funding opportunity: grassroots organizations and leaders

[colist at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed: please do not contact Dick with questions about this grant 
opportunity as he is only forwarding information.]

From: Dick Schoech <schoech at uta.edu>

Title: Grassroots Organizations (GRO) Grants and Grassroots Leaders in 
State Policy Grants
Sponsor: Babcock (Mary Reynolds) Foundation

SYNOPSIS: The sponsor is committed to supporting the development of
grassroots leaders to improve their own lives and their
communities.
Deadline(s): 03/01/2005
08/01/2005
Established Date: 02/23/2000
Follow-Up Date: 12/01/2005
Review Date: 12/01/2004

Contact:
Address: 2920 Reynolda Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27106 U.S.A. E-mail: info at mrbf.org

Program URL: http://www.mrbf.org/fund/gld.aspx
Tel: 336-748-9222 Fax: 336-777-0095 Deadline Ind: Postmark Deadline 
Open: No


Award Type(s): General Operating Funds
General Project
Seed Money/Start-Up Funds
Training/Professional Development


Citizenship/Country of Applying Institution: Any/No Restrictions

Locations Tenable: U.S.A. Institution (including U.S. Territories)


Appl Type(s): Organizations--Community/Soc. Serv.
Tax-exempt
Non-Profit


Target Group(s): NONE
Funding Limit: $0 SEEBELOW
Duration: 36 MONTHS
Indirect Costs: Unspecified
Cost Sharing: No
Sponsor Type: Foundations


Geo. Restricted: U.S. SOUTHEAST
CFDA#:
OBJECTIVES: The sponsor will provide support in two areas: Support for
Grassroots Organizations (GRO) Program; and Building the Capacity of
Grassroots Leaders to Engage in State Policy.
Grassroots Organizations: The sponsor annually will support
approximately sixteen small and medium-sized community- led
organizations who are making positive differences in their communities
and who are growing new grassroots leaders by the way they do business
day in and day out. The sponsor will also support a few organizations
that help establish and support local grassroots organizations. The
sponsor is especially interested in groups that have few other sources
of support from foundations in the Southeast but have promising
potential to grow and expand their funding base. The grants will
support a combination of general operating/project expenses and
organizational development goals to strengthen these groups. As a
result of funding, the sponsor expects that individual organizations
will increase their impact in the community, including making tangible
community improvements and developing new grassroots leaders.
Organizations also will be better managed and governed, with clearer
goals, more effective programs, and more stable financial
positions.
Grassroots Leaders in State Policy: Grants will be made to clusters
of grassroots organizations and their intermediary partners to
support training of grassroots leaders in the skills and knowledge
required to engage in state policy. This might include knowledge of
the policy-making process as well as skills in communications,
negotiations,
and advocacy. The emphasis here is on training for individuals who are
members or leaders of local organizations. Funding can support
grassroots leaders’ training, their testing out new skills, and their
learning
from their new experiences. Grants may also support coalition-building
within a state, so that leaders of local grassroots organizations can
learn from each other as well as strategize together for greater
impact
on policy.
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible applicants are tax-exempt, community-based grassroots
groups located in the Southeastern U.S. Grassroots Organizations: 
Eligible organizations must: have an
annual operating budget of $350,000 or less (most funded organizations
have
budgets between $75,000-$150,000); and have a 501(c)(3) designation
from the IRS, have an application pending for 501(c)(3) status, or be
an independent sponsored project of a 501(c)(3) organization.
Grassroots Leaders in State Policy: the sponsor will make grants to
partnerships of organizations that will build the skills of grassroots
leaders to understand and engage in state policy. These may be
partnerships of grassroots organizations or of grassroots
organizations working with statewide or regional intermediary resource
organizations. Not all members of the partnership need be nonprofit
organizations, but at least one member organization must be an
officially sanctioned 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a 501(c)(3)
with a 501(h) election.
FUNDING
Grassroots Organizations: the sponsor expects to fund up to sixteen
organizations annually, with a three-year commitment to each
organization. We will make two grants of eighteen months each, with
the second grant being contingent upon accomplishment of outcomes the
organization and the sponsor agree upon for the first grant. The
maximum grant for the first eighteen months is $45,000, but the
average is $30,000. The second grant will be no more than two-thirds
the amount of the first grant.
Grassroots Leaders in State Policy: grants will be up to $75,000
for two years. (bjv)
KEYWORDS: Community/Outreach Programs
Planning/Policy Studies
Community Services
Leadership Development
Training and Development