MORGANTOWN, WV, January 30, 2012—West Virginia landowners interested in restoring, enhancing, or protecting wetlands may receive funding through the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP).

Landowners must have their applications submitted to their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Service Center by close of business on March 2, 2012 to be considered for funding this coming year. NRCS will accept applications after March 2, 2012, but they will not be ranked until the next ranking period is announced.

Through WRP, NRCS assists eligible applicants in the restoration, creation, protection, and enhancement of wetlands on their property through a voluntary, environmentally safe and cost-effective manner. Landowners can receive assistance through three WRP program participation options: restoration cost-share agreements, 30-year easements, or permanent easements.

NRCS encourages landowners who are interested in these voluntary programs to contact their local USDA Service Center/NRCS Field Office today to be eligible for the initial funding. Additional information on WRP and other conservation programs is available on the Web at www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov.
 

-end-

http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/news/release/2012/12jan30wrp.html

Carol Lagodich, Public Affairs Specialist
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,
West Virginia State Office,
1550 Earl Core Road, Suite 200,
Morgantown, WV 26505
304-284-4826, Fax: 304-284-4839
carol.lagodich@wv.usda.gov

http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/

CTree and its partners invite organizations and agencies to apply for CTree kits to organize, coordinate, and implement urban tree plantings through a competitive grant process.  Twice annually groups can apply for CTree Kits for spring and fall plantings.  CTree Kits include:

	Trees in a variety of species and stock sizes for Shade, Reforestation, etc.
	Tree tubes or cages to protect from deer; and
	Mulch to foster good root growth

	Cover Letter: General information about your group, including group name & address, project leader & location, etc.
	Proposal: More in depth information about their organization (structure, number of members, past tree planting experience), details on the proposed project including description of need, objectives, and an explanation of how the project will be evaluated.
	Site Checklist: Checklist for evaluating a proposed planting site including hydrology, topography, current vegetation, and potential conflicts with underground or overhead utilities.
	Tree Maintenance Form: Groups must outline a multi-year plan to maintain the health of the trees through proper watering, mulching, and care.

Forest Service Grants $52.2M to Protect Working Forests, Rural Economies

Health Programs in Company Communities Supported
Walgreens Corporate Contribution Program
The Walgreens Corporate Contribution Program supports nonprofit organizations in local Walgreens communities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides grants to organizations that focus on access to health and wellness in their communities, pharmacy education programs and mentoring initiatives, civic and community outreach, and emergency and disaster relief. Health is the company's major area of focus, with priority given to programs that address the health needs of community residents. The company also accepts sponsorship or promotional marketing requests. Online applications may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the company’s website for application procedure information.

Awards for 60+ Social Entrepreneurs
Civic Ventures: The Purpose Prize
The Purpose Prize, administered by Civic Ventures, provides awards to people over 60 who are taking on society's biggest challenges. The prize recognizes those with the passion and experience to discover new opportunities, create new programs, and make lasting change. Five awards of $100,000 will be given to exceptional individuals who are channeling their creativity and talent to address critical social problems at the local, regional, national, or international level. The winners may be working in public, private, nonprofit, or for-profit organizations devoted to tackling the hardest challenges of our time: homelessness, social justice and human rights, violence, poverty and hunger, health, education, and the environment, etc. Nominees must be legal residents of the U.S. or U.S. citizens living abroad who have initiated important innovations in an encore career. The nomination deadline is March 22, 2012. Visit the Purpose Prize website to learn more about the nomination process.

Ford Foundation
The mission of the Ford Foundation is to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations worldwide that address the following social justice issues: Educational Opportunity and Scholarships, Democratic and Accountable Government, Economic Fairness, Freedom of Expression, Human Rights, Sustainable Development, Sexuality and Reproductive Health and Rights, Metropolitan Opportunity, and Social Justice Philanthropy. When assessing grant applications, the Foundation looks for long-term strategies, knowing that lasting social change requires decades of effort. Nonprofit organizations and international NGOs may submit online grant inquiries at any time. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the specific initiatives listed under each of the issues as well as grant application information.

Norcross Wildlife Foundation
The Norcross Wildlife Foundation provides support to local grassroots organizations throughout the United States that work to protect wild land. Priority is given to organizations that have difficulty raising the modest funds they need to do their critical work in the trenches of environmental conservation. Grants averaging $1,000 to $5,000 are primarily provided for program-related office and field equipment, and public education and outreach materials. The Foundation also provides no-interest loans to local organizations to help them acquire land they have prioritized for conservation. Applications for both grants and loans may be submitted at any time. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the application guidelines.

