NOTE: Contact your local office to discuss your specific project. Applications for this program are accepted year round.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

What is an eligible area?

Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

What does this program do?

It provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to:

• To help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund.
• Provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.

Microenterprise Development Organizations must demonstrate experience in managing a Revolving Loan Fund, or:

• Certify that it or its employees have received education and training from a qualified microenterprise development training entity so that the applicant has the capacity to manage such a revolving loan fund.
• Demonstrate that it is actively and successfully participating as an intermediary lender in good standing under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan Program or other similar loan programs as determined by the Administrator.

 What kind of funding is available?

• Grants are available to provide technical assistance to rural micro-entrepreneurs or microenterprises, up to $205,000 annually. Funding at the requested level is not guaranteed, and at least 15 percent matching funds are required.
• Loans of $50,000 to $500,000 may be used for establishing a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund managed by the Microenterprise Development Organization. Total aggregate debt is capped at $2.5 million.

What are the loan terms?

• Maximum term is 20 years.
• Two-year payment deferral.
• Must establish a loan loss reserve fund.

What terms are required on loans to ultimate recipients?

• Up to $50,000.
• Fixed interest rate.
• Limited to 75 percent of project cost.

How may the funds be used?

Microlenders may make microloans for qualified business activities and expenses including, but not limited to:

• Working capital.
• Debt refinancing.
• Purchasing equipment and supplies.
• Improving real estate.

African American History Instructional Materials Grant

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) will award grant funds to nonprofit organizations, school districts, or institutions of higher education for the development of new inquiry-based instructional materials aligned to the 2019 South Carolina Social Studies College- and Career-Ready Standards (2019 Standards) via one of the following approaches:

• Develop and host a new or recurring African American Historic Sites Professional Learning Opportunity (PLO) for K-12 teachers that includes professional learning at prominent historic sites in South Carolina as it applies to any K-12 standards. The PLO then uses the provided template to guide teachers in the development of a minimum of ten (10) inquiry-based instructional lessons with supporting materials (Instructional Materials) that connect the sites with identified course standards and provide options to assess student learning; or
• Develop and host an African American Instructional Materials Professional Learning Opportunity (PLO) for K-12 teachers that provides professional learning about South Carolina African American history as it applies to any K-12 standards. The PLO then uses the provided template to guide teachers in the development of a minimum of ten (10) inquiry-based instructional lessons with supporting materials that connect the content from the professional learning with identified course standards and provide options to assess student learning.

Funding

Approximately $200,000 will be available for new grants in this funding cycle. The SCDE anticipates awarding up to $75,000 for one African American Historic Sites PLO proposal and several awards up to $10,000 for the Instructional Lessons PLO proposals. Award amounts will be determined based on the quality of applications received and total funding requested. All grant awards are contingent upon total allocations to the SCDE by the South Carolina General Assembly.

The goal of NASA EPSCoR is to provide seed funding that will enable jurisdictions to develop an academic research enterprise directed toward long term, self-sustaining, nationally competitive capabilities in aerospace and aerospace-related research. This capability will, in turn, contribute to the jurisdiction's economic viability and expand the nation's base for aerospace research and development. Based on the availability of funding, NASA will continue to help jurisdictions achieve these goals through NASA EPSCoR. Funded jurisdictions’ proposals shall be selected through a merit based, peer-review competition and presented for review to a NASA HQ Mission Directorate Review Panel.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) determines overall jurisdiction eligibility for NASA EPSCoR. The latest available NSF eligibility tables are used to determine overall jurisdiction eligibility for NASA EPSCoR. The NSF 2023 eligibility table is available here.

The following jurisdictions are eligible to submit a proposal in response to this NOFO: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, US Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

While proposals can be accepted only from institutions for which the NASA EPSCoR Directors are serving currently, all institutions of higher education within the jurisdiction shall be given the opportunity to propose by making them aware of this NOFO. Only one proposal per jurisdiction shall be accepted, which must be submitted by the NASA EPSCoR Jurisdiction Director (or their designee). 

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

How may funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for:

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Description

The Foundation for a Healthy Carolina provides grants for organizations in the greater Charlotte, North Carolina region that are aligned with its vision for improving health, human services and educational outcomes. The Board of Trustees supports its mission through its competitive grant making program.

The Foundation for a Healthy Carolina is an investor in the community and is interested in creating the highest possible levels of human and community gain. In that mode, grant requests are reviewed with the following questions in mind: 

• What results are we buying?
• What are the chances we will get results?
• Is this the best possible use of money?

Result and Investment Areas

Healthcare grants-  directed toward advancing equity and access of the community health needs of vulnerable populations. Programs may address physical and/or mental health initiatives and must serve clients such as the elderly, people in poverty, undocumented workers or others not able to access the care or services they need. 

Education grants- directed toward workforce development, recruitment, placement, and/or retention efforts within the healthcare field, basic health education for the community, or healthcare issues that impact educational outcomes.

Within the investment areas of healthcare and education, the Foundation is also encouraging grant proposals to support creative exploration and project development to address health and health-related needs in the region.

Award Range and Trends

Grant awards typically range between $10,000 and $50,000 with the average award approximately $25,000.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

NOTE: A limited number of applicants will then be invited to submit a full application. Preceding the deadline for a full proposal, all invited applicants will be required to schedule a virtual meeting with South Arts to discuss their project. 

