April 2023 Resources
Each month LOR sends a curated list of funding opportunities and other resources relevant for small rural communities in the Mountain West. To receive a link to our monthly resources guide, drop us a line to connect@lorfoundation.org.
Funding Opportunities
APRIL DEADLINES
The Arts Programs for Justice-Involved Youth initiative supports grants up to $50,000 for local and tribal governments, nonprofits, or institutions of higher education to create high-quality arts programs that help reduce juvenile delinquency, recidivism, or other high-risk behaviors. Arts programs may include, but are not limited to, visual arts, performing arts, filmmaking, and literary arts. Goals include developing or expanding high-quality community-based art programs for justice-involved youth in underserved areas, and developing or expanding high-quality, culturally relevant, and responsive art programs for justice-involved youth.
Deadline: Apr. 6
The PEDIGREE Foundation plans to provide over $1 million in 2023 to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. with dog shelter and rescue operations. Program development grants of $10,000 to $15,000 are available for programs increasing dog adoption rates in the following categories: transport programs, foster programs, and behavior programs. In addition, one DOGS RULE.™ Grant of $50,000 a year for two years will support an innovative best practice initiative that focuses on increasing dog adoption rates.
Deadline: Apr. 7 for dog adoption programs
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant program supports transitional housing and shelter services to survivors of domestic violence and their companion animals. Funding is intended to support programs that increase the number of shelter beds and transitional housing and provide community engagement and education related to the intersection of domestic violence, housing, and companion animals. A variety of organizations (including nonprofits, governmental, tribal, shelters and animal welfare groups) are eligible to apply. Grants range between $100,000 and $500,000.
Deadline: Apr. 10
The Department of Veterans Affairs Adaptive Sports Grant Program provides grants from $7,000 to $750,000 for a variety of organizations (including nonprofit, governmental, or tribal programs) to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs to provide adaptive sports activities for veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities. Eligible activities include instruction, participation, and competition in adaptive sports and other activities related to the implementation and operation of sports programs for those with disabilities.
Deadline: Apr. 11
The U.S. Department of Education’s Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities grant program supports the use of technology and educational materials for people with disabilities with funding up to $50,000 for state, local, and tribal governments, for-profits, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education. The purpose of the grant program is to improve results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; supporting educational activities designed to be of value for children with disabilities; providing support for captioning and video description that is appropriate for use in the classroom; and providing accessible educational materials to children with disabilities in a timely manner.
Deadline: Apr. 14
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation program aims to support access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement officers. Through grants of up to $200,000, local, state, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies can implement strategies that include peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention, and other promising practices for wellness programs.
Deadline: Apr. 14
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s “America the Beautiful” Challenge consolidates funding from multiple federal agencies to support locally led conservation and restoration projects. Approximately $116 million will be awarded for projects across the following themes: conserving and restoring rivers, coasts, wetlands, and watersheds; conserving and restoring forests, grasslands, and important ecosystems that serve as carbon sinks; connecting and reconnecting wildlife corridors, large landscapes, watersheds, and seascapes; improving ecosystem and community resilience to flooding, drought, and other climate-related threats; and expanding access to the outdoors, particularly in underserved communities. Grants can support planning, implementation, and public and private land strategies. Nonprofit organizations, state, tribal, local governments, municipal governments, and educational institutions are eligible to apply.
Deadline: Apr. 20
NEXT for AUTISM’s “Color the Spectrum” Community Grants provide support to autistic-focused nonprofit organizations. Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded to support the transition from school to adulthood in the following three areas: home, work, and social success.
Deadline: Apr. 20
USDA’s Rural Innovation Stronger Economies (RISE) program provides financial assistance in support of innovation centers and job accelerator programs in rural areas. Local, state, and tribal governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education that improve the ability of distressed rural communities to create high wage jobs and support job creation are eligible. There is $28 million in total funding available in the coming year and grants this round are expected to range from $50,000 to $2 million.
Deadline: Apr. 27
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program” provides grants to help farmers and ranchers enter into the field or improve their efforts in farming, ranching, and forest land management. Total funding of $28 million is available with awards to individuals expected to range from $49,000 to $750,000.
Deadline: Apr. 27
The Voya Unsung Heroes program seeks to reward excellence in U.S. schools by funding innovative K-12 classroom projects. Each year, 50 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund innovative class projects that improve student learning. Three of those are chosen to receive an additional $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000. Applicants must be full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff who are employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school.
Deadline: Apr. 28
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) Program offers funding to help school-based mental health programs better meet students’ needs. Nonprofits, schools, health facilities, and local and tribal governments are eligible for up to $1.8 million in funding that allows them to implement mental health-related promotion, awareness, prevention, intervention, and resilience activities for school-aged youth. The program aims to promote the healthy social and emotional development of school-aged youth and prevent youth violence in school settings.
Deadline: Apr. 28
The Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP) provides annual grants to community-based and national nonprofit organizations for programs linking volunteer financial planners to people in need. Eligible nonprofits must engage Certified Financial Planner™ professionals as volunteers, include one-on-one engagements between financial planner volunteers and pro bono clients, and help people in need of financial guidance or in a financial crisis who are underserved by the market and couldn’t ordinarily access quality, ethical advice. Grants are available to nonprofit organizations and generally range from $5,000 to $40,000.
