Grant Opportunity: NJ Volunteer Fire Departments & Emergency Response Organizations
New Jersey American Water has opened their fourth annual grant program for volunteer fire departments & emergency response organizations.
Grants will be awarded to cover the costs associated with purchasing personal protective gear, communications equipment, firefighting tools, water handling equipment, training and related activities/material that will be used to support their operations.
Who is eligible to apply: Volunteer fire departments and emergency responders located in New Jersey American Water service areas.
Award details: Maximum grant amount is $1,000. The deadline for applications is March 6th, 2015.
Where to get more information: Visit the community involvement section of New Jersey American Water’s website.
In an effort to ensure cost-effective grants support options are available for all programs and all award sizes, Insight always offers editing services at very affordable rates. For information on our grant writing or editing services, please contact us.
Grant Opportunity: Rochester Women’s Giving Circle (Rochester, NY)
The following grant opportunity is specifically for organizations located near Rochester, NY.
The Rochester Women’s Giving Circle (RWGC) is currently accepting proposals for its 2015 grant cycle from organizations that support area women and girls on the journey to economic self-sufficiency. Awards range from $5,000 to $25,000 and applications are due March 2, 2015. The RWGC seeks programs that provide the following: Education and training, Money management and financial literacy skills, Life skills and job-readiness skills, Leadership opportunities for women and girls, Mentoring programs for girls, Innovative programs, Inter-generational programs, and Programs that put women to work.
To access the application and get more details on the program visit the Rochester Area Community Foundation website.
Firefighters Grant Programs Opening Soon: FP&S and SAFER
There are two very important Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs opening up very soon. The FY 2014 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Program (SAFER) application period is scheduled to begin on February 9, 2015 and end on March 6, 2015, and the FY 2014 Fire Prevention and Safety Program (FP& S) application period is scheduled to begin on March 16, 2015 and end on April 17, 2015.
The SAFER Grant Program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations in order to help increase the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities. Awards range from tens of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars for projects serving large communities. For a complete breakdown visit the SAFER section of FEMA.gov
The FP&S Grant Program supports projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and fire related hazards. Awards range from thousands of dollars up to over one million dollars. The FP&S Grant Program supports projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and fire related hazards and includes a research grants option. For more information on the program, visit the FP&S section of FEMA.gov
Both programs require matching funds.
For these programs we offer three services:
- Full grant narrative writing, completion of the online application, and submission of the full application
- Grant narrative writing (only)
- Grant narrative editing (only
*Both SAFER and FP&S allow applicants to include up to $1,500.00 in grant writing costs in their application budgets for cost reimbursement if an award is made.
If you are looking for help and would like to discuss pricing please contact us by phone at 716-474-0981 or email info@insightgrants.com or fill out our online contact form here.
January 2015 PEP Grant Program Update and Additonal Grant Opportunities
The 2015 federal budget was finalized in mid-December. The US Department of Education’s (ED) Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP grant program) was allocated $47 Million. In communications we recently had with the PEP Program Manager, Carlette KyserPegram, we learned that the amount appropriated by Congress for 2015 was NOT enough to make new PEP grants in 2015. So ED will not be holding a PEP competition in 2015 and does not expect to make any new PEP grant awards in 2015. Continuation awards for existing PEP grant winners are scheduled to be funded for 2015. It is far too soon to say what this means for PEP in 2016 and the future, but for this year, those who planned on applying for PEP will not be able to do so.
Although this is disappointing news, we would encourage potential applicants to consider other programs.
General Mills and the American Dietetic Association partner to offer the foundation-funded Champions for Healthy Kids grants which are specifically for nutrition and physical activity programs. These are smaller grants of $20,000 each. The application period has already opened, and applications are due 1/23/2015. You need to have a registered dietitian on board prior to application (that person will actually be the official applicant on behalf of your organization), although how the RD participates in your project is completely up to you, and he/she can be paid with grant funds for his/her role if needed. General Mills likes to see a wide reach, so if you go for that one, think about what you could do with $20,000 that includes at least one physical activity piece and one nutrition piece (with an RD serving at least as an advisor if not playing a more direct role) that would reach all of your kids and maybe even others. This grant focuses on ages 2-20, but you can have a secondary reach to families if you want to, as long as ages 2-18 are the primary audience. Champions grants are sometimes given to school-based programs operating during and around the school day but are most often given to programs operating at other times—programs that require support because they are clearly outside of the typical school budget.
