Grants Roundup (from Heritage Preservation)

Grant Roundup from Heritage Preservation:
IMLS – 21^st Century Museum Professionals
Deadline: March 15, 2011
IMLS – Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services
Deadline: April 1, 2011
NEH – Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions
Deadline: May 3, 2011
NEH – Challenge Grants
Deadline: May 4, 2011
NEH – Preservation & Access Research & Development
Deadline: May 19, 2011
NEH – Preservation & Access Education & Training
Deadline: July 1, 2011
NEH – Humanities Collections & Reference Resources
Deadline: July 20, 2011

Grant Funding for "Hidden Collections"

From the Council on Library and Information Resources...

CLIR Requests Preproposals for Hidden Collections Grant

Washington, DC, January 19--The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) today opened the preproposal application period for its Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives grant program. Information about the program and links to the online application and guidelines are available at http://www.clir.org/hiddencollections/index.html. The deadline for submitting completed preproposals is Friday, March 11, 2011. All applicants are required to submit a preproposal; final proposals will be accepted only from applicants whose preproposals are approved by the programs review panel.

In 2011 the program expects to award about $4 million in grants that range from $75,000 to $500,000. Applicants may request terms as short as 12 months or as long as 36 months, or any period in between. A review panel will evaluate proposals and select the award recipients; payments will be made by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Decisions will be announced by December 31, 2011, and applicants may begin their projects anytime between January 1, 2012, and March 1, 2012.

The program will award funds to institutions holding collections of high scholarly value that are difficult or impossible to locate through existing finding aids. Award recipients will create descriptive information for their hidden collections that will be linked to and interoperable with all other projects funded by this grant, to form a federated environment that can be built upon over time. Funding for the program comes from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

CLIR is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to expand access to information, however recorded and preserved, as a public good. Through publications, projects, and programs, CLIR works to maintain and improve access to information for generations to come. In partnership with other institutions, CLIR helps create services that expand the concept of "library" and supports the providers and preservers of information. Information about CLIR and its work is available atwww.clir.org.

Next LAHA Quarterly Meeting: November 6, 2010

Our next LAHA Quarterly Meeting will be on November 6, 2010 at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton (1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton,92833). Zoot Valasco will present on how to use events to generate income, as their budget rose 14% last year in large part because of their events and about 60% of their budget now comes from events, weddings and fundraisers. The meeting will begin at 10AM and will be followed by a tour, as well.

Getting to the meeting:

People can come by Amtrak train (an 8:30am train from Union Station that arrives at 9am), and we'll coordinate a pick up.

Or, you can drive: Take the 91 East, exit Euclid, drive North to Malvern and turn left. It's one block down on the Right. If you take the 5 South, exit Artesia and head East. Turn left at Dale and then right at Malvern, and you will drive past the Target and see the Mansion on left hand side.

Parking is in rear lot.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP by November 4th to laheritage@gmail.com.

Federal Grants for Museums: Deadline Nov. 1st

The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can be viewed on the agency's Web site at http://www.imls.gov/news/2010/083110.shtm

IMLS Calls for 2011 Museums for America Grant Applications

Deadline: November 1, 2010

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications to its largest museum grant program, Museums for America (MFA), for fiscal year 2011. Museums for America grants provide up to $150,000 in funding and support projects that strengthen a museum’s capacity to serve its community.

Museums for America grants are awarded in the following areas:

1. Engaging communities (education, exhibition, and interpretation)

2. Building institutional capacity (management, policy, and training)

3. Collections stewardship (management of collections)

Through these broad categories, IMLS supports a full range of museum activities including digitization of collections, staff training, research, exhibitions, educational programs, Web site enhancement and development, collections management, and other similar activities.

MFA grants are available to museums of all types and sizes that fulfill the eligibility criteria and are located in the United States or its territories. Applicants are required to demonstrate that proposed grant activities are clearly linked to the institution’s strategic plan and will enhance the museum’s ties and value to its community.

Webinar with MFA Grants Staff

Learn more about the MFA program at an upcoming webinar. MFA program staff will talk about the grant program, the grant application process, and answer participants’ questions:

Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 3 pm Eastern Time

Webinar link: http://instmus.acrobat.com/mfa-applicants/

Conference call number: 1-888-850-4523; Participant Passcode: 761243

Test your computer’s compatibility with Adobe Connect Pro by visiting the following link: http://my.adobe.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm. We recommend you do this well before the conference begins.