Cross-Sector Impact Grants

South Arts recognizes that as our communities continue to change, the arts play an incomparable role in addressing many of our communal and individual challenges and strengths. Further, the value of partnership and working together across sectors brings new opportunities, increased effectiveness, and greater depth to our collective work. Through this program, South Arts seeks to provide significant support to projects developed by partners that harness the power of “Arts & …”.

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.  Cross-Sector Impact Grants are open to all art forms, for partnership projects taking place in South Arts’ nine-state region. Eligible projects will continue to feature “Arts & …”, for example, arts and the military, arts and equity, arts and aging, arts and community revitalization. Applicants may be organizations, units of government, higher educational institutions, or artists.

For applicants new to this program that did not receive a Cross-Sector Impact Grant in FY20, FY21 or FY22, matching grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded. For these projects, South Arts encourages applications for new projects. However, projects that deepen and expand existing partnerships may also apply. For applicants/projects that did receive funding through this program in FY20, FY21, or FY22 matching grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded in order to continue or advance the project. South Arts anticipates that this grant program will be highly competitive and that successful applications will be fully funded. 

South Arts’ mission is advancing Southern vitality through the arts. This program addresses two of South Arts’ strategic goals:

• Connect artists and arts professionals in the South to resources that will increase opportunities for success within and outside the region
• Advance impactful arts-based programs that recognize and address trends and evolving needs of a wide range of communities in the South

Project Requirements

South Arts welcomes proposals from partnering entities working together on a project that addresses arts and community impact through cross-sector partnership. Projects must utilize the arts as a tool in creative approaches to address and advance an issue that is of importance in their community. Projects should also establish or advance relationships across at least two different sectors, one being in the arts. 

Arts disciplines may include, but are not limited to:

• Performing arts, including dance, music, theater, musical theater, and opera;
• Literary arts, including fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry;
• Visual arts, including craft, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media;
• Film or media;
• Traditional and folk arts, including music, craft, storytelling, dance; or
• Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary artforms.

Community impact areas may include, but are not limited to:

• Education, including literacy, youth development;
• Environment, including sustainability, weather impact;
• Health and human services, including aging, prisons and rehabilitation, military;
• Infrastructure, including housing, community revitalization, food and nutrition; or
• Social justice, including immigration, community activation, equity and accessibility.

Matching Requirements

For applicants/projects that are new to this program, the minimum grant request for this program is $5,000; the maximum request is $15,000. For applicants/projects that did receive funding in FY20, FY21 and/or FY22, the minimum grant request for this program is $5,000; the maximum request is $10,000.

A match of at least 1:2 is required, meaning for each grant-funded dollar, the grantee must provide $.50 towards the project.

Up to half of the match may be comprised of in-kind contributions such as donated materials, donated services, or other contributed non-cash assets or staff time diverted to this project. At least half of the match must be cash and cannot include salaried staff time allocated to this project. However, contracted services specifically for this project may be included in the cash match. 

Background

Greenville Women Giving (GWG) is a women’s collective philanthropic organization that serves Greenville County SC. Funding for grants is made available through the annual donations of GWG members and from other donor-directed contributions through the Community Foundation of Greenville. Grants are awarded once a year (in May) and are selected based on the cumulative voting of the entire GWG membership.

GWG seeks to fund worthy projects that have the potential for high impact and significant positive change in our community. The application deadline for new grants is at the end of November each year. Annual GWG grant cycles run from May (when grants are awarded) until June of the following year (when the completion of grant assessments are required). 

Funding Priorities

The intent of Greenville Women Giving is to award grants that have the potential for high impact and significant positive change in the Greenville Community. Therefore, GWG gives priority to grants that:

• Focus on funding areas of Arts, Education, Environment, Health and Human Services
• Support an organization’s mission
• Address high impact community needs
• Offer opportunities for collaboration and foster partnerships, as well as leverage other funding sources
• Demonstrate the ability to achieve measurable results, provide clear action steps and a reasonable timeline
• Clearly reflect how the grant funds will be used to accomplish the outlined goals and objectives

Target Areas

In 2023, GWG intends to award at least one grant in each of our five focus areas: Arts, Education, Environment, Health, and Human Services. The top-ranked grant request in each of the five focus areas will be awarded, but we will not attempt to fund each category equally.

Arts & Culture

GWG seeks to strengthen our community through arts by supporting projects that promote the creation of, access to, and appreciation of the arts, as well as programs that incorporate the arts as part of a multidisciplinary teaching program.

Education

GWG promotes lifelong learning by supporting projects that educate individuals for a productive life from early childhood through higher education as well as those providing for teacher development, access to quality educational programs and job training.

Environment

GWG seeks to enhance our community by supporting projects that protect and preserve natural areas and resources, that improve outdoor recreational opportunities and parks, and that teach conservation, protection and the responsible use of natural resources.

Health

GWG seeks to improve the overall health of the community by supporting projects that promote health, wellness and access to high quality healthcare for everyone, as well as projects that assist individuals in changing or avoiding unhealthy lifestyles or behaviors.

Human Services

GWG seeks to address inequities within our community by supporting projects that address every individual’s needs for food, clothing, shelter and safety as well as projects that address underlying social problems.