CI WATERSHED FORESTRY

In the News!!  CommuniTree Applications for tree grants now being accepted.

Cacapon Institute has long been engaged in forestry for the purpose of improving watershed health.  Our seminal ecological baseline study of the Cacapon River concluded in 1993 that expanding the extent of forested riparian buffers was essential to protect our home river from pollution caused by development. 

Today CI supports forest protection, reforestation, and forestry throughout the Potomac Watershed as a core part of our mission to protect and improve water quality, as a member of the WV Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Team, as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Program Forestry Work Group, and as Coordinator of the Potomac Watershed Partnership.  While our efforts are widespread, much our forestry work is focused on the Potomac Headwaters of West Virginia.  Best Management Practices to protect forests and trees in the Potomac Basin provide many benefits.

According to the 2007 Chesapeake Watershed Forestry Strategic Plan; “Forests are the most beneficial land use for protecting water quality due to their ability to capture, filter, and retain water, as well as absorb pollution from the air. The Bay watershed is currently 58% forested and contains some of the most extensive hardwood forests in the world’s temperate latitudes. However, forests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are being lost at a rate of 100 acres/day and the Bay’s water quality remains severely degraded.”

In keeping with the Chesapeake Watershed Forestry Strategic Plan and West Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan, the principals that guide CI’s forestry work are:

1) Apply the best science available;

2) Build programs that are sustainable and adaptable;

3) Cultivate partnerships to leverage resources;

4) Utilize outreach efforts that are deliberate and direct; and

5) Assist municipal leaders to develop both short term and long term goals.

6) Monitor and assess projects regularly.

The WV Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Team is committed to maximizing water quality inthe Potomac Headwaters of West Virginiaby: conserving high value forests, restoring riparian forest, and enhancing urban tree canopy cover in developed areas.

Conserve high value forests.  CI will continue to advance Forestry for the Bay and the Potomac Watershed Partnership, deliver forest management information and expertise to landowners, and promote the use of diverse Farm Bill programs to support forest management (CREP, WHIP, Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust, etc.). 

Restoring riparian forests.  CI works with the agency members of WV’s Chesapeake Bay Tributary Team (such as the WV Conservation Agency and WV Department of Environmental Protection) to increase stream miles with riparian forests.  We help identify priority watershed and target buffer placement, offer technical assistance for buffer restoration, maintenance, rehabilitation and repair; and improve current accounting of forest buffer restoration. 

Developed land forestry to enhance Urban Tree Canopy.  UTC is a measure of the trees we live with, the trees that grace our neighborhoods, towns, parks, schools, and roadsides, and that reduce stormwater runoff.  CI is working with local government agencies, volunteers, and schools to improve our WV UTC.  We are helping to develop land management strategies at county and municipal levels. Strategies include assessing UTC to determine high priority planting areas, setting UTC goals, and fostering tree planting initiatives.  These strategies are increasing the public benefits of UTC including cleaner air, shade, and less stormwater runoff pollution.  Read more on UTC. 

For more information, contact: Cacapon Institute's Urban Forestry Coordinator

We are grateful for federal funding from the USDA-Forest Service, the Chesapeake Bay Program, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that make our work in forestry possible.

CI's FORESTRY PARTNERS
WVDOF	WVCA	CTree	WVDEP	USDA-FS	PWP

 

USDA Extends Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up to January 27

MORGANTOWN, WV, January 12, 2012—USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that the cut-off date for the current Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) ranking period has been extended to January 27, 2012. Producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship are eligible for CSP payments.

“We want to make sure that people who want to be considered for CSP during this first ranking period have the time they need to complete their applications,” said Kevin Wickey, West Virginia State Conservationist. “I encourage interested producers to apply at their local NRCS office as soon as they can.”

CSP is offered in all 50 states, tribal lands and the Pacific and Caribbean areas through continuous sign-ups. Administered by NRCS, CSP provides many conservation benefits including improved water and soil quality, enhanced wildlife habitat and conservation activities that address the effects of climate change.

Producers are encouraged to apply for CSP throughout the year to be considered for current and future application ranking periods. Those who apply by January 27, 2012, may be eligible for current available funding. Eligible lands include cropland, pastureland, rangeland and nonindustrial forestland.

A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if CSP is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, contracts obligations and potential payments. It is available from local NRCS offices and at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/csp.

Learn more about CSP and other NRCS programs at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs.

