Category Archives: Economic Development

Community Economic Development Planning Projects

Community Economic Development Planning Projects from the Administration for Children and Families support the development of community economic development projects in underserved areas.

Ten grants of $75,000 – $150,000 are expected to be awarded for a grant period of 24 months. There is no matching requirement. Applications are due by July 2, 2024.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 Community Development Corporations.

Potential Activities

Grant funds may used for activities such as:

  • Stakeholder meetings to discuss economic development goals and strategize a path forward
  • Creating or updating Community Economic Development visioning statements or plans
  • Data collection and/or analysis of existing data on local economic assets and potential markets for business development
  • Researching other funding sources that can be leveraged along with grant funds
  • Creating a business plan for economic development
  • Attending workshops, conferences, etc.

Funding Limitations

Grant funds may not be used for:

  • Construction. 
  • Purchase of real property.
  • Major renovation. 
  • Subawards/pass-throughs

Review Criteria

All applications will be reviewed based on:

  • Need for assistance – 10 points
  • Objective and expected outcomes – 15 points
  • Clear and well-conceived approach – 30 points
  • Organizational capacity – 25 points
  • Letters of support – 5 points
  • Budget and budget justification – 15

Applicants also have the opportunity to earn bonus points for:

4th Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition

The Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition is an inititative of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. It was created to identify challenges and support innovation in the gastronomy tourism sector.

Applications for the 4th annual competition are due by June 6, 2024. The award does not come with a monetary prize, but does have numerous benefits to help build your startup.

Eligibility

This competition is open to for-profit and nonprofit organizations from anywhere in the world who meet the following criteria:

  • Operating in the Gastronomy Tourism Sector
  • Using innovative methods in comparison to similar businesses
  • Focusing on social needs such as employability and gender equity
  • Ability to enact localized social change
  • A tested product or service
  • The potential to scale up the business in the short to medium term
  • Ability to quickly implement collaborative development of products or services
  • A committed team with the knowledge to achieve their goals
  • Adherence to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals

Benefits

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Finalists will receive:

Categories

Applicants may apply in one of three categories:

  • New Technologies – Startups developing and promoting a product or service with a high technological component
  • Local Impact – Startups developing and promoting a project with a high degree of transformation and social improvement
  • Sustainability and Waste Management – Startups developing and promoting a project with a focus on sustainability and/or food waste generated by tourists

They may also apply for one of four types of product or service:

  • Physical product
  • Service
  • Software
  • New business model for tourism

NEA: Our Town Grant

Our Town, from the National Endowment for the Arts, supports projects that combine creative placemaking strategies with arts tactics to build stronger communities. Awards are $25,000 – $150,000 and require a 1:1 match of non-federal funds.

Part 1 of the application is due through Grants.gov by August 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. Part 2 must be submitted through the NEA Applicant Portal, which will open at 9:00 AM ET on August 8 and close August 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
  • Nonprofit institutions of higher education
  • Local government entities
  • Federally recognized Native American Tribes

Applicants must have completed at least 3 years of art programming and have at least one partner. The partnership must include at least one nonprofit organization and at least one local governmental or quasi-governmental entity.

Project Design

Our Town projects pair creative placemaking strategies with arts tactics to create long lasting community change.

Creative Placemaking Strategies

  • Envision – Imagine new possibilities for overcoming challenges and solving problems or a new future for the community as a whole
  • Connect – Bring communities, people, and places together
  • Illuminate – Bring attention to community assets such as local history and cultural infrastructure
  • Energize – Bring new energy, resources, and people to a place or issue

Art Tactics

Photo by Kara Muse: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-walking-on-sidewalk-with-wall-painting-2346120/
  • Arts Engagement – Activities such as artist residencies, arts festivals, public art, and performances
  • Cultural Planning – Activities such as identifying and leveraging community resources, creative asset mapping, and public art planning
  • Design – Activities such as artist-led community planning, creation of artist spaces, design of public spaces, and creative business development

Outcomes

Our Town projects should yield concrete, measurable outcomes such as:

  • Participation – Number and diversity of participants
  • Offerings/Deliverables – Number of arts offerings, cultural planning and design deliverables, or creative industry offerings
  • Quality – Quality of participation and quality of offerings/deliverables

Additional project outcomes include:

  • Economic Change – Improvements at the individual, community, or institutional level
  • Physical Change – Improvements to the built and/or natural environment
  • Social Change – Improved social relationships, greater civic engagement, and more community empowerment

Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Technical Assistance Grant

The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Technical Assistance Grant (WANTO) supports programs to encourage employment of women in apprenticeable and/or nontraditional occupations.