AstraZeneca’s Connections for Cardiovascular Health is a foundation-funded grant program. AZ will accept applications February 2-26, 2015. This year, grants will range from $150,000-$180,000 for one year. One exciting element of the AZ grant is that, at least to this point, there hasn’t been an age range restriction. So you could focus solely on your kids, parents and community members, both, the elderly, or another population all together. Similar to General Mills Champions grants, though, AstraZeneca tends to be less of a fit for most PE class- and school-day-focused projects and more of a fit for out-of-school time and community-focused projects.
If you have out-of-school time aims and/or aims that touch parents, staff, and/or community members, General Mills or AstraZeneca grants may be options for you this year. Both grants are highly competitive, so definitely think of creative project activities you might propose to be as competitive as possible if you want to apply.
As additional news and opportunities surface throughout the year, we’ll be posting about them. As always, if you’d like to talk with us about a potential project or application and would like to inquire about our grant writing, editing, or evaluation services, please contact us.
2015 U.S. Department of Education Funding Forecast Updated (December 30, 2014)
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has updated its Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 several times since the beginning of November. The last update occurred 12/30/2014, although communications with grant Program Managers have shown that not all information has been updated yet. Be sure to visit the link to the Forecast to get the full details, but also contact the Program Managers to confirm all information prior to acting. The Forecast is an evolving document, and the federal budget was just settled in mid-December, so there hasn’t been time for it to be fully reflected on the Forecast yet.
We’ve broken down some key takeaways from some of the grant programs we specialize in here:
- Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) – We’ve hear back from ED and there will not be a new PEP competition in 2015 despite indications to the contrary on the current Forecast. For more information and alternative grant opportunities to consider see are 2015 PEP grant update post.
- Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs – This program will fund “down the slate” in 2015. 2014 applicants should pay attention to updates on the program and be sure the email they used for their project is still in use and frequently checked. Awards will be made on or before 9/30/2015.
- School Climate Transformation Grant – This program will fund “down the slate” in 2015. 2014 applicants should pay attention to updates on the program and be sure the email they used for their project is still in use and frequently checked.
- Project Prevent Grant Program – This program will fund “down the slate” in 2015. 2014 applicants should pay attention to updates on the program and be sure the email they used for their project is still in use and frequently checked.
- Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools TA Grant Program – This program estimates 5 awards in the amount of $500,000 based on the Forecast.
- Full-Service Community Schools – This program’s information was previously updated with 10 awards with an estimated average size of $500,000 expected. Per our communication with the Program Manager, while down-the-slate funding is not yet indicated on the Forecast for this program, ED has not yet determined whether new awards will be made down the slate or if a new competition will be held in 2015.
Although there are no estimated dates for the programs mentioned it is helpful to see what programs ED expects to make awards for in 2015. As updates happen, we’ll be updating our blog as well as InsightGrants on twitter.
New Content on Polar USA: SHI, Research Grants, and US Department of Education (FY) 2015 Discretionary Grant Program Articles
Our friends over at Polar USA recently published three new articles that we’ve written, “The SHI: Creating a Snapshot of School Health for Improvement Purposes”, “Should I Apply for a Research Grant?”, and “US Department of Education 2015 Forecast of Funding.” All three articles can be found under the Helpful Information for Grant Seekers section on Polar’s website.
The article on the CDC’s School Health Index (SHI) covers the basics of the tool as well as noting recently-made changes and some helpful tips for getting the most out of it. The research grant article is a must-read for individuals and organizations considering whether to apply for a research grant. The US Department of Education (ED) recently began updating it’s Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, and the article covers how schools can best use the tool for a planning guide.