Deadline for USDA Conservation Innovation Grant Pre-proposals January 31

MORGANTOWN, WV, January 5, 2012—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack reminded applicants that January 31, 2012, is the last day to submit project pre-proposals for fiscal year 2012 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Pre-proposals support large-scale demonstration projects that test and prove original approaches to conserving America’s private lands.

“These conservation grants continue to generate exciting new ideas that help farmers and ranchers run sustainable and profitable operations and address high-priority natural resource concerns,” said Kevin Wickey, West Virginia State Conservationist. “We are proud to encourage the advancement of innovative conservation methods that will benefit producers, the public and the economy for years to come.”

This year’s CIG projects focus on nutrient management, energy conservation, soil health, wildlife and CIG projects assessment. NRCS is especially interested in projects that demonstrate:

·         Optimal combinations of nutrient source, application rate, placement and timing that improve nutrient recovery by crops.

·         Procedures for refining the usefulness of the phosphorous index in reducing phosphorous losses.

·         Suites of conservation practices that protect water quality.

·         Renewable energy systems that reduce the use of fossil fuels and increase energy efficiency on farms.

·         The impacts of cover crops, crop rotations, tillage and other conservation practices on soil health.

·         Conservation practices that increase the water-holding capacity of soils.

·         Decision tools that help producers assess their operations and conservation needs in order to improve wildlife habitat.

·         Assess the technology transfer potential of completed CIG projects.

Results of successful projects will be included in NRCS policy, technical manuals, guides and references.

There are two types of eligibility for CIG – applicant eligibility and project eligibility. For applicant eligibility, applicants must be one of the following: a State or local government; a non-governmental organization; or a private individual.

For project eligibility, the proposed project or activity must encompass the development and assessment, evaluation and implementation of either of the following: conservation adoption approaches or incentive systems, including market-based systems; or promising conservation technologies, practices, systems, procedures or activities. Landowners must meet Environmental Quality Incentives Program (http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/eqip) eligibility requirements defined in 16 U.S.C. Section 3839aa-1 (http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/16C58.txt) .

CIG funds will be awarded through a competitive grant process. At least 50 percent of the total cost of CIG projects must come from non-Federal matching funds, including cash and in-kind contributions provided by the grant recipient.

To apply electronically, visit http://www.grants.gov/or contact a local NRCS office. To view the complete Announcement of Program Funding, visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/cig/.

Last year, several area projects received CIG grant funding.

·         West Virginia University received $134,974 for the Flow-through Aquaponics to Improve Water Quality and Generate Income project. Aquaculture (farming with fish or other aquatic organisms) can produce nutrients leading to water quality degradation. Aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that combines aquaculture and a viable plant-growing operation at the same time.

·         The American Chestnut Foundation received $541,136 to establish forest plantings on reclaimed mine sites in Appalachia. The study includes a comprehensive and innovative method supporting the long-term maintenance and monitoring of restored sites and leverages landowners to convert non-native grasslands on reclaimed mine sites into high-quality, healthy forest ecosystems.

·         The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation received $848,424 to study using excess manure to generate farm income in Chesapeake Bay phosphorus hotspots. Manure will be converted into energy and the nutrient dense byproduct may be used as a fertilizer that can be applied at reduced rates or transported out of the watershed. Manure will be transformed from a liability to an asset.

·         The Electrical Power Research Institute received $1,000,000 to pilot test interstate water quality trading in the Ohio River Basin. The objectives of the project are to test key technical, regulatory, and economic components by completing interstate water-quality trades between farmers and industry point sources.

For more information about NRCS conservation programs, visit http://www.nrcs.usda.govor visit your local USDA service center.

-end-

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD).

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Five-Star Restoration Matching Grant Program

The Five Star Restoration Program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships for wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration. The National Association of Counties, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Southern Company, and FedEx, are pleased to solicit applications for Five Star.

The following are elements of a Five Star Project:

1. On-the-Ground Restoration - projects must include on-the-ground wetland, riparian, in stream and/or coastal habitat restoration.

2. Environmental Education - projects must integrate meaningful education into the restoration project either through community outreach, participation and/or integration with K-12 environmental curriculum.

3. Measurable Results - projects must result in measurable ecological,

educational and community benefits.

Eligibility:  The Five Star Restoration Program is open to any public or private entity that can receive grants. While partnerships are encouraged to include state and federal agencies, those entities may not serve as the grantee unless the community partners demonstrate that the state or federal agency is best suited to coordinate the community-based project.

Partnerships must include at least five organizations.

A minimum 1:1 match of cash or in-kind or contributed goods and services to

funds requested is expected.

Amount:  $10,000 to $40,000

Deadline:  February 15, 2012

SPIN URL:  http://www.infoed.org/new_spin/spin_prog.asp?62684

URL:

http://www.nfwf.org/AM/TemplateRedirect.cfm?template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&

ContentID=22049

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation

Walmart

The Foundation has adopted four areas of focus: Education, Workforce Development / Economic Opportunity, Health and Wellness, and Environmental Sustainability. While the Walmart Foundation encourages funding requests that align with its four areas of focus - programs that do not align with the four areas of focus will also be given full consideration.

Lawrence Foundation

The Lawrence Foundation is focused on making grants to support environmental, education, human services and other causes although their interests are fairly diverse and may lead them into other areas. They make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographic restrictions on their grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or public schools and libraries are eligible for contributions or grants. Full details.

HSBC

Focusing on youth education and the environment, HSBC builds strong, enduring relationships with a wide range of organizations, providing resources and tools to sustain long-term results. Full description here. 

Gifts In Kind International and The Home Depot are pleased to announce the launch of The Framing Hope Product Donation program for nonprofit organizations in the United States. Home Depot stores throughout the country will be matched with charities in the local community—charities that will pick up a wide variety of donated products and building supplies from their partner stores on a weekly basis.

Donation Items

The items available for donation may include building supplies and materials, plumbing products and assorted household and cleaning items. Specific items, including quantity, type and/or assortment cannot be guaranteed. While the available donation quantity will vary from store to store, the program is expected to consist of a donation pick-up of approximately one to three pallets per week. Although Home Depot strives to donate first quality merchandise, it is important to note that donations are given in an “as is” condition with no warranties expressed or implied by The Home Depot or Gifts In Kind International.

Program Qualifications

There are specific qualifications that nonprofit organizations must meet in order to qualify for this program. Framing Hope has been developed to make the donation process as simple as possible for The Home Depot (THD) stores and their nonprofit partners. In addition to managing the relationships between stores and nonprofits, Gifts In Kind International manages the systems and logistics that support this program. As a result, a nominal annual fee of $650 is required by GIKI from each nonprofit to participate. This fee covers ALL donations the nonprofit receives from THD AND from other corporate donors that GIKI is partnered with.

If your nonprofit organization is interested in participating in the program, please follow the steps below:

1) Read carefully the Eligibility Requirements to make sure that your nonprofit organization meets the minimum criteria for participation.

2) Complete the Home Depot Store Community Donation Program Application.

3) Participate in a live online Webinar to learn more about the program.

Gifts In Kind International
333 North Fairfax Street Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 866-580-GIKI(4454)  Fax: (877) 798-3192

Great Wetland Grant Opportunity

Bayer USA Foundation

In order to meet its mission, the Foundation has developed a strategic grantmaking plan that welcomes proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations whose programming matches at least one of the following areas:

1. Education and Workforce Development
2. Environment and Sustainability
3. Health and Human Services
4. Arts and Culture

More details here. 

ARC Announces Fourth Round of Grant Competition for Community Energy Projects: Planning and Implementation

Support for Organizations in Virginia, West Virginia, and Surrounding Regions

The EQT Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in the communities that the company serves in eastern Kentucky, western Pennsylvania, and the states of Virginia, and West Virginia. The Environment category supports the preservation of local natural resources and enhances activities to minimize adverse impacts on the environment. More details.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) supports economic and social development in the Appalachian Region, including all of West Virginia and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Through the Planning and Implementation of Community-Based Energy Projects request for proposals (RFP), ARC will provide seven to fifteen grants of up to $75,000 to assist Appalachian communities in leveraging renewable energy and energy efficiency resources to revitalize their economies.

The Pulling Together Initiative, a program of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), supports nonprofit organizations and local, county, and state government agencies engaged in collaborations that will help control invasive plant species.

Green America

Green America has announced that it will award four "Green Grants" to local projects in the United States that support its mission of creating a socially just and environmentally sustainable economy. Green America will provide one Grand Prize of $2,500 and three First Prizes of $1,000. Projects do not need to be run by nonprofits. More information. 

EPA Accepting Applications to Operate Five-Year National Environmental Education Training Program

Urban Watershed Capacity Building Grant

A key component of the Urban Watershed Capacity Building Grant is to engage communities in capacity building activities to foster an increased connection, understanding, and ownership of their waters. EPA is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants that address the following two project components: (1) establish and manage a competitive urban watershed subaward program; and (2) provide urban watershed technical services to subawardees. Click here for more details.