Applications for $350,000 – $750,000 are due by June 10, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. There is no cost sharing requirement. The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates awarding 8 – 17 grants.

Eligibility

This grant is open to Community-Based Organizations as defined in the WANTO Act legislation:

“[A]  private non-profit organization (which may include a faith-based organization) that is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community, that has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in the field of workforce development, and that has demonstrated experience administering programs that train women for apprenticeable occupations or other nontraditional occupations.”

Potential Activities

  • Establishing or expanding  pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship, or other nontraditional skills training programs designed to prepare women for careers in apprenticeable and/or nontraditional occupations.
  • Providing ongoing orientations or other resources for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful path for women in apprenticeable and/or nontraditional occupations.
  • Creating support groups and networks, and/or providing supportive services for women in apprenticeable and/or nontraditional occupations to improve their retention.

No more than 25% of grant funds may be used for supportive services such as outreach, orientations, focus groups, support groups, and occupational skills training.

Risk Review

All applications will be assessed based on:

  • Financial stability
  • Quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards
  • History of performance
  • Reports and findings from audits
  • Applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, and other requirements

Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program

The Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program supports projects in Union Pacific communities. Their focus areas are Safety, Workplace Development, Commuity Vitality, and Environmental Sustainability.

Applications are due by May 31, 2024. Awards are typically $5,000 – $30,000.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in Union Pacific communities.

Focus Areas

  • Safety – helping communities prevent and prepare for emergencies and helping residents live safely day to day 
  • Workplace Development – helping underrepresented residents find family-supporting careers
  • Community Vitality – cultural and recreational experiences and providing community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives
  • Environmental Sustainability – environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations advancing the health of the environment

Funding Limitations

Grant funds may not be used for:

  • General operating support
  • Event sponsorships
  • Fundraising events
  • Sports events, organizations, and teams
  • Fellowships
  • Research

P&G Alumni Foundation

The P&G Alumni Foundation is a network of over 35,000 P&G alums around the world. Through their grants program, they support projects that focus on economic empowerment and employment.

Applications for $10,000 – $25,000 are due by May 11, 2024. A member of the Foundation must be actively and meaningfully involved for at least one year. Funding is typically for specific project costs, but small organizations with revenue of less than $250,000 may be considered for operating expenses.

Eligibility

Applicant

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and organizations outside the United States with their country’s equivalent designation. They must have been in existence for at least 2 years.

Alum

A P&G alum is anyone who has received at least one paycheck from P&Gm whether it was for an internship, part time, or full time work. There is no minimum amount of time that the individual has to have been employed by P&G.

Program Focus

The Foundation funds projects and organizations that focus on:

  • Job skills development and vocational training
  • Business-related education and training
  • Entrepreneurial or business ventures viable in local communities

Coca-Cola Foundation

The Coca-Cola Foundation is investing in change around the world through grants and sponsorships of transformative ideas and institutions. More than $1.5 billion have been given to organizations focused on complex global challenges.

Currently, the Foundation is focusing on six Impact Areas: Sustainable Access to Safe Water, Climate Resilience and Disaster Risk Preparedness and Response, Circular Economy, Economic Empowerment, Hometown, and Employee Giving. Requests for funding can be submitted at any time.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in the United States and international groups with an equivalent designation in their country.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may be spent on:

  • Salaries and benefits
  • Consultant fees and expenses
  • Administrative expenses
  • Other

The Foundation typically does not fund:

  • Individual scholarships
  • Programs primarily focused on nutrition, weight loss, or physical activity
  • Movies and television
  • Website development
  • Concerts or other entertainment type events
  • Local sports teams

Impact Areas

Sustainable Access to Safe Water

This area funds programs that present solutions for the 2 billion people globally who lack safe drinking water.

Climate Resilience and Disaster Risk Preparedness and Response

This impact area supports projects that help vulnerable communities adapt to the effects of climate change as well as providing direct relief to those impacted by natural disasters.

Circular Economy

A circular economy is one in which products are reused rather than disposed to alleviate the accumulation of plastic waste, in particular, in the world’s waterways. Grants in this area fund solutions to the 12.7 million metric tons of plastic that pollute our water each year.

Economic Empowerment

This impact area focuses on education, workforce development and entrepreneurship opportunities for disadvantaged communities.

Hometown

Hometown projects build a more inclusive community in Coca-Cola’s hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. This is done through civic engagement, arts and culture, economic empowerment, education, and youth development.

