A weekly update for the S.C. Lowcountry Promise Zone
In this post, you can find descriptions of new events, webinars, resources and funding opportunities that may be helpful to Promise Zone partners and supporters.
In this update are grant opportunities for tourism projects, different kinds of AmeriCorps funding, food projects and other initiatives that focus on sustainable farming, healthy eating, patient-centered care, healthcare systems research and waste management.
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COMING EVENTS
WEBINAR: Farm to School program
USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Oct. 29, 2015, 11 a.m.
Join Deborah Kane, Director of the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Office of Community Food Systems, for a review of the USDA Farm to School Program’s accomplishments and to discuss what lies ahead. Topics will include a review of new farm to school resources, preliminary results and plans for the second USDA Farm to School Census, and several new areas of emphasis, including farm to summer, farm to preschool, and incorporating traditional foods into child nutrition programs. No registration required. To join, on Thursday, October 29 at 11:00 AM EDT:
- Access webinar
- Dial 1-800-988-0278 with participant passcode 1271320 for audio. NOTE: This webinar will be recorded and made publicly available on the FNS Webinars and Videos webpage.
WEBINAR: Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, Know Your Cooperative
USDA Rural Development
Oct. 30, 2015, 10 a.m.
The webinar will address the growing intersection between local food systems and cooperatives. Cooperative leaders from across the local food supply chain will discuss the advantages of the cooperative business model, how they are engaged in building robust local food systems, and supply-side, distribution, market-side and consumer issues.
- Dial:(866) 525-2577 Conference ID: 50573752. (USDA encourages participants to use computer audio and the online ‘chat’ feature instead of phone lines. )
- RSVP Required: Send an e-mail to Community Planning and Development Specialist Scott Cessarich at Cessarich@wdc.usda.govby Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, to reserve a seat if attending in person.
WEBINAR: DOE Loan Program Support for Distributed Energy Projects
Nov. 5, 2015, 1 p.m.
The US Department of Energy, the American Council on Renewable Energy, Stern Brothers, The Willdan Group and B2BWebinars.com are pleased to announce the upcoming webinar, DOE Loan Program Support for Distributed Energy Projects.
NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
2015 S.C. product development grants for tourism projects
Deadline is Nov. 20, 2015. Pre-application approval required.
Counties and municipal governments in the S.C. National Heritage Corridor can apply for grants of $20,000 to $100,000 for tourism projects that preserve and promote cultural, historic and natural resources. In the Promise Zone, eligible applicants must be located in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell and Colleton counties and must have matching funds already available.
Projects must be geared towards planning, development, revitalization, and conservation of historic, cultural, and natural heritage tourism sites and attractions. Examples of previously funded projects: feasibility studies, interpretation signage, museum exhibits, preservation and nature-based recreation development. Examples of non-fundable projects: festivals and events, for-profit businesses, administrative costs.
- To get a grant application, organizations must receive pre-approval. Applications are due by Nov. 20, 2015. More detailed information is here.
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) AmeriCorps State and National Grants FY 2016
Deadline for required intent to apply: Dec. 9, 2015; Application deadline: Jan. 20, 2016.
AmeriCorps has been an important part of advancing Administration priorities, including the Promise Zones. AmeriCorps has announced a funding opportunity that may be of interest to your organization or community. In the FY 2016 AmeriCorps competition, CNCS seeks to prioritize the investment of national service resources in:
- Disaster Services – improving community resiliency through disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation
- Economic Opportunity – increasing economic opportunities for communities, specifically opportunity youth, both as the population served and as AmeriCorps members
- Education – improving student academic performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics (STEM) or addressing student and school needs through School Turnaround AmeriCorps programming
- Environment – 21st Century Service Corps
- Veterans and Military Families – positively impacting the quality of life of veterans and improving military family strength
- Governor and Mayor Initiatives
- Programming that supports My Brother’s Keeper
- Multi-focus intermediaries that demonstrate measureable impact and primarily serve communities with limited resources and organizational infrastructure. i.e. rural and other underserved communities
- Safer communities – activities that focus on public safety and preventing and mitigating civil unrest e.g., summer programming or engaging communities that are part of The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.
- Elder Justice AmeriCorps
Please visit the Corporation for National and Community Service website for details.
- Intent to Apply: A notification of intent to apply is REQUIRED and is due Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 5:00 PM EST.
- Deadline: Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 5:00 PM EST.
Community Food Projects Grant Program, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Deadline: Nov. 30, 2015
The 2016 USDA Community Food Projects Grant Program Request for Applications (RFA) has been released, with $8.4 million in grant funding available. Applications are due Monday, November 30, 2015 at 5:00 PM EST. Community Food Projects (CFP) are designed to increase food security in communities by bringing the whole food system together to assess strengths, establish linkages, and create systems that improve the self-reliance of community members over their food needs. Eligible grant applicants include food program service providers, tribal organizations, or private nonprofit entities, including gleaners.
