Philanthropy Front and Center - New York

Foundation Center Launches National Education Stimulus Initiative

The Foundation Center announced the launch of "Foundations for Education Excellence," a national initiative to engage philanthropic institutions and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education.

foundationcenter.org/educationexcellence, the web portal developed by the Foundation Center with a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, was launched in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education. It connects foundation funders in education to information and tools that will help them support ARRA's education reform goals.

"There is a unique window of opportunity in the coming weeks and months for private philanthropy to leverage its investment in education," said Bradford K. Smith, the Center's president. "Funders need fast-track tools to target areas of need and collaborate in new ways to improve educational opportunities across the country. The Foundation Center is ideally positioned to provide foundations with the knowledge platform needed to advance this process."

Read the full press release for details on the contents and uses of the portal.

ARRA Provides $650 Million to Innovative Education Programs

Innovative education programs around the country could soon benefit from a $650 million competitive grant fund included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Associated Press reports. Part of the $5 billion provided by ARRA to overhaul schools, the Investing in Innovation Fund will support programs run by school districts and nonprofits, including colleges and universities, organizations that work to turn around failing schools, and charter schools. According to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, programs that have proven successful will be awarded up to $50 million each, while programs that need money to expand or build a research base could receive up to $30 million, and promising ideas worth trying could receive up to $5 million.

Jean Johnson, Senior Librarian, Foundation Center-San Francisco

From the Answer Desk: What do nonprofits need to know about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill)?

A: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, will provide more than $787 billion in spending and tax cuts intended to help stimulate the national economy.

The Foundation Center has collected the best resources on how nonprofits may be able to access stimulus package funding, and our new MapShot: Best ARRA Funding Resources by State connects you to information about funding and other current opportunities in each state.

The Act includes new or expanded government grant programs to provide funding for assistance to communities or individuals affected by the economic crisis. Nonprofit organizations interested in applying for grants provided by this Act should visit the Grants.gov website for a listing of Recovery Act funding opportunities. For-profit organizations can find recovery procurement and contracting opportunities at FedBizOpps.gov.

In order to provide full accountability and transparency for the distribution of stimulus funds, the Federal government has created the Recovery.gov website. Visitors to the site can read the full text of the Act, view a timeline of administrative deadlines, and find news and updates on funding opportunities from Federal agencies.

Most state governments and Federal agencies have also created their own economic recovery sites. Directories of these official sites can be found at Recovery.gov:

• State Recovery Sites 
• Agency Recovery Sites

The National Council of Nonprofits has issued a series of special reports on the economic stimulus and recovery, including:

• Nonprofit Grant Opportunities - Summarizes the major spending and tax cut provisions of the Act and identifies potential grant opportunities for nonprofits.
• Stimulus Grant Tips and Thoughts - Offers grant information, tips, and considerations for nonprofits interested in applying for stimulus funds.
• Whether and How States are Accepting & Distributing Federal Stimulus Funds - Reviews how state governments have indicated they will handle the Federal funds.
• Sources of Information Regarding Stimulus Funds - Identifies sources of information about the Act and stimulus funds.

The National Council of Nonprofits also encourages organizations to contact their state nonprofit associations or their state and Congressional representatives for more information on local stimulus funding.

Selected resources below may also be helpful.

Independent Sector - Economic Recovery Act and Nonprofits - Provides this analysis and commentary on the Act at its site, along with tips for nonprofit organizations on establishing strong ties with policymakers.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: State-By-State Estimates of Key Provisions Affecting Low- and Moderate-Income Individuals - This report, issued by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, outlines key provisions of the Act affecting low- and moderate-income individuals and includes a state-by-state analysis of these funding provisions.

StateRecovery.org - A service of the Council on State Governments, StateRecovery.org is targeted towards officials in state government, but contains useful information on federal assistance, listings of grant opportunities, and a series of reports analyzing the prospective impact of stimulus funding at the state level.

National Conference of State Legislatures - Economic Stimulus 2009 - Provides summaries and analysis of major provisions of the Act for state legislators, but also includes information that can useful to the general public.

National Governors Association - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - Created to provide information on state implementation of ARRA, analysis of the Act’s provisions for a range of topics, and links to additional resources.

Have a question? Ask Us!

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Applying for ARRA 2009 Funding: Resources and Links

With the assistance of New York City Council Member Gale A. Brewer, we're able to share these summaries of  programs to which nonprofit organizations and other non-governmental agencies in New York can apply for stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These include:

- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants
Purpose of funds: To assist in implementing strategies to reduce fossil fuel emissions and reduce the total energy use of the eligible entities
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Energy
State Agency: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Eligible entities: States, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and public-private partnerships

- Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
Purpose of funds: To expand broadband services to unserved and underserved areas and improve access to broadband by public safety agencies
Federal Agency: National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
State Agency: New York State Chief Information Officer / Office for Technology
Eligible entities: Municipalities, community organizations, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit entities

- Housing/Community Development: Neighborhood Stabilization Program
Purpose of funding: To address home foreclosure and abandonment
Federal Agency: U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development
State Agency: NYHOMES
Eligible entities: States, units of general local government, nonprofit organizations, and consortia of nonprofits

- Health Information Technology: Health Care Information Enterprise Integration Research Centers
Purpose of Funds: Provide assistance to institutions of higher education to establish multidisciplinary centers for multidisciplinary research on health delivery
Federal Agency: National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
State Agency: New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation
Eligible entities: Institutions of higher education, public-private partnerships, for-profit entities, and nonprofit organizations

- Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Project Grants
Purpose of Funds: Provide financial and technical assistance to shovel-ready projects that target the restoration of marine and coastal habitats and that result in the creation or retention of restoration-related jobs
Federal Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
State Agency: Department of Environmental Conservation
Eligible entities: Institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, commercial (for-profit) organizations, U.S. Territories, and state, local and Indian tribal governments

We'll be including additional information for nonprofits and individuals in upcoming posts. We suggest you review this information quickly, since some deadlines are already approaching. Have additional information to share? Please post to this blog.