Participants may begin logging in to the webinar up to 10 minutes prior to the conference start time. We recommend you log in to the webinar before calling the conference call line. If you do not have a computer available, you may participate solely through the conference call line.

Application guidelines and instructions are available here: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/forAmerica.shtm.

Please direct any questions about the MFA program to Sandra Narva, senior program officer, 202-653-4634, snarva@imls.gov ; Steve Shwartzman, senior program officer, 202-653-4641, sshwartzman@imls.gov; Reagan Moore, program specialist, 202-653-4637, rmoore@imls.gov; or Allison Boals, program specialist, 202-653-4702, aboals@imls.gov.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

New Funding For L.A. Preservation Projects

From the National Trust for Historic Preservation...

National Trust for Historic Preservation Opens New Round of Funding to Aid Los Angeles County Preservation Projects

San Francisco, CA (May 14, 2010) –Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced the opening of the application period for the second round of grants from the Los Angeles County Preservation Fund. Funded jointly by the Ahmanson Foundation, the Getty Foundation and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Los Angeles County Preservation Fund provides seed monies (typical award $5,000 to $10,000) to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for preservation, stewardship, and community revitalization involving historic resources across Los Angeles County.

“We created this dedicated source of financial support to increase public awareness of the wealth of heritage resources, advocacy efforts, and historic preservation projects in greater Los Angeles County,” said Anthea Hartig, director of the National Trust Western Office in San Francisco. “The first twelve grants highlight chapters in the diverse heritage of America’s most populous county. In addition to fostering civic pride and encouraging thoughtful stewardship of sites of community memory, projects funded by the Los Angeles County Preservation Fund also inspire additional fundraising and yield substantial economic activity.”

Intended to build credibility and public awareness of historic preservation activities, the seed grants give momentum to community preservation projects getting off the ground, providing capital in early stages and at critical junctures. A required dollar-for-dollar match means that the grants act as fundraising catalysts, leveraging additional financial support and community buy-in.

Grant awards will support activities and projects such as:

• Professional consulting services in areas that include architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation or land-use planning, economics, organizational development, media relations and law;
• Bricks-and-mortar construction activities at historic sites and structures;
• Surveys and inventories of historic resources;
• Educational workshops, outreach activities, or community forums; and
• Designing and producing printed materials or other media communications to advance historic preservation.

The initial round of the Los Angeles County Preservation Fund generated a thematically and geographically diverse group of projects, including preservation of two 19^th century ranch homes, the gateways to Chinatown’s Central Plaza, and a mid-century modern resource with intimate links to architects Richard and Dion Neutra’s evolving design ideas. To learn full details of first twelve projects go tohttp://www.preservationnation.org/about-us/regional-offices/western/los-angeles-county-1.html

City governments, government agencies, and 501(c) (3) nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. The application deadline for the second grant round will close on June 15, 2010 (postmarked). Individuals and private, for profit businesses are not eligible to apply. For the Los Angeles County Preservation Fund application, as well as complete guidelines and instructions, please see: www.preservationnation.org/lapf.

Funds may not be used: to acquire property or purchase equipment; to conduct academic research; for salaries, operating, or overhead expenses; or to raise general operating funds towards capital campaign goals.

The Los Angeles County Preservation Fund is coordinated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation Western Office, in San Francisco, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Conservancy, a Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Applicants are required to contact the National Trust for Historic Preservation Western Office for assistance in identifying an appropriate eligible project prior to submitting an application. For further information, please contact Melita Jureša-McDonald, Elizabeth Boylan or Hugh Rowland in the Western Office, 415.947.0692

21st Century Museum Grants

Institute of Museum and Library Services: 21st Century Museum Professionals
This program provides support to increase the capacity of museums by improving the knowledge and skills of museum professionals in multiple institutions.

Basic details from their site (click for the full details)....

FY 2010 Deadline:

March 15, 2010

Grant Amount:

 $15,000-$500,000

Grant Period:

 Up to three years

Matching Requirement: 

1:1 for all funds requested from IMLS

Program Overview

Museum professionals need high levels of knowledge and expertise as they help create public value for the communities they serve. The purpose of the 21st Century Museum Professionals program is to increase the capacity of museums by improving the knowledge and skills of museum professionals in multiple institutions. 21st Century Museum Professionals grants are intended to reach broad groups of museum professionals throughout a city, county, state, region, or the nation.