Employee Giving

Coca-Cola employees in the United States donate both time and money in the communities where they live and the Foundation matches that support.

UN Tourism: Best Tourism Village Initiative

The Best Tourism Village Initiative from UN Tourism highlights villages in its Member States that are using tourism to preserve their culture, celebrate diversity, and increase sustainability.

Applications by Member States are due by April 24, 2024 at 11:59 PM CEST. Although there is no financial award, recognized villages will receive increased visibility on an international level and become members of the Best Tourism Villages Network. Villages that do not meet all the criteria to be recongized as Best Tourism Villages can become part of the Upgrade Programme.

Eligibility

Only UN Tourism Member States may apply for this opportunity. Each Member State may submit up to 8 villages that:

  • Have a low population density and a maximum of 15,000 residents
  • Have a landscape with an important presence of traditional activities such as agriculture, forestry, livestock, or fishing. 
  • Share community values and lifestyle

Objectives

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The objectives of the Initiative are:

  • Reduce regional inequalities in income and development
  • Fight depopulation
  • Progress gender equality and women’s and youth
    empowerment
  • Promote rural transformation and strengthen traction
    capacity
  • Strengthen multi-level-governance, partnerships and the
    active involvement of communities
  • Improve connectivity, infrastructure, access to finance and
    investment
  • Advance innovation and digitalization
  • Innovate in product development and value chain
    integration
  • Promote the relationship between sustainable, equitable
    and resilient food systems and tourism
  • Advance the conservation of natural and cultural resources
  • Promote sustainable practices for a more efficient use of
    resources & a reduction of emissions and waste
  • Enhance education and skills

Areas of Evaluation

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All submissions will be evaluated based on:

  • Cultural and Natural Resources 
  • Promotion and Conservation of Cultural Resources 
  • Economic Sustainability 
  • Social Sustainability 
  • Environmental Sustainability 
  • Tourism Development and Value Chain Integration 
  • Governance and Prioritization of Tourism 
  • Infrastructure and Connectivity 
  • Health, Safety and Security

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation supports organizations working with or impacting children and youth from low-income, urban communities in the United States, India, and South Africa.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis for requests of $50,000 or more in Education (all), Health and Wellness (U.S.), and Family Economic Stability (India, South Africa, Central Texas, and Greater Boston).

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • Governments
  • Social enterprises
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Charitable trusts
  • Community foundations
  • Private foundations
  • Schools
  • Educational organizations
  • Religious organizations

Focus Areas

Education

Projects submitted under Education should concentrate on:

Health and Wellness

Image by congerdesign

Health and Wellness projects should concentrate on:

  • Healthy Communities
  • Healthy Food

Family Economic Stability

Projects under this focus area should concentrate on:

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may not be spent on:

  • Computers, tablets, or other hardware
  • Endowments
  • Fundraisers or event sponsorships
  • Lobbying
  • Medical research
  • Infrastructure

Request

Requests must be for $50,000 or more. However, the Foundation typically does not fund more than 25% of a project or 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

Powering Climate & Infrastructure Careers Challenge

The Powering Climate & Infrastructure Careers Challenge from The Families & Workers Fund will provide financial and technical assistance to infrastructure and clean energy projects in the United States. Projects must have or be applying for funding from climate, infrastructure, or other government funding.

Round One applications for $150,000 – $1.5 million in direct funding or technical assistance over 1-3 years are due by January 19, 2024. Invitations to apply for Round 2 will be issued to a select number of Round 1 applicants. Finalists from Round 2 will be invited to interview with the Fund who expects to award 10-20 grants total.

Eligibility

This funding opportunity is open to:

  • 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
  • Public agencies
  • Native American Tribal governments
  • Public-private partnerships, such as workforce development boards

Applicants must also:

  • Have or intend to apply for climate, infrastructure, or other government funding
  • Be committed to advancing career opportunities and improving economic mobility, especially for underinvested communities

Funding Tracks

Projects may fall under both of these tracks, but they must be under at least one.

Training & Career Pathways

Image by Stefan Schweihofer

Projects in this track will be working to train, place, support, and retain a diverse workforce to meet growing demands in the clean energy, infrastructure, and related industries.

Appropriate applicants for this track include:

  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Institutions of higher education
  • Workforce agencies
  • Employer partnerships
  • Other training providers

Government Planning & Implementation

Projects in this track will support partners with workforce data analysis and planning, procurement, and job quality efforts.

Appropriate applicants for this track include government agencies and nonprofit organizations on Native land or in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Wisