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We’ve moved! You can now find the latest information on funding opportunities in the service-learning and volunteering communities on the NSLC website.

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Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zones FY 2011

Deadline: March 31, 2011 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern

The Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zones are designed to improve academic engagement - including student attendance and behavior - and academic achievement, high school graduation rates, and college-going rates by:

1. Demonstrating the relevance of academic coursework and the value of civic engagement through service-learning;
2. Connecting youth with citizens from diverse communities, backgrounds, and perspectives, providing them with expanded opportunities to serve; and
3. Building enduring capacity within communities to use service as a solution to address pressing challenges.

These grants will provide support for "eligible partnerships" to develop coordinated school- or community-based service-learning opportunities for secondary school students. All partnerships must include, at a minimum, at least one local education agency, one community college, and one community-based entity.

Funding Available

Subject to the availability of appropriations for fiscal year 2011, CNCS anticipates the availability of approximately $5.7 million for new Youth Engagement Zones grants. CNCS anticipates making an estimated 5 to 7 grant awards that will range from approximately $700,000 to $1,500,000 to support three years of operations.

For the full Notice of Funding Opportunity, and application information, visit: http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa_detail.asp?tbl_nofa_id=86

Dept. of Labor Grant Announcement: Civic Justice Corps

Deadline: March 15, 2011

The U.S. Department of Labor announces the availability of approximately $20 million in funds for Civic Justice Corps grants. Projects funded through these grants will help juvenile offenders gain valuable jobs skills, while demonstrating accountability for their actions through community service projects.

Awarded through a competitive process, these grants will prepare participants for employment and reduce recidivism. This will be accomplished through on-the-job training, job placement, subsidized jobs, and service projects that allow young offenders to take a positive role in their communities. Work experience, other vocational training, and academic interventions will enable participants to improve their skills and enhance their future educational and career opportunities.

The Department expects to award a minimum of 13 grants through this funding opportunity. Civic Justice Corps project funded grants will be expected to develop partnerships with a range of entities, including Social service agencies to provide referrals for supportive services that program participants may need.

A notice of this SGA will be published in the Federal Register. Full eligibility information for applicants and individual participants is included in the solicitation for grant applications. To view the full solicitation, visit http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm. For information on the range of Department of Labor employment and training programs, visit www.doleta.gov.

Learn and Serve America School-Based Indian Tribes and U.S. Territories FY 2011

Deadline: 5 p.m. Eastern Time, March 3, 2011.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced a funding opportunity to accelerate the success of service-learning programs in federally-recognized Indian Tribes and U.S. Territories. Anticipating approximately $650,000 in new funding, CNCS expects to award three to four new grants under its Learn and Serve America program to enhance and expand existing service-learning programs, and develop new service-learning opportunities in tribal communities.

The grants will provide funding for one to three years to schools that are challenged to meet education standards. Specifically, the grants will support culturally-relevant programs that help youth in under-resourced communities achieve in school and graduate prepared for college, the work force, and life. These grants underscore the agency’s commitment to expanding opportunities among Indian Tribes and U.S. Territories to use service as a tool to build stronger communities.

Funding for this grant competition is contingent on the enactment of the Fiscal Year 2011 budget for CNCS.

More information and application instructions: http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa_detail.asp?tbl_nofa_id=85

Environmental Justice Small Grants Program

Deadline: March 31, 2011

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting grant applications for $1.2 million in funding to support projects designed to research, educate, empower and enable communities to understand and address local environmental and public health issues.

Environmental Justice Small Grants funding is available for two categories of projects:

• 40 grants of up to $25,000 each—to support projects that address a community’s local environmental issues through collaborative partnerships, and;
• 4 grants of up to $50,000 each—to support research on the environmental and human health impacts of exposure to multiple sources of pollution in communities.

Since its inception in 1994, the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program has awarded more than $21 million in funding to 1,200 community-based organizations, and local and tribal organizations working with communities facing environmental justice issues.

The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program, supports and empowers communities working on solutions to local environmental and public health issues. The program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships to help them understand and address environmental and public health issues in their communities. Successful collaborative partnerships involve not only well-designed strategic plans to build, maintain and sustain the partnerships, but also working towards addressing the local environmental and public health issues.

More information and application materials: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

Do Something Awards 2011

Deadline: March 1, 2011
Since 1996, DoSomething.org has honored the nation’s best young world-changers, 25 and under. Do Something Award nominees and winners represent the pivotal "do-ers" in their field, cause, or issue. In 2011 the five nominees will be rewarded with a community grant, media coverage and continued support from DoSomething.org. The grand prize winner will receive $100,000 during the live broadcast.

Do Something Award applications are reviewed and judged by the Do Something Award Academy (comprised of former winners) and Do Something Awards team (comprised of Do Something staff) who read through every application and select finalists. The Do Something Award finalists are flown to New York City, where representatives from the Do Something Award Selection Committee (comprised of key not-for-profit and corporate professionals) and the Academy interview the finalists face-to-face. The finalists are narrowed down to five Do Something Award nominees who will be honored in late August and receive a minimum of $10,000 in community grants and scholarships. Of those five winners, one will be selected as the grand prize Do Something Award winner and receive a total of $100,000 in community grants.

Applicants must be 25 or younger (born on or after 9/1/85) and be a US or Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

The Do Something Award community grant money is paid directly to the nominee's organization or the not-for-profit of the nominee’s choice. All winners have the option of receiving $5,000 of the total money awarded in the form of an educational scholarship.

Apply or nominate someone today at www.DoSomething.org/awards

State Farm California Environmental Grant Program

Deadline: Jan. 14, 2011

State Farm California will be awarding five $5,000 grants to California public high schools or non-profit organizations whose work directly benefits California public high schools. From December 1, 2010 to January 14, 2011, submit the grant application form to tell us about an environmental program that needs funding at your local high school.

Programs applying for grant funding must meet the following requirements:

• Applications will be accepted from California public high schools (or non-profit organizations whose work directly benefits public high schools)
• Programs must address an environmental initiative within one of the following categories: driving – minimizing your carbon footprint; recycling – home or school; promoting healthy lifestyles; community outreach
• Programs must be supported by a teacher or administrator of the high school where the grant is being funded
• Projects should include intentional ties to classroom academics while addressing green issues
  

One grant will be awarded in each of the following regional areas:

• Southern California
• Los Angeles
• Central California
• San Francisco/Bay Area
• Northern California

For more information, including the official rules and the entry form, visit http://www.statefarm.com/aboutus/_articles/zones/california/environmental_grant_program.asp