The Kresge Foundation
3215 West Big Beaver Road
Troy, MI
48084

Phone: 248-643-9630
Fax: 248-643-0588
Url: http://www.kresge.org/

Primary Contact:
Grants Inquiry Coordinator

Geographic Scope:
National

Type of Organization: Foundation

Total Annual Giving:  $181,000,000

Eligibility Requirements:
Nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies

Application Deadlines:
None

Areas of Interest:
The Kresge Foundation supports communities in the United States and around the world by strengthening the nonprofit organizations that serve them.

Nine values serve as the centerpiece of grantmaking at the Kresge Foundation:

• Creating opportunity – How does your organization’s work expand opportunities and support for low-income people in order to improve their quality of life and enable them to participate more fully in the economic mainstream?
• Community impact – How will your organization and the proposed project benefit the larger community?
• Institutional transformation – Does your proposed project have the capacity to profoundly influence the overall organization and its operations? How?
• Risk – Tell us how your organization is using new and possibly untested approaches for addressing the needs or tensions of communities in flux. For example, have you developed new ways to broaden access to new immigrant communities?
• Environmental conservation – Describe how your project incorporates sustainable building practices, embodies the principles of sound land-use planning, and promotes environmental stewardship and/or historic preservation.
• Innovation – How might your project advance best practices in a particular field?
• Collaboration – Describe your organization’s promise for bringing multi-party, interdisciplinary approaches to problems that defy solution by a single sector.
• Underserved geography – How has your project addressed locations with high concentrations of need and low financial capacity, such as poor rural areas or cities with a minimal tax base?
• Diversity – Describe how your organization’s staff and board reflect the racial, ethnic and gender composition of the population they serve.

The Foundation's six areas of interest include:

• Health
  The primary focus is improving access to health care for groups who have been marginalized, particularly low-income people, minorities, and women. Organizations with a predominant emphasis on improving the health status of these populations will receive priority attention.
• Environment
  The Foundation considers global climate change to be one of society’s most pressing issues. The Foundation supports nonprofits that are focused on projects such as reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in the built environment, accelerating the adoption of renewable energy technologies, and developing adaptive strategies for dealing with climate change.
• Arts and Culture
  The Foundation seeks to help arts organizations overcome the challenges that threaten their long-term sustainability while ensuring they continue to fulfill their important role as creative contributors to the community. Grants are intended to provide a financial safety net, support technological advancements, and build leadership capabilities.
• Education
  The Foundation's grantmaking is rooted in a desire to overcome systematic inequities in early childhood and higher education and to provide life-changing educational opportunities to those who have been excluded. Support is provided to organizations and institutions endeavoring to educate a workforce that can compete successfully in the global economy.
• Human Services
  The Foundation focuses primarily on the capital needs of community-based human service organizations that offer opportunity and access to the most vulnerable, disadvantaged, and low-income people in order to improve their quality of life.
• Community Development
  The Foundation supports organizations working in geographically-defined rural, urban, and aging suburban neighborhoods to enhance grassroots participation, resident empowerment, physical revitalization, neighborhood cohesion and, in some cases, youth opportunity.

The Foundation's types of support include the following:

• Facilities capital grants fund the acquisition and construction of facilities, including land, new construction and existing property renovation, and major equipment purchases. Facilities-capital grants historically have been awarded as challenge grants to organizations engaged in capital campaigns to raise private funds for their projects.
• General operating support provides nonprofit organizations with unrestricted funds to use as they deem appropriate to become more sustainable over time. The funds may be used for staffing, new technology, or business practice development, among other purposes.
• Growth capital grants support specific efforts associated with expanding, retooling, transitioning, or scaling an organization’s operations so that it may develop a more sustainable operating model.
• Planning grants provide seed money in the form of a grant or a loan to organizations for business planning, market analysis, and other necessary aspects of launching or spinning off a new nonprofit organization.
• Program-related investments (PRIs) are loans to nonprofit organizations, including nonprofit banks or community development financial institutions. PRIs provide high-performance organizations with access to financial capital.
• Program support provides restricted funds for specific activities associated with an organization’s programming, such as research, program management, or any other explicitly designated purpose.