See the articles here.
2014 Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) Grants Open Monday
The 2014 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) opens this Monday, November 3rd, 2014. Applications are due Friday, December 5th at 5:00 PM EST. Full details on the program are available at the AFG Program section on fema.gov.
AFG is a large program that awards competitive discretionary grants comprised of three interconnected component programs – Operations and Safety, Vehicle Acquisition, and Joint/Regional. The purpose of the program is to enhance, through direct financial assistance, the health and safety of firefighting and unaffiliated EMS personnel and to provide a continuum of support for emergency responders regarding fire, medical, and all-hazard events. The objective is to award grants directly to fire departments, non-affiliated EMS organizations, and State Fire Training Academies (SFTAs) for critically needed resources to protect the public, train emergency personnel, foster interoperability, and support community resilience.
For those interested in the program who haven’t already had a chance to attend an official 2014 AFG workshop, you can view the presentation online here.
We are offering three different services for this year’s 2014 AFG Grant:
- Full grant narrative writing, completion of the online application, and submission of the full application
- Grant narrative writing (only)
- Grant narrative editing (only)
The AFG program does allow applicants to include a specified amount for grant writing costs in the application and may reimburse up to that amount as part of an award, if an award is made. If you are interested in discussing our services, please contact us via email: info@insightgrants.com or fill out our online submission form here.
Best of luck to all 2014 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Applicants!
2015 PEP Grant Applicants
Updated January 2015: In communications we recently had with the PEP Program Manager, Carlette KyserPegram, we learned that the amount appropriated by Congress for 2015 was NOT enough to make new PEP grants in 2015. See more details here.
We are now in one of the busiest times of the year for educators and administrators. With the summer break coming to a close and the school year kicking into full swing, everyone has a full plate. For schools and organizations interested in applying for a PEP grant, it is important to keep the possibility of a 2015 competition on your radar. With the continued competitiveness of this important federal grant program, schools need to really prepare early in order to put themselves in a good position to submit a competitive application. For a few tips on important actions you can take to get a jump start on grant applications check out this list we put together with our partners at Polar USA.
If you are interested in hiring Insight to work with your school in developing and writing a PEP grant application, please contact us. We have several schools already on board for this year and will be taking on a limited number of additional applicants on a first come first serve basis. We are optimistic that there will be a 2015 competition, and with 2014 funding going “down the slate” to high-scoring but non-winning 2013 applicants, it is expected that a large number of applicants would be submitting in the event of a new competition 2015–making this year’s competition even more competitive.
We’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to assist many clients in securing PEP funding. We’ve seen firsthand the incredibly positive personal fitness and nutrition education achievements this program has had on students around the country. Our CEO Rosalie Mangino-Crandall has written 24 winning PEP grants and edited another 46 winning PEP grants (70 total!).
For more information on our PEP Grant services check out the PEP Grant section of our site, or contact us. You can email info@insightgrants.com or fill out our contact form online here. We would be happy to discuss your ideas, where you currently are, our fees for developing and writing your application, and the best way to proceed.
We hope everyone has a safe and successful start to the school year!
2014 PEP Grant Evaluation Clients
The Insight Team has extensive experience in evaluating PEP Grants and is currently applying to open RFPs to evaluate funded 2014 PEP Grant projects. If you are looking for an evaluator, please feel free to email RFP information to info@insightgrants.com.
To date, we’ve evaluated 29 PEP grants since 2008, including 14 completed PEP evaluations and 15 PEP evaluations for projects currently in progress.
For more information on our grant evaluation services, visit our PEP Grant Evaluation Section.
New Content on Polar USA: Summer Plans For School-Year Success With Grants!
Our friends over at Polar USA just published our Summer Plans for School-Year Success With Grants! article. We think it is worth a read for all schools. Whether you are planning to apply for a grant in 2014/15 or are just thinking about grant opportunities, you will find some helpful tips on how you can get a head start this summer.
See the article here.