Deadline: Apr. 30
The Mary Kay Ash Foundation’s Domestic Violence Shelter Grant program provides up to $20,000 in support to shelters with a goal of supporting at least one domestic violence shelter in every state that applies. Funds can be used for general operating expenses for emergency shelters supporting individuals who have experienced domestic violence.
Deadline: Apr. 30
MAY DEADLINES
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Mental Health Awareness Training grants can help frontline responders address mental health crisis situations. Local and tribal governments, nonprofit entities, and school districts are all eligible for funding up to $200,000 that can be used to train individuals—including school staff, emergency services personnel, veterans, armed services members and their families—to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders and how to safely address crisis situations.
Deadline: May 1
The Farmers Market Promotion Program supports projects that develop, coordinate, and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. Agricultural businesses or cooperatives, producer networks or associations, food councils, local governments, nonprofits, public benefit corporations, economic development corporations, regional farmers market authorities and tribal governments are eligible for grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 to increase access to locally produced food.
Deadline: May 2
The Department of Justice’s COPS Hiring Program provides funding to law enforcement agencies to hire additional officers to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), state, county, city or township governments are eligible for grants ranging from tens of thousands to multi-million dollar awards depending on jurisdiction size and need.
Deadline: May 4
The Department of Justice’s Enhancing School Capacity To Address Youth Violence provides funding for nonprofits, schools, institutions of higher education, tribal organizations, and other entities to implement programs that address youth violence in school-based settings. Programs are eligible for funding up to $1,000,000 and must be designed to (1) reduce the incidence of school violence through improved school safety and climate and (2) prevent youth violence, delinquency, and victimization.
Deadline: May 2
The Department of the Interior’s National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program provides funding for activities that reduce the risk and impact of catastrophic wildfires. State, local, and tribal governments, nonprofits, school districts, and institutions of higher education are eligible for $100,000 to $500,000 in grant funding. Funding can support local communities through coordination of mitigation efforts, reducing the amount of hazardous fuels, and furthering the education of landowners about wildfire prevention and mitigation.
Deadline: May 5
The Yield Giving Open Call from “Lever for Change” is making $250 million available to organizations working to improve the well-being of those in the United States most in need of help. Community-led, community-focused nonprofits who help create opportunities for those of meager or modest means, as well as those who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles are eligible to apply. Possible areas of focus include healthcare, housing, education, employment, civic engagement, or other pathways to opportunity. Two-hundred and fifty awardees will be selected in early 2024 and will receive an unrestricted gift of $1 million.
Deadline: Register to apply by May 5; Applications due June 12
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Cooperative Agreements for School-Based Trauma-Informed Support Services and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth program supports innovative initiatives to improve mental health care. Grants up to $980,000 per entity are available to state education agencies, school districts, and other local education agencies, and tribal governments to increase student access to evidence-based and culturally relevant trauma support services and mental health care.
Deadline: May 8
The U.S. Department of Justice’s STOP School Violence Program aims to increase school safety by funding a variety of strategies. Applicants are eligible for up to $2 million to improve school safety by implementing school-based behavioral threat assessments and/or intervention team training, technological solutions shown to increase school safety, and other school safety strategies that assist in preventing violence. School districts, institutes of higher education, state, county, city or township governments; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), and nonprofit organizations are all eligible to apply.
Deadline: May 8
Kroger’s offers funding to support hunger and food waste reduction efforts, diversity and inclusion, health and nutrition, and community strengthening efforts. Nonprofits in 35 states, including most in the Mountain West, are eligible for grants, sponsorships, gift card donations, and in-kind or product donations for local projects. Funding amounts vary by program type and focus.
Deadline: Rolling
STATE-SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES
Colorado Mini-grants are available for Summer Food Service Program sponsors, including schools and summer programs, who wish to purchase the technology necessary to run a Mobile Meal Counter App. The mobile application can streamline billing and meal service systems and increase access to nutritious meals for youth. Grant amounts will depend on the number of applicants (with a priority on rural providers) but $50,000 in total funding is available.
Deadline: Apr. 14
Colorado and New Mexico The Kerr Foundation provides funding to nonprofit organizations in target states, including Colorado and New Mexico, for capital, program, or operating expenses in the areas of education, health, human services, and arts and culture. Historically, the average grant amount for health and human services projects has been $9,500.
Deadline: Apr. 30 (Letter of Intent)
Resources
The Regional Rural Development Centers have released findings from national listening sessions on rural community, economic, and workforce development. RRDCs released this initiative to support the critical investments needed to build community capacity and improve quality of life in rural America.
USDA’s funding under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides new loan and grant products and unprecedented incentives to expand clean energy, transform rural power production, create jobs and spur economic growth. It’s the largest single investment in rural electrification since the passage of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936 and USDA’s Rural Development Office has put together a helpful guide for how to navigate this funding.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has put together a short guide to help states, territories and tribes when deploying high-speed internet service projects in their communities. With more than $45 billion in federal funding available for broadband expansion in underserved communities, the guide offers useful resources and tips for two programs: the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Digital Equity Act (DEA). It seeks to help public housing authorities, multifamily owners and operators, and tribes understand the mechanics of these two programs and the role they can play in ensuring that funds come to their neighborhoods—both urban and rural.