The Foundation also offers the following initiatives:

• Detroit Initiative
  The goals of this initiative are to strengthen Detroit neighborhoods, invest in a revitalized downtown, promote a robust regional economy, support a thriving arts and cultural community, and protect the region’s natural resources and increase environmental sustainability.
• Kresge Community Arts
  Note: Foundation is piloting a new community arts and engagement project in St. Louis, MO; Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI; Tucson, AZ; and Birmingham, AL, that encourages residents to use art and culture as a tool to address issues in their communities.
• Health Program
  This program seeks to promote the physical health and well-being of low-income and vulnerable populations by improving the environmental and social conditions affecting them and their communities. The Health Team funds evidence-based work and innovation developed at the local, state, or national levels in the following three areas: Healthy Environments (supporting efforts that create healthy and safe spaces for children and families); Caring Communities (strengthening partnerships and practices to achieve better health-care outcomes); and Emerging and Promising Practices in Health (Stimulating innovative connections across sectors to improve the well-being of vulnerable populations). The Health Clinic Opportunity Fund, the Safety-net Enhancement Initiative, and the Safety-net Facility Improvement Fund are also offered through the Health Program.

National Trust for Historic Preservation Loan Fund
1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
20036 -2117

Phone: 202-588-6054
Fax: 202-588-6475
Email: nationaltrust_loanfund@nthp.org
Url: http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/find-funding/loans
/national-trust-loan-fund/

Additional Contact Information:
Toll-free number: 800-944-6847

Geographic Scope:
National

Type of Organization: Other Sources

Total Annual Giving:  Not Available

Grant Details:
Loans of up to $350,000 are available.

Eligibility Requirements:
Nonprofit organizations; local, state, or regional governments; and for-profit organizations
(Preference will be given to nonprofit and public sector organizations.)

Application Deadlines:
None

Areas of Interest:
The National Trust Loan Fund (NTLF), administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, provides loans to low-income historic districts and to specific endangered historic resources.

The NTLF specializes in predevelopment, acquisition, mini-permanent, bridge, and rehabilitation loans for residential, commercial, and public use projects.

Financing may be used for mixed-use and upper-floor housing, commercial development, residential rehabilitation, affordable housing, façade improvements, and traditional preservation.

Technical assistance, including training and workshops, is also available.

Grants for School and Youth Gardens

“The Self-Development of People Committee of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is a partner in grassroots projects in poor communities around the world that seek to improve the lives of poor and underserved people. The National Committee carries out its work by making grants to, and entering into partnerships with, community groups that meet SDOP’s funding criteria of group members directly controlling, owning and benefiting from the project.

Please share the attached flyer with persons or groups that you might come into contact with that may benefit from a Self-Development of People grant if they meet our funding criteria.  Thank you in advance for helping to spread the word on Self-Development of People!

Receive more information or request an application by calling the national office of Self-Development of People at 888-7228 Ext 5782 or go online to  www.pcusa.org/sdop.

Watershed Funding

Alternate Foundations and Funding Sources

CHS Foundation
The CHS Foundation is committed to investing in the future of rural America, agriculture, and cooperative business through education and leadership development. The Foundation supports national efforts related to its mission as well as programs within the CHS trade territory for regional, multi-state, or statewide projects.

This program area is primarily targeted at building leadership capacity in rural America through adult education and leadership initiatives. However, the CHS Foundation is open to innovative and collaborative approaches to address emerging issues and opportunities in rural communities. The CHS Foundation may accept and fund proposals to support these projects.

All applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Please read the FAQ page before applying.

More here…

Onsite Systems Loan Program

A solution to pollution from septic systems

The EPA has been encouraging the States to expand their funding efforts into what is known as Non-Point Source projects.  As part of that plan, the DEP has been looking into various water quality issues to see if funding them would be feasible.

The Onsite Systems Loan Program was created in a joint effort between the West Virginia Housing Development Fund (WVHDF) and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and allows each homeowner a maximum low interest loan of $10,000,

Partnering with the Housing Development Fund allows this program to help every rural neighborhood in the state. We're very excited to get this going."

Under the Onsite Systems Loan Program, there are no income or property value limits.

The program helps homeowners repair malfunctioning septic systems, assists in the financing of connections to newly constructed sewer systems, and install septic systems for existing homes.  The latter will significantly decrease the number of straight pipes into West Virginia rivers and streams.

To begin the process, homeowners can contact the West Virginia Housing Development Fund at 1-800-933-9843 or through its website www.wvhdf.comto obtain an application.  A credit review will be performed and a determination of eligibility will be made.  This is a loan program and funds will have to be repaid but at minimal, if any, interest. 

We are looking forward to a most successful program.