Grants fund a wide range of activities, including the development and implementation of classes, seminars, and workshops; resources to support leadership development; collection, assessment, development, and/or dissemination of information that leads to better museum operations; activities that strengthen the use of contemporary technology tools to deliver programs and services; support for the enhancement of pre-professional training programs; and organizational support for the development of internship and fellowship programs. IMLS also welcomes proposals that promote the skills necessary to develop 21st century communities, citizens, and workers.

Eligibility
Museums that fulfill the eligibility criteria for museums may apply. Public or private not-for profit agencies, organizations or associations that engage in activities designed to advance museums and the museum profession may also apply. In addition, institutions of higher education, including public and nonprofit universities are eligible.

Grants for PLANNING Historic Projects

From GrantStation...

National Endowment for the Humanities: Interpreting America's Historic Places: Planning Grants
This program provides funds for public humanities projects that may need further development before applying for implementation. The Deadline to apply is January 13, 2010, but you need to register with grants.gov to be able to apply for Federal Funding.

About the Grant:

Interpreting America’s Historic Places grants support public humanities projects that exploit the evocative power of historic places to explore stories, ideas, and beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world. The Division of Public Programs supports the development of humanities content and interactivity that excite, inform, and stir thoughtful reflection upon culture, identity, and history in creative and new ways. Interpreting America’s Historic Places projects may interpret a single historic site or house, a series of sites, an entire neighborhood, a town or community, or a larger geographical region. Grants for Interpreting America’s Historic Places should encourage dialogue, discussion, and civic engagement, and they should foster learning among people of all ages. To that end, the Division of Public Programs urges applicants to consider more than one format for presenting humanities ideas to the public.

New Preservation Funding Opportunity for L.A. County

From the National Trust for Historic Preservation...

Seed Grants for Los Angeles County Historic Preservation Projects

New Funding Opportunity From the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Contact: pr@nthp.org, 202-588-6141 or
Melita Jureša-McDonald/Elizabeth Boylan/Hugh Rowland, Western Office, 415.947.0692

San Francisco (September 23, 2009)–The National Trust for Historic Preservation announces a grant program targeting historic preservation across Los Angeles County. Grants from the newly created Los Angeles County Preservation Fund will provide seed monies (typical award $5,000 to $10,000) to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for preservation, stewardship, and community revitalization involving historic resources.

Initial funding for this Los Angeles County opportunity has been made possible by support from the Getty Foundation, matched by additional funding from the Ahmanson Foundation. Uniting funding from two visionary Los Angeles philanthropic institutions, the Los Angeles County Preservation Fund provides a dedicated fund to support preservation and community revitalization across Los Angeles County. The newly established fund will showcase and build awareness of historic preservation efforts in the nation's most populous county.

City governments, government agencies, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply and the application deadline for the inaugural grant round will be November 6, 2009. Individuals and private, for profit businesses are not eligible to apply.

Grant awards will support activities and projects such as:

-Providing consulting services in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation or land-use planning, economics, fundraising, organizational development, media relations, education, and law
-Sponsoring workshops or community forums
-Designing, producing, and marketing printed materials or other media communications to advance historic preservation
-Bricks-and-mortar construction activities at designated historic sites and structures Surveys and inventories of historic resources
-Funds may not be used: to acquire property or purchase equipment; to conduct academic research; for salaries, operating, or overhead expenses; or to raise general operating funds towards capital campaign goals.

The catalytic seed grants are intended to build credibility, leverage additional support, and provide momentum to get community preservation projects off the ground, providing capital in early stages and at critical junctures. Cash awards ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 will be distributed to assist governments and government agencies, fledgling grassroots groups, and seasoned organizations: contract for professional services; conduct planning to overcome obstacles; restore historic properties; take steps to reinvigorate historic neighborhoods; and build public awareness of historic preservation activities in Los Angeles County. For the application for Los Angeles County Preservation Fund, as well as complete guidelines and instructions, please see: www.preservationnation.org/lapf.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation considers its national program of providing seed grants to historic preservation efforts a hallmark of its work to bring people together "to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them."

Los Angeles County's 4,084 square miles are home to an inspiring range of irreplaceable heritage resources; its 88 contributing cities hold 421 National Register-listed resources, 91 state monuments, 6 California Register sites, over 900 Historic-Cultural Monuments (local landmarks), and 22 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (Historic Districts). Like heritage resources nationwide, cherished and distinct community landmarks across Los Angeles County -- humble to magnificent -- are at risk: threatened by demolition, natural disaster, urban sprawl, and deferred maintenance.