Applicants for CFP, and Planning Projects (PP) awards are encouraged to seek and create partnerships with public or private, nonprofit or for-profit entities, including links with academic institutions (including minority-serving colleges and universities), and/or other appropriate professionals, community-based organizations, local government entities and Promise Zone lead applicant/organization or implementation partner, and StrikeForce area coordinators and/or partnering entities. Only the applicant must meet the eligibility requirements. Project partners and collaborators need not meet the eligibility requirements. When planning collaborations, see Part III, B in the RFA. Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the successful completion of the project. See Part IV, D in the RFA.
The New Entry Sustainable Farming Project is providing free one-on-one technical assistance and resources to organizations interested in applying for the Community Food Projects Grant Program through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. View the Community Food Projects Grant Application
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grants
Purpose: Fund research and education projects for farmers, ranchers, extension agents, nonprofits, students, and communities. Eligibility: Researchers, academics, nonprofits, producers. Funding: Varies by U.S. region. Deadline: Varies by region.
Applications due Dec. 16, 2015
Purpose: Funds local, state and national organization efforts that enable SNAP participants to better afford healthy foods. Eligibility: Please see link. Funding: $16.8M in grants. Deadline: Webinar for applicants, October 14, 2:00pm. Applications due December 16, 2015. The November GoodGreens meeting will focus on FINI, including speakers representing Midwest FINI grantees from 2015.
HHS Announces $685 Million to Support Clinicians Delivering High Quality, Patient-centered Care
Announces the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative, a $685 million federal investment designed to support healthcare organizations by helping equip them with the tools to improve quality of care, increase patients’ access to information, and reduce costs. This includes funding for the National Rural Accountable Care Consortium to provide education and training for rural providers who may want to transition into Accountable Care Organizations.
Solid Waste Management Grant Program
USDA Rural Development
Deadline: Dec. 31, 2015
Offers funds to organizations to provide technical assistance that will reduce or eliminate pollution of water resources in rural areas, and improve planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas. Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Water and Waste Disposal Technical Assistance and Training Grants
USDA Rural Development
Deadline: Dec. 31, 2015
Grants for organizations that assist communities with water or wastewater operations through technical assistance and/or training. Geographic coverage: Nationwide
Improving Healthcare Systems Research Grants
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Letter of Intent (required): Nov. 12, 2015; Application deadline: Feb. 16, 2016
Offers funding to research the comparative effectiveness of innovative features of healthcare systems (e.g. use of innovative technology, deployment of personnel, incentives, organizational policies) that affect quality, outcomes, and/or efficiency of care. Studies that examine effects on certain populations, including low-income and rural populations, will receive priority. Geographic coverage: Nationwide
- PAST FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES: Click here
NEW RESOURCES
Housing Policy Levers to Promote Economic Mobility
Federal, state, and local policies that provide access to safe, affordable housing can play an essential role in improving the economic well-being of low-income households, a report from the Urban Institute and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation finds. Read the report here.
Beyond Financial Aid: How Colleges Can Strengthen the Financial Stability of Low-Income Students and Improve Student Outcome
Colleges and universities can improve the academic and life outcomes of low-income students by building a broad, integrated financial support system, a report from the Lumina Foundation suggests. Read the report here.
Turnaround Arts Initiative Final Evaluation Report
Implementing high-quality integrated arts education programming into high-poverty, chronically underperforming schools can enhance school-wide reform efforts, an evaluation of a public-private partnership launched by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2012 suggests. Read the report here.
Study on health differences between rural and non-rural U.S. counties
This cross-sectional study examines the rural and urban differences in health and healthcare within the U.S. using data accessed from the 2013 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Vital health factors evaluated include mortality, morbidity, health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and the physical environment. Read the study
The Difference Between What Poor People and Everyone Else Eats. MyAJC, 10/1/15. Researchers at the Yale
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity reviewed 25 studies and found that while the nearly 50 million Americans on SNAP are eating as many calories and consuming just as much soda as those without SNAP, those on SNAP are eating significantly less healthy, receiving scores of about 50/100 compared to 58/100 from those without SNAP.
National Advisory Committee Tackles Delivery System Reform, Child Poverty
From September 9-11, 2015, rural experts gathered in rural Minnesota for the 78th Meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS). This group serves as a voice for rural health and human services and is tasked with gathering input at the local, grassroots level and taking what they learn to make recommendations to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell.
Discusses the impact of access to healthy foods on the health of people living in food deserts, particularly those from low-income, low-food-access communities. Provides differing opinions on the causes of poor health for people living in these communities.
Source: The Daily Yonder
MedPAC Discusses Policy Options to Preserve Emergency Care in Rural Areas
A recent MedPAC public meeting included discussion on policy options aimed to preserve access to emergency care in rural communities, including a 24/7 emergency department model and a 24/7 ambulance service model.
