-profit entities and individuals are not eligible to apply for funding under this program.
FUNDING:   Grant awards for any individual project shall not exceed $50,000. Contact the Department for additional funding information.
DEADLINE:  Proposals must be received by the Department by 4:30 p.m. EST on May 9, 2006.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Please visit www.agmkt.state.ny.us for an electronic version of the request for proposals. Questions regarding this program must be submitted in writing (facsimile or e-mail will be accepted) to Meg McCabe, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, 10B Airline Drive, Albany, New York 12235; fax (518) 457-2716; e-mail meg.mccabe@agmkt.state.ny.us. A list of questions submitted, and answers to those questions, will be posted in the "Funding Opportunities" section of the web site.

Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program

New York State Department of State

The Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program provides municipalities and community based organizations with assistance (up to 90 percent of eligible costs) to complete revitalization plans and implementation strategies for areas or communities affected by the presence of brownfield sites, and site assessments for strategic sites.
ELIGIBILITY:  New York State municipalities, including cities, villages, towns, counties, local public authorities, local public benefit corporations, school districts, improvement districts, and Indian nations or tribes; community based organizations defined as 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporations whose stated mission is promoting community revitalization and reuse of brownfield sites; municipalities and community based organizations acting in cooperation.
FUNDING:   Please contact the Department of State for specific funding information.
DEADLINE:  Applications must be postmarked by May 26, 2006.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:  You can obtain information, as well as an application, by visiting www.nyswaterfronts.com, or by contacting the New York State Department of State, Division of Coastal Resources, 41 State Street, Albany, New York 12231; phone (518) 474-6000; fax (518) 473-2464.

. . . Foundations and Organizations

Preserve New York Grant Program

Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on the Arts

The Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on the Arts announce the 2006 Preserve New York Grant Program. The program provides funding to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations, and supports three types of projects only: historic structure reports, historic landscape reports and cultural resource surveys. Through the program, the Preservation League, a statewide, not-for-profit organization, and the Council, the state’s arts funding agency, seek to support efforts to plan for the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of historic buildings and landscapes throughout the state. The Preservation League especially encourages projects that link preservation to smart growth land use planning; neighborhood and “Main Street” revitalization; preservation initiatives along rural roads and other historic transportation corridors; and projects that involve the continued use of historic municipal buildings and historic bridges.
ELIGIBILITY:  Municipalities and not-for-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status are eligible to apply unless they are applying for funding directly from the New York State Council on the Arts’ Architecture, Planning and Design Program (APD) for another project in 2006. Groups are limited to one project with APD support per year. State agencies and religious institutions are ineligible for support. Groups that previously received funding through this grant program must have successfully completed their projects to be eligible for the 2006 grant round. The grant panel members will evaluate: the architectural and historic significance of the building, landscape or area; the need for the project and for financial support at this time; the applicant group's ability to carry out the project within a stated schedule; the applicant group's ability to raise sufficient funds to complete the project; the appropriateness of the project budget and consultant(s); extent of local support for the project; and the likelihood that significant restoration or planning work will result.
FUNDING:  A total of $82,200 is available and will be split among all three project types. Grants are likely to range between $3,000 and $10,000 each. No formal financial match is required; however, the Preservation League and the New York State Council on the Arts expect to see a project budget that reflects the applicant’s meaningful commitment to the project. Please note that it is unlikely that this program will be able to provide full support for any project. It is also expected that the consultant fee structure reflects the applicant’s understanding of the value of these professional services.
DEADLINE:  Applications must be postmarked no later than Monday, May 1, 2006. Please follow the directions included in the application for assembling the packets.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:   If your organization and project meet these guidelines, contact the League to discuss your potential application and to receive an application form. Forms are not available online. You may contact Tania G. Werbizky, Director, Technical and Grant Programs, at (607) 272-6510 or Lorraine E. Weiss, Program Manager, at (518) 462-5658, ext. 12, or at lweiss@preservenys.org.

. . . Grant Writing

The Grantsmanship Center

The Grantsmanship Training Program is coming to New York: Albany, April 24-28, 2006, hosted by the New York State Department of Education; and New York City, May 8-12, 2006, hosted by the Institute for Community Living.

The classes will be conducted by The Grantsmanship Center and are kept at a maximum of 30 participants. The cost is $825, which includes one-year enrollment in the TGCI Membership Program. A limited number of half-tuition scholarships are available to agencies with annual budgets of less than $300,000.

To register, or to apply for a scholarship, contact TGCI at (800) 421-9512 or visit www.tgci.com. For local information and arrangements, call Yolanda Lee (Albany) at (518) 486-5202 and Ben Sher (New York City) at (212) 385-3030, ext. 3198.

The Foundation Center

The Foundation Center is holding a Proposal Writing Seminar on May 11, 2006. The class will teach attendees techniques for writing proposals, the components of a grant proposal package, how to foster strong working relationships with grantmakers, how to resubmit a grant proposal, new trends in grantmaking, how to report on a grant's progress and impact, and more. Attendees will receive a free copy of The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing, as well as a workbook outlining all major course topics.

The class will be held at the Foundation Center's New York City office, located at 79 Fifth Avenue (at 16th Street), 2nd Floor; the cost is $195. For more information, visit www.fdncenter.org, or call (800) 424-9836.