The Los Angeles County Preservation Fund will be coordinated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation Western Office, in San Francisco, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Conservancy, a Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Applicants are required to contact the National Trust for Historic Preservation Western Office for assistance in identifying an appropriate eligible project prior to submitting an application.

The Getty Foundation fulfills the philanthropic mission of the Getty Trust by supporting individuals and institutions committed to advancing the understanding and preservation of the visual arts locally and throughout the world. Through strategic grants and programs, the Foundation strengthens art history as a global discipline, promotes the interdisciplinary practice of conservation, increases access to museum and archival collections, and develops current and future leaders in the visual arts. The Foundation carries out its work in collaboration with the Getty Museum, Research Institute, and Conservation Institute to ensure the Getty programs achieve maximum impact.

The Ahmanson Foundation serves Los Angeles County by funding cultural projects in the arts and humanities, education at all levels, health care, programs related to homelessness and underserved populations as well as a wide range of human services.

The Los Angeles Conservancy is the largest membership-based local historic preservation organization in the country and is dedicated to the recognition, preservation, and revitalization of the architectural and cultural heritage of greater Los Angeles.

Funding for Museums from MetLife

MetLife Foundation is offering grants to art museums, and many heritage museums could fall into that category. Additionally, by establishing partnerships or collaborations with other art institutions, there may be an opportunity for funding. Take a look and see what you can do in the next month; the deadline is October 9, 2009.

from their site:

Museums are a vibrant force in our communities. They play an important role in helping people experience and understand our world and in educating individuals of all ages. Recognizing the important contributions and educational value of museums, MetLife Foundation has awarded grants totaling over $25 million in recent years to museums across the country.

MetLife Foundation created the Museum and Community Connections program in 2007 with the objective of strengthening communities, broadening programming and promoting museums as centers of education without boundaries. The program has awarded $2 million in grants during the 2007 and 2008 funding cycles.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
In 2009, under Museum and Community Connections, MetLife Foundation expects to award grants totaling $1 million. The purpose of the program is to encourage art museums to reach out to large numbers of people of all ages and backgrounds through imaginative programs and/or exhibits that help us understand and appreciate each other and our world.

Funds to Host Field Trips

If you would like to increase your attendance and outreach to students in the area and beyond, the following information from Target might be helpful.

Target offers funding for field trips (up to $800) for 5,000 classes this next year.

The Target Field Trip Grants program provides funds for K-12 field trips in
order to give students throughout the country the opportunity to explore more of
the world outside the classroom. For the 2009-2010 school year, 5,000 grants of
up to $800 each will be awarded to educators, teachers, principals,
paraprofessionals, and classified staff who are employed by accredited K-12
public, private, or charter schools. Types of eligible field trips include art,
science, and cultural museum visits; community service and civic projects; and
career enrichment opportunities. Funds may be used to cover trip-related costs
such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials, and supplies. Online
applications will be available from August 5 through November 3, 2009.

You would not receive these funds directly, but you could use this information to target schools in your area (and beyond) to attend your historic site. This is a great reason to contact local principals, school districts, and teachers to remind them about your programs and how they CAN afford to attend a field trip at your location. As mentioned, they would receive the funds directly, but if you charge admission, the grant could cover that.

More information is on the Target webpage.

$100,000 Nonprofit Innovation Award

The Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University has announced the application and upcoming deadline for the 2009 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. If you're a registered 501(c)3-organization, you are eligible to apply. Details are here. Submissions are due by July 1 at 3pm PDT. If you have questions about the application or award process, please contact award@druckerinstitute.com.

1-Day Grant Writing 101 Workshop

From the Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Extension program:

A to Z Grant Writing 101
This course will present a simple and proven system that teaches participants how to prepare, organize and submit, not just a single, successful proposal, but an effective, ongoing campaign. Participants will learn to diversify their funding base to include government, foundation, corporate, business and individual donor funding; to implement a grantwriting campaign submitting up to a proposal each week; and to create a complete grant proposal package including budgets, need statements, measurable objectives, and evaluation plans. This course does not count toward the Certificate, but is devised to stand alone.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
10 AM - 4 PM
UHALL 1859
0.5 SEMESTER HOUR
$110, Instructor Linda Vallejo
CRN 30835 CNTX 815.03

For more information, visit extension.lmu.edu or call 310.338.2799

Bank of America Funding

The Bank of America provides support and funding for local community organizations through various philanthropy programs. Some relevant examples for Heritage Organizations in L.A. County would be...

