Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) is sending his “March Grants Action News Update” to residents, organizations and local governments about a series of grants available from the state, federal government and private entities. Each month, the Assembly provides an updated list of grants for a variety of categories.

“During a time of economic recovery, grants can play an integral part in helping our local communities complete needed infrastructure repairs or support under-funded projects,” said Palmesano. “Many people don’t realize the scope of available opportunities because they aren’t sure where to look. The ‘Grants Action News’ bulletin makes finding these grants much easier by consolidating the information and making it available to everyone. I hope that residents, organizations and local governments throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions will be able to use this resource to find much-needed support to strengthen communities in our rural area.”

The Grants Action News bulletin is updated at the beginning of each month with newly-available grants and information on how to apply. Continuing his monthly updates, Palmesano will be providing regular updates on his Assembly website at: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Philip-A-Palmesano, – just like “Assemblyman Phil Palmesano” to stay up-to-date on new grant information.

The bulletin can be accessed here:

http://nyassembly.gov/gan/20170301/index.pdf

State Grants

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

(NYSERDA) The Operations and Maintenance Workforce Development and Training Program seeks to reduce energy use and associated carbon emissions while saving building operators and owners money by boosting the skills of operations and maintenance staff and managers across the state. The goal is to provide support to help employers and building owners with workforce development and training projects. NYSERDA will support eligible projects by providing funding for activities such as, but not limited to, onsite training laboratories, curriculum development, career pathways training, coaching/mentorships, apprenticeships, internships, training trainers within a company and partnerships with manufacturers.

• Eligibility: Eligible participants include facilities that are New York State Benefits Charge (SBC)/Clean Energy Fund (CEF). Such entities may include multifamily housing, office buildings, retail, colleges and universities, hospitals and health care facilities, state and local governments, not-for-profit and private institutions, industrial and public and private K-12 schools. Other building types will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Participant buildings must have total energy expenditures of $1 million or more annually.
• Funding: NYSERDA will provide cost share of up to 50 percent with a cap of $400,000 per application.
• Deadline: April 27, 2017, but applications are accepted on a first-come, first- served basis dependent on funding availability.
• Contact: Adele Ferranti Phone: 518-862-1090, ext. 3206 Email: adele.ferranti@nyserda.ny.gov Website: www.nyserda.ny.gov

New York State Department of Environmental

Conservation (DEC) Planting and caring for a tree seedling can help young people learn about the natural world and the value of trees in it. DEC’s School Seedling Program provides New York State students with this opportunity. Schools may submit an application for a choice of one of three varieties of seedlings: white spruce, white pine or a wildlife packet mix of shrubs. The seedlings are two to three years old. The only equipment needed to plant them is a shovel and a bucket.

• Eligibility: All schools may participate, whether public, private or parochial, nursery, elementary, secondary, vocational, college or university. Any school-sponsored organization is also eligible to participate.
• Funding: This grant consists of receiving a shipment of either 50 white spruce seedlings, 50 white pine seedlings or a packet of 30 wildlife habitat shrubs which are attractive to songbirds and other wildlife.
• Deadline: March 31 is the deadline to order the seedlings. Shipments can be scheduled for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday only between April 14 and the third week in May.
• Contact: David J. Lee Phone: 518-581-1439 Email: david.lee@dec.ny.gov Website: www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/schoolseedling.pdf

Federal Grants

Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is soliciting investigator initiated research that will identify and characterize environmental toxicants in human biological samples that may be potential environmental risk factors for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Applications are also sought that will evaluate the impact of environmental toxicants on the development and progression of ALS, including gene-environment interactions.

• Eligibility: Eligible applicants include public and private higher education institutions, local governments, state and county governments, nonprofits, Indian/Native American tribal governments and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
• Funding: ATSDR intends to commit up to $2.5 million in FY17 to fund up to five applications for this Funding Opportunity Announcement.
• Deadline: April 21, 2017.
• Contact: (Scientific/Research) Marcienne Wright, PhD Phone: 770-488-4850 Email: marcienne.wright@cdc.hhs.gov
• Contact: (Financial/Grants Management) Kerwin Lawrence Phone: 770-488-1120 Email: mpx7@cdc.gov

Private Grants

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize

For three generations, The J.M. Kaplan Fund has provided catalytic funding for projects in their early stages of development. The J.M.K. Innovation Prize will be awarded to projects that: represent a game-changing answer to a clearly identified need; are innovative within, in-between or in a manner related to the Fund’s three funding areas: environment, heritage conservation and social justice; demonstrate the potential to develop an actionable pilot or prototype with prize funding; and hold out the promise to benefit multiple individuals, communities or sectors through a clearly articulated theory of change.

• Eligibility: Nonprofit and mission-driven for-profit organizations are eligible to apply.
• Funding: The prize will provide up to three years of support at $50,000 per year, as well as a $25,000 “bank” of funds available for technical assistance or targeted project expenses, making a total award of $175,000.
• Deadline: Applications are accepted from January 25 through April 28, 2017.
• Contact: Justin Goldbach, Director, The J.M.K. Innovation Prize Phone: 212-767-0630 Email: jmkinnovationprize@jmkfund.org Website: www.jmkfund.org

Scholars Awards

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, independent foundation dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. The foundation supports exceptional students from elementary school to graduate school through scholarships, grants, direct service and knowledge creation and dissemination. It provides individualized academic advising, financial support and a pathway to the foundation’s $40,000 per year College Scholarship. The Young Scholars Program supports chosen high achieving seventh graders from low-income families and supports their academic success from eighth grade through high school.

• Eligibility: Current seventh graders, who have strong academic records, are entering eighth grade in September and reside in the United States or a U.S. territory. Family income cannot exceed $95,000.
• Funding: From eighth grade through senior year high of school, Young Scholars receive the following support from the Cooke Foundation: a personal academic and college counselor; funding for academic and enrichment programs in the summer and during the school year; internship and study abroad opportunities; and educational resources including books and technology.
• Deadline: April 5, 2017, at 12:00 p.m. EST.
• Contact: Cooke Scholarships Customer Care Center Phone: 800-941-3300 Email: scholarships@jkcf.org Website: www.jkcf.org/ysp
• Media contact: media@jkcf.org

The Foundation Center

The Foundation Center has scheduled the following free training classes:

Introduction to Finding Grants: Classroom, April 11

In this newly revised class, attendees will learn what funders want in nonprofits seeking grants and how to find potential funders.

Introduction to Proposal Writing: Classroom, April 18

This newly-revised class will provide attendees with an overview of how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation.

Introduction to Project Budgets (Proposal Budgeting Basics): Classroom, April 19

This class will provide attendees with step-by-step instructions on how to generate a standard project budget for a foundation proposal. Prior attendance at Introduction to Proposal Writing is strongly recommended.