Grant Funding

Program Management Colleagues,

This is a new feature of the Program Management CoP.  In this discussion thread let's explore possible funding sources for adult basic skills education. In some cases the grants posted in this thread will clearly be intended for adult basic skills education (among other priorities), but in other cases it isn't clear. My hope is that in cases where it is not clear simply because the funding source is not aware of adult basic skills as an education program, program managers' letters or emails of inquiry may cause them to take a new interest in adult basic skills. If you send a letter/email of inquiry, or have a phone conversation with the foundation and find that they would like to receive proposals from adult basic skills programs, please share that information here. If you have already received a grant from a foundation, please let us know that the funder is open to projects from adult basic skills programs.

To  begin, the Lowe's Charitable and Education Foundation has a Community Partners grants program. The Foundation provides funding only to 501(c) (3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and public agencies in communities where Lowe’s operates stores and distribution centers. Grants range from $2,001 - $100,000. Average grants are $10,000 - $25,000. They also have several other grant programs that you can read about on their website. It is not clear if they would include adult basic skills under K-12 education or funding for public education. At least one of their grant programs supports technology upgrades.

Anyone have experience with this foundation supporting adult basic skills programs?

David J. Rosen

Moderator, Program Management CoP

djrosen123@gmail.com

 

 

Comments

Leecy Wise replied in response to this post, in the Technology and Learninc CoP:

I love that you've started this thread, David, and can't wait for more resources to be shared. Since we live in the boonies, I find that very, very often, we don't qualify for grants that are offered by businesses like Lowe, Dollar, and others who support Adult Ed since we don't have big businesses in our communities. The big exception is Walmart. I wrote a Walmart grant to fund training to help students succeed in training for entry-level careers. As I recall, they funded around $65 K, which paid for instructors, child care, and curriculum development, I believe. The amount was restricted to a certain % of the total need to implement the project. It was a real success. I wrote two additional grants, but they never funded us again.  http://giving.walmart.com/foundation

One huge supporter for purchasing live-video equipment has been the RUS grant from the US Dept of Ag! "The Distance Learning and Telemedicine program helps rural communities use the unique capabilities of telecommunications to connect to each other and to the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. For example, this program can link teachers and medical service providers in one area to students and patients in another." The small Adult Ed program in this region has state-of-the-art equipment, which it uses to both broadcast and receive instruction in the region and around the globe." http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/distance-learning-telemedicine-grants This grant is a "bear" to write, but we have a national grant writer that is a pro writing RUS proposals. In fact, if anyone out there wants to collaborate on writing a RUS, I have a contact that I can share. Drop me a note at leecywise@gmail.com. Leecy

 

Program Management Colleagues,

The announcement below about funding for the new $ multi-million Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) may be of interest.

HUD's Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program Funding Opportunity is Now Open!

Today, the Department of Housing and Urban Development released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP). Under the program, up to ten communities (at least four rural) will be awarded a total of $33 million to design and implement a coordinated community response to ending youth homelessness. The deadline for submission is November 30.

In order to end youth homelessness, every community must build a coordinated community response, in which a full range of programs and interventions are aligned into an effective system that is managed across community programs. The YHDP builds upon the USICH vision of a coordinated community response released in September 2015 by providing resources to the chosen communities to design and implement this approach.

To learn more about the NOFA, read our blog.

Register for our webinar on September 15 to hear strategies for success in responding to the NOFA.

Coordinated Community Response to Prevent and End Homelessness

 

David J. Rosen

Moderator, Program Management CoP

djrosen123@gmail.com

Program Management Colleagues,

Here's a grant source for family literacy programs, the Wish You Well Foundation, https://www.wishyouwellfoundation.org/programs-funded/ Their grants promote child and family literacy programs. Their priority is for development and expansion of both new and existing literacy and education programs. Not-for-profit organizations can receive grants up to $10,000.

 

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS Community Program Manangement Group

djrosen123@gmail.com

Colleagues,

I am ready with a new post about a solid source of small grant funding for local adult literacy programs in several states where this particular corporation operates. However, before my next post, I need to hear from you.

Are these funding source posts useful to you? If so, let me know. Your silence will suggest they might be a waste of your time, in which case I'll stop.

If they are useful, tell me if you have applied for a grant based on learning about the source in the Program Management Community. Of course, I hope you were successful, but, it would still be useful to know if you applied, and if you plan to apply again. 

Did you find that the information I posted about these grants was accurate? If not, what needs to be corrected?

Thanks, Email me your answers or just hit reply to this LINCS post.

I look forward to hearing from you.

David J. Rosen

LINCS CoP Program Management Group Moderator

djrosen123@gmail.com