Volunteer Grants:
Bank of America associates volunteer thousands of hours in our neighborhoods each year. In fact, more than 3,000 nonprofit organizations benefit from their associates’ dedication each year. To honor those who give their time and service to causes important to them, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations (up to $500 per person each calendar year), donated in associates’ names.

Matching Gifts
Dollar-for-dollar, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation matches up to $5,000 per person each calendar year. (There are certain guidelines that do apply.)

Local Grants
Bank of America’s local grant making activities can — and do — vary, depending on what your local community needs. Their local market presidents and their teams develop relationships with other community leaders to determine the best use of philanthropic dollars in each community. The majority of their local grant making programs has no deadline; applications are reviewed throughout the year at regularly scheduled local market leadership meetings.

Neighborhood Excellence Initiative:
Bank of America's signature philanthropic program, the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative recognizes, nurtures, and rewards community-based organizations, local heroes and student leaders working to improve their communities. They focus on areas such as: education, community development/neighborhood preservation, arts and culture, and health and human services. In order to address critical neighborhood needs, they work with local community leaders to identify economic and social priorities, and the visionaries working to sustain, strengthen and grow our communities. Together, they strive to can create healthy, vibrant neighborhoods where everyone can pursue their dreams.

* * *

Build a relationship with your local branch and regional leadership team to cultivate a funding source. Invite them to your site and programs, and/or offer the resources you have to them and their branch and clients. Create a mutually beneficial relationship.

And, as a reference point in terms of Bank of America's funding priorities, here is a sample for Arts & Culture...

The following areas should be considered for funding under the Arts and Culture Focus Area:
- Growth and expansion plans for expanding services either geographically or with content, creating jobs, increasing outreach abilities and visitor traffic and revenue
- Arts education programs or through community partners and/or schools for people of all ages and economic means
- Access programs that make the arts more convenient or less expensive to enjoy and learn from for: the general public, school children, low- and moderate-income populations, and the elderly
- Preserving materials, records, or institutions themselves that serve the public and contribute to the character and historical foundation of a community
-Supporting access to special arts-related events that serve the public or the community generally and enhance community involvement and assimilation
- Arts and culture has a very broad meaning. Arts institutions may focus their offerings and education on the visual arts, performing arts, architecture, or literature.
- Programs and exhibitions connected to environmental initiatives

Community-based Grants from the Union Pacific

From Grant Station:

Union Pacific Foundation: Community-Based Grant Program
The Union Pacific Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life in the communities served by Union Pacific Railroad, primarily in the midwestern and western United States. (For a company system map, go here.) Through the Community-Based Grant Program, the Foundation provides support in the following categories: Community and Civic, Fine Arts, and Health and Human Services. Organizations in the railroad's service area are invited to submit a one-page preliminary application form online. Selected organizations will receive a link to the website containing the online application form, which must be submitted by midnight CDT on August 15, 2009. Visit the website listed above for details on the Community-Based Grant Program.

From the criteria listed on the site, one of their funding priorities is Community and Civic Organizations, which include historical museums. Check it out!

Apply for Pro Bono Assistance from Taproot

The Taproot Foundation strengthens nonprofits by engaging business professionals in service. Non-Profits apply and can receive assistance in marketing, website design, strategic messaging, brochures, and more.  Though they are providing services and not cash dollars,  Taproot values their contributions at sometimes upwards of $50,000.

Taproot recently launched its Los Angeles Office. Currently, they have a limited service area, but as they review applications every quarter, their service area expands.

Apply now for their June 1st round of reviews; details on applying are here.

Cataloguing Hidden Special Collections

On June 15th, pre-proposals are due for the Council on Library and Information Resources's Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives grant program. From their site:

Libraries, archives, and cultural institutions hold millions of items that have never been adequately described. According to a 1998 Association of Research Libraries' survey of 99 North American research universities' special collections, on average 15 percent of their printed volumes, 27 percent of manuscripts, and 35 percent and 37 percent of video and audio, respectively, are unprocessed or uncatalogued. Nationally, this represents a staggering volume of items of potentially substantive intellectual value that are unknown and inaccessible to scholars.

With generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Council on Library and Information Resources administers this national program to identify and catalog hidden special collections and archives. In 2008, CLIR issued the program's first Request for Proposals (RFP, in pdf), to which 118 libraries, research centers, museums, historical societies, and other cultural heritage institutions responded. A distinguished review panel of librarians and scholars selected fifteen exceptional projects for funding. The primary criteria the panel employed in evaluating the proposals were the potential national significance of the nominated collections for scholarship and teaching, the application of description standards that would provide interoperability and long-term sustainability for project data, and innovations in the design of workflow processes that maximized both efficiency and the potential for outreach to user communities. Funded projects will continue for up to three years.

The program's strategy assumes local autonomy and responsibility but also requires participants to agree to governing principles that ensure enterprise-wide coherence. All nonconfidential information that applicants supply is made publicly available through CLIR's Hidden Collections Registry. Contributions to the Registry from institutions who do not wish to apply for grant funding are also welcome.

As the program continues, program staff will develop a descriptive record of a subset of collections that are deemed most urgently in need of cataloging and documentation. The record will evolve as funded proposals are completed. Although the program does not provide funds for the creation of digital surrogates of cataloged materials, CLIR hopes that many funded projects will ultimately be enhanced through the creation of publicly accessible digitized versions of the newly cataloged materials.

Full information on this program and funding can be found here.

PR Funding Available; Deadline June 30

A continuing challenge for many heritage groups is getting the word out about what you do and your many resources and assets. To help you and other non-profits, the Public Relations Society of America, Los Angeles Chapter offers a $10,000 grant.  From the Center for Non-Profit Management Newsletter:

The Don Perkins grant program has been available for more than 15 years and supports nonprofit organizations in Southern California to help defray costs related to their public relations activities. The grant is administered by the Public Relations Society of America, Los Angeles. The 2009 Grant Amount is $10,000 and the application deadline is June 30, 2009. To view an online application and apply, click here

Fund a Heritage Garden or Tree Planting

Home Depot has announced their three funding cycles for  2009. As a heritage organization, one way to take advantage of this opportunity is to develop a project that plants native plants around your service area, trees on your walking tour route, or creating an improved gateway to your community.

From Home  Depot:

Building Healthy Communities Grant Program 
Grants, up to $2,500, are now available to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, public schools or tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. who are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community.  Grants are made in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase or tools or materials.

"Grant-Searching" Resources in LA County

There are many resources for heritage non-profits and other grant seekers related to funding, but many of those sources of information cost money.

To that end, The Foundation Center offers Core Collections, which are free funding information centers in libraries, community foundations, and other nonprofit resource centers that provide a core collection of Foundation Center publications and a variety of supplementary materials and services in areas useful to grantseekers, including the following electronic resources:
-The Foundation Directory Online Professional
-Foundation Grants to Individuals Online

In LA County, the following locations serve as Core Collection centers with these valuable tools:
-Center For Nonprofit Management
-Flintridge Foundation
-Los Angeles Public Library, Mid-Valley Regional Branch
-Los Angeles Public Library, San Pedro Regional Branch
-Santa Monica Public Library
-Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research

Details on these sites can be found at the Los Angeles Public Library site here.

Other grant seeking resources can be found on the Library's site here or on the resources panel at the right column of this site.

Preservation Assistance Grant Applications Now Available

Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions help small and mid-sized institutions, such as museums, historical societies, archival repositories, libraries, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities, improve their ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections. Awards of up to $6,000 support preservation-related collection assessments, consultations, training and workshops, and institutional and collaborative disaster and emergency planning. Grants cover consultant fees, workshop registration fees, related travel and per diem expenses, and the costs of purchasing and shipping preservation supplies and equipment.

The 2009 guidelines for Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html. You will also find sample project descriptions, sample narratives, and a list of frequently asked questions. The deadline for applications is May 14, 2009. All applications to the NEH must be submitted through Grants.gov. See the application guidelines for details.

Small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant are especially encouraged to apply. For more information, contact the staff of NEH's Division of Preservation and Access at 202-606-8570 and preservation@neh.gov.

If your institution could use assistance in the application process, the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is offering FREE grant application support to your grant writing team to help bring this important funding to you. Contact Lee Price, CCAHA Director of Development at lprice@ccaha.org for more information.

From the 2009 Spring CAPabilities newsletter.