Funding Leads for November - December, 2010

USDA Programs

**Just posted: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
December 22, 2010 (online proposals).. Up to $250,000 per project for a maximum grant period of 3 years for new and established local and regional training, education, outreach and technical assistance initiatives. At least 25% match required. $19 million available.34% of applications funded last round. Anticipated award date is October 2011. http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/beginningfarmerandrancher.cfm

USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant program (RBEG)
Provides funding to help with business development and infrastructure support in your community. RBEG grants can be used to pay for the extension of services, building of roads, training and technical assistance and professional services for rural enterprises. Forest-based business can utilize this grant program to expand their operations, move to a location, hire legal and professional contractors, or generate other expansion for high-impact rural enterprise growth and development. For instance, NNFP member, Mass Woodlands Cooperative, has utilized RBEG funding to build markets and improve wood processing opportunities for its FSC-certified wood products. RBEG grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Contact your State USDA Rural Development office for more information or visit: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/rbeg.htm.

Southern SARE - Producer Grants
November 15 (online proposals). Grants for farmers/ranchers to conduct research projects to solve growing or marketing problems they face and to develop information on what works and doesn’t work. $10,000 for individuals, $15,000 for producer organizations. http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/currentcalls/producer.doc

Southern SARE - On-farm Research Grants
November 15 (online proposals). Up to $15,000 for two years. For Extension, NRCS, university personnel, governmental and/or non-governmental organization personnel who work with farmers/ranchers and are interested in conducting on-farm research or marketing projects related to sustainable agriculture.

Northeast SARE—Partnership Grants
November 16 (online proposals). Partnership Grants are reserved for agricultural service providers--extension and NRCS staff, nonprofits, consultants, state departments of agriculture, and others working in the agricultural community--who want to conduct on-farm demonstrations, research, marketing, and other projects with farmers as active cooperators. The emphasis is on practical results that can be transmitted to farmers quickly, the development of farmers as research partners and important reservoirs of knowledge, and the strengthening of net¬works among producers, Cooperative Extension, NRCS, and other agricultural organizations. Applicants may request up to $15,000. Most projects are one year, but multi-year projects are also considered. http://nesare.org/get/partnership/

USFS National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grants
November 29 (online proposal via grants.gov). $855,000 in funding for projects focusing on climate change mitigation, public health, and economic development. http://www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac

North Central SARE—Farmer Rancher Grant
December 2 (email or mail). Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer Rancher Grants are available to farmers and ranchers to carry out research, demonstration, and education projects relating to sustainable agriculture. Grant recipients have 24 months to complete their projects. Examples of projects include agroforestry, alternative weed control, value-added and direct marketing, water quality improvement, and holistic/systems approaches to farming and ranching. Individual farmers and ranchers are eligible for grants of up to $6,000 for a project, and groups of three or more farmers and ranchers may apply for up to $18,000. http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/prod.htm

Western SARE Professional + Producer Grants
December 3. The focus of Western Region SARE’s Professional + Producer Grants program includes marketing, agricultural systems, economics, agroforestry, sustainable pest management, models, natural resources, quality of life, range science, soil science, water quality, ecological weed control, organic farming and agricultural based renewable energy. Projects that provide on-farm research trials, demonstrations, producer workshops, etc. may be funded at up to $50,000 for 1-3 years. Proposed projects must involve one professional and a minimum of five producers. https://wsare.usu.edu/grants/RFA/PPG_2011.pdf

Western SARE Producer Grants
December 3. Farmer/Rancher Research & Education Grants are funded for up to three years. A technical advisor assists in the development, on-farm field trial and outreach of the project. Up to $15,000 per application is allowed for a single producer, up to $30,000 for three or more producers. Potential subject areas are similar to those described above. https://wsare.usu.edu/grants/RFA/FRG_2011.pdf

Northeast SARE—Farmer Grants
December 7 (online proposals). The goal of the Farmer Grant program is to help farmers explore sustainable, innovative production and marketing practices, often by conducting an experiment, trial, or on-farm demonstration. SARE defines sustainable practices as those that are profitable, environmentally sound, and beneficial to the wider farm community. Applicants must be a farm business owner or manager, and can be affiliated with an institution or non-profit. Grants may be up to $15,000. http://nesare.org/get/farmers/

USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
December 22, 2010 (online proposals).. Up to $250,000 per project for a maximum grant period of 3 years for new and established local and regional training, education, outreach and technical assistance initiatives. At least 25% match required. $19 million available.34% of applications funded last round. Anticipated award date is October 2011. http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/beginningfarmerandrancher.cfm

USDA Rural Community Development Initiative(RCDI)
December 22 (proposals). $50,000-300,000 to qualified private, nonprofit and public organizations proposing to carry out financial and technical assistance programs. Must provide a program of financial and technical assistance to a nonprofit, community-based housing and development organization, a low-income rural community or a federally recognized tribe (the Recipient) that will develop the capacity and ability of the Recipient to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development in rural areas. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-23764.pdf

USDA Extension Risk Management Education Grants Program
Proposals likely due mid-December. We'll keep you posted in future E-Updates. Awards will fund 12-month projects that help farm and ranch families succeed through targeted risk management strategies. “In addition to crop insurance, effective risk management involves selecting tools and approaches that reduce the financial effects of the uncertainties of weather, yields, prices, government policies, global markets and other factors that can cause wide swings in farm income and threaten economic viability.” Outreach and education relating to technical risk management strategies is also supported. Grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 and are awarded to public and private groups, organizations, and institutions. Collaboration between public and private institutions is strongly encouraged. A special emphasis is placed on risk management strategies, outreach and education specifically targeted at beginning farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers, farmers that are nearing retirement, legal immigrant farmers, and farmers who are adapting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets.

Application resources available on each regional center’s website includes:

Result's-based RME video
Proposal writing tutorial
Sample pre-proposal
Results-based proposal writing PowerPoint
Definitions of terminology

To learn more about Risk Management, download a copy of “Introduction to Risk Management—Understanding Agricultural Risks: Production, Marketing, Financial, Legal, Human Resources” (USDA 1997) at http://www.rma.usda.gov/pubs/1997/riskmgmt.pdf

Visit http://www.agrisk.umn.edu/verification/media.htm to access resources helpful for proposal development.

WV, MD, DE, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, ME, and DC:
Northeast Center for Risk Management http://www.necrme.org/

IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, and WI:
North Central Center for Risk Management http://ncrme.org/

AL, AR, GA, FL, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands:
Southern Regional Risk Management Education Center http://srmec.uark.edu/

MT, WY, CO, NM, AZ, NV, UT, ID, WA, AK, OR, CA, HI:
Western Center for Risk Management http://www.westrme.wsu.edu/

Private Foundations

Catholic Campaign for Human Development
November 1 (pre-application). Community organizing grants for supporting low-income led community organizations that bring individuals together and train them to identify and challenge policies and structures in their communities that perpetuate the cycle of poverty. Organizations that receive CCHD funds must not participate in or promote activities that contradict the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church and must in no way work against the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ priorities to defend human life and dignity, strengthen family life and the institution of marriage, and foster diversity. http://www.usccb.org/cchd/grants/criteria.shtml

The McKnight Foundation
November 1 (proposals). Planning, operating, and project grants for organizations working to restore the water quality and resilience of the Mississippi River.
http://www.mcknight.org/environment/index.aspx

Laura Jane Musser Fund—Rural Initiatives Program
November 10 (proposal). Planning grants of up to $5,000 and implementation grants of up to $25,000 grants are given in CO, HI, MN, NY, OH and WY. The program funds collaborative and participatory efforts among citizens in rural communities that will help to strengthen their towns and regions in a number of civic areas including, but not limited to, economic development, business preservation, arts and humanities, public space improvements, and education. http://www.musserfund.org/index.asp?page_seq=6

The George Gund Foundation
Novemeber 15 (proposal). Greater Cleveland Community-Ohio.
http://www.gundfdn.org/HOW/program_guidelines.asp

Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat
November 22. $500 to $5,500. The Freshwater Future grants program is designed to increase the ability of grassroots groups and individuals to succeed in advocacy projects to protect rivers, lakes, and wetlands in their areas. Advocacy work, as defined here, involves local community members actively promoting aquatic habitat protection by influencing community and/or individual behavior or opinion, corporate conduct, and/or public policy.
http://www.freshwaterfuture.org/grant-programs/