11/23: Promise Zone funding opportunities, resources, events

SC Promise Zone

A weekly update for the S.C. Lowcountry Promise Zone

PromiseZone_logoIn this post, you can find descriptions of new webinars, resources and funding opportunities that may be helpful to Promise Zone partners and supporters.

Pay close attention in particular to a couple of the grant opportunities that discuss Promise Zone bonus points for projects dealing with reentry of criminals into the general population.

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COMING EVENTS

WEBINARS:  Learn about the Affordable Care Act

Find out how to navigate the opportunities in health care through the Affordable Care Act 101 webinar series. Registration is free, but required.

WEBINAR:  Break the Chains, Build a Bridge

Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, 11 a.m.  to noon CST

After 25 years of providing various evidence-based life skills programs to incarcerated populations and families affected by the criminal justice system, nationally trained Bridges/Getting Ahead/R Rules facilitator Elain Ellerbe will share her insights into and implementation experience with these key programs. Individuals who are experiencing incarceration, as well as family members they leave behind, have unique needs, with most living in either generational or situational poverty.

Participants will learn why the Bridges Out of Poverty philosophy is effective with these populations, a step-by-step process of implementation (from approaching corrections to gaining access and working within a facility), sample budget/funding options, and how to gain the trust of participants and access to family members. Additionally, Elain will describe how programs based on the Bridges philosophy can be used effectively alongside other life skills programs such as job readiness, parenting, money management, and values clarification, key components of any corrections-based reentry program.

Elain, who lives in Louisiana (the state that has ranked No. 1 in the world in incarcerating its citizens for more than two decades), oversees a reentry program that is the first of its kind in the state. Her work has garnered state and national recognition.  Elain Ellerbe is the President and CEO of Refined By Fire Ministries in Jackson, Louisiana.

WEBINAR:  Mindset, Motivation, and the Argument for Change

Jan. 21, 2016, 11 a.m. to noon, CST

Jim Ott, a school psychologist and Bridges Out of Poverty Consultant with aha! Process, will discuss A Framework for Understanding Poverty and Bridges Out of Poverty principles and their application through Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World Jim will focus on these issues from a psychologist’s perspective – why the principles work and how we can apply them individually and systemically to facilitate real change in individuals and families.

NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Department of Labor Launches $100 Million TechHire Grant Competition

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has announced the availability of approximately $100 million in grant funds under the TechHire partnership and grant program.

The program is designed to provide individuals with the skills they need and connect them to well-paying, middle- and high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries.  These grants will pilot and scale-public private partnerships among the workforce investment system, education and training providers and business related non-profit organizations.

2015 Self-Help Homeownership (SHOP) Program

Deadline Date:  Jan.  4, 2016

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announces the availability of $9,977,500 of FY2015 Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) grant funds. SHOP funding is intended to facilitate and encourage innovative homeownership opportunities on a national and geographically-diverse basis. The program supports self-help housing programs that require a significant amount of sweat equity by the homebuyer toward the construction or rehabilitation of his or her home. Volunteer labor is also required.

Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program (JRAP)

Deadline: Jan.  4, 2016

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announces the availability of approximately $1.75 million for the Juvenile Re-entry Assistance Program (JRAP) to support successful transition to the community by reducing barriers to public housing, employment, and/or educational opportunities.

This NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) provides funding for Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) who have established a partnership with a legal aid organization, university legal center, public defender’s office, or other legal service organization that is a non-profit and has experience providing legal services to juveniles (including expungement and/or sealing the juvenile and/or adult criminal records) for 1) current public housing resident youth up to 24 years old who have a criminal record and/or 2) former household members (who are youth up to 24 years old) of current public housing residents who, but for their criminal record, would be living in public housing. These services must be in accordance with state law.

Bonus Points: In support of certain inter-agency initiatives, HUD awards bonus points to projects where the preponderance of work will occur in a designated zone, community or region. These points will be awarded only if the application otherwise meets or exceeds the Program’s minimum fundable score based on the rating factors of this NOFA.

HUD encourages activities in communities with Preferred Sustainability Status (PSS) and/or Promise Zones (PZ), HUD will award two (2) points for qualified activities within a designated zone or area and supporting either or both initiative(s). In no case will HUD award more than two bonus points for these activities.

To receive Promise Zones Bonus Points, applicants must submit form HUD 50153, Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone Goals and Implementation, signed by the Promise Zone Official authorized to certify the project meets the criteria to receive bonus points. To view the list of designated Promise Zones and persons authorized to certify, please go to the Promise Zones website. Please refer to page 17 of the NOFA for more information.

National Endowment for the Arts

Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by 11:00 PM EST on January 12, 2016.

The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has issued a request for proposals to rural communities interested in applying for funding to host a community design workshop in either 2016 or 2017. The communities will receive additional support through webinars, conference calls, and web-based resources on www.rural-design.org.

Training to Work 3 – Adult Reentry Grants

Deadline: Jan.  15, 2016

The U.S. Department of Labor announces the availability of approximately $20 million in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Second Chance Act of 2007 for Training to Work 3 – Adult Reentry. As a participant in the Promise Zone Initiative, DOL is cooperating with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Agriculture, and nine (9) other federal agencies to support comprehensive revitalization efforts in 20 of the highest poverty urban, rural and tribal communities across the country. Applicants that submit a certification (HUD Form 50153) signed by an authorized representative of the lead organization of a Promise Zone designated by HUD or the Department of Agriculture supporting the application will receive 2 priority consideration points.

Priority Consideration Points: As a participant in the Promise Zone Initiative, DOL is cooperating with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Agriculture, and nine (9) other federal agencies to support comprehensive revitalization efforts in 20 of the highest poverty urban, rural and tribal communities across the country. Applicants that submit a certification (HUD Form 50153) signed by an authorized representative of the lead organization of a Promise Zone designated by HUD or the Department of Agriculture supporting the application will receive 2 priority consideration points. To view the list of designated Promise Zones and lead organizations, please visit the Promise Zones web page. Please refer to page 2 of the NOFA for more information.

Goldman Sachs to Invest $150B in Clean Energy Development

Fortune reports that financial giant Goldman Sachs is investing $150 billion in clean energy and technology projects, including wind and solar farms, energy efficiency upgrades, and power grid infrastructure.

Kresge Foundation Issues RFP for Creative Food Initiative

DEADLINE: December 14, 2015

Grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded for the planning of place-based efforts aimed at increasing access to healthy food in cities and regional supply chains serving urban markets….

EREF Accepting Applications for Sustainable Solid Waste Management Research

The Environmental Research and Education Foundation is accepting pre-proposals for its Research in Sustainable Solid Waste Management grants program. The program supports research projects related to sustainable solid waste management practices, including waste minimization; recycling; waste conversion to energy, biofuels, chemicals, or other useful products; strategies to promote diversion to higher and better uses (e.g., organics diversion, market analysis, optimized material management, logistics, etc.); and landfilling. Desirable aspects of the above topics, in addition to or as part of hypothesis-driven applied research, also include economic or cost/benefit analyses; feasibility studies for untested technologies or management strategies; life cycle analysis or inventory, and analyses of policies that relate to the above (e.g., extended producer responsibility, recycling goals, carbon legislation, bottle bills, etc.).

RWJF Announces RFP for High-Value Innovations From Low-Resource Communities

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has issued a Request for Proposals for projects that support the identification and evaluation of promising innovations that improve health and healthcare quality — without increasing costs — in low-resource communities. Up to ten evaluations will be funded for a total of up to $2.5 million. Priority will be given to evaluations of innovations that are set in and meant to benefit the health of people in low-resource communities; intended to substantially improve a pressing community health problem; and  recognize consumers as important arbiters of value.

Pollination Project Invites Applications From Social Entrepreneurs for Seed Grants

The Pollination Project is accepting applications from social entrepreneurs looking to make their communities and  world a better place. Seed grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to projects in the early stages of development, including those that promote compassion toward all life (people, planet, animals), environmental sustainability, justice in all its forms, community health and wellness, and social change-oriented arts and culture. Only applications for seed funding, as opposed to ongoing operational or program costs of a nonprofit organization, will be accepted.
To be eligible, applicants must be a passionate, committed individual with a social change vision that fits within one or more of the categories above. Established nonprofit organizations with paid staff will not be considered. See the Pollination Project website for complete program guidelines, examples of previously funded projects, and application instructions.

Federal Partners Announce Availability of Program Support for State Medicaid-Housing Agency Partnerships

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in partnership with national organizations are pleased to announce a new opportunity for states needing targeted program support aimed at strengthening state-level collaboration between health and housing agencies to bring to scale permanent supportive housing (PSH) by coordinating housing resources with Medicaid-covered housing-related services. The Administration is committed to bringing to scale the cost-effective, evidence-based solution known as PSH to end chronic homelessness in 2017, as well as to support the community integration for people with long-term services and supports needs.

USICH, HUD, and HHS recognize that access to affordable, stable housing and access to coordinated and comprehensive health care services will improve health outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries and lower health care and other public services costs for states and communities. To apply, state Medicaid, housing, and behavioral health agencies should work collaboratively to complete the Expression of Interest by December 1, 2015. The Expression of Interest form can be found in the announcement made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of coordinated program support being offered through their Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Small Buildings Risk Sharing Initiative

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is inviting Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to apply for its Small Buildings Risk Sharing (SBRS) Initiative. The purpose of SBRS is to support and encourage the production and preservation of affordable housing. The program provides insurance and reinsurance for multifamily housing projects whose loans are originated, underwritten, serviced, and disposed of by approved lenders, including CDFIs. CDFIs and other lenders participating in the SBRS may elect to access low-cost fixed-rate long-term financing through the Federal Financing Bank (FFB). FFB pricing will be benchmarked to comparable Ginnie Mae securities.

FIND PAST FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:  Click here

NEW RESOURCES

WOMEN:  $118 Million Public-Private Effort for Women, Girls of Color Launched

Backed by more than $100 million in initial funding commitments, the White House has announced a new public-private initiative aimed at improving the lives of women and girls of color.

HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPs) and Office of HIV/AIDS Housing (OHH) are pleased to announce the availability of the recently recorded ‘Hear from Your Peers’ webinar. This webinar focuses on the strong bonds forged between HUD-funded housing and service programs, as well as mainstream resources and benefits, to ensure U.S. military veterans successfully receive and maintain housing. It also provides information about Veterans Affairs and locally-funded healthcare services, such as targeted case management, and substance and mental health treatment.

You can listen to peer leaders offering firsthand knowledge on how two innovative communities – Las Vegas/Clark County, NV and Seattle/King County, WA – have developed cross-systems partnerships to assist homeless and at-risk veterans with effectively accessing the housing, supportive services and healthcare resources they need. Discussants describe the approaches taken in their community to assure that all veterans are able to benefit from these resources, including permanent supportive housing.

HEALTH:  2015 Health Gaps reports released for all 50 states

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released their first-ever set of reports that identify significant gaps in opportunities for good health in each state and make recommendations for improvement.

The 2015 County Health Rankings Health Gaps Reports examine the number of premature deaths that could be prevented in each state if residents of all counties had the same opportunities to be healthy; discuss the factors influencing residents’ health; and, identify what states and communities can do to reduce these gaps.

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program offers free community coaching, a database of evidence-based policies and programs, and other tools and resources to help communities throughout their journey in building a Culture of Health for all of their citizens.

BONDS:  New Regulations for Projects Financed with Tax-Exempt Bonds

The Treasury and IRS published final regulations concerning the treatment of “mixed-use” projects financed with tax-exempt bonds. These new regulations have particular importance for 501(c)(3) health care organizations that are borrowers of tax-exempt bonds.

FOOD SECURITY:  One in four food-insecure households visited food pantries in 2014

Fourteen percent of U.S. households (17.4 million households) were food insecure in 2014, meaning that at some time during the year, these households were unable to acquire adequate food for one or more household members due to a lack of resources. For a subset of food-insecure households—households with very low food security—food intake of one or more members was reduced and normal eating patterns were disrupted. Households having trouble putting food on the table may rely on emergency food providers, such as food pantries and emergency kitchens. Food pantries distribute unprepared foods for offsite use. Emergency kitchens (sometimes referred to as soup kitchens) provide individuals with prepared food to eat at the site. In 2014, 5.5 percent of all U.S. households acquired emergency food from a food pantry, and less than 1.0 percent obtained meals from emergency kitchens. Food-insecure households were more likely to use these assistance options; more than one in four food-insecure households (27.1 percent) used food pantries in 2014, while 3.0 percent used emergency kitchens. An estimated 36.7 percent of households with very low food security visited food pantries, and 5.7 percent visited an emergency kitchen. The statistics for this chart are from Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in the United States in 2014, September 2015.

FIND PAST RESOURCE INFORMATION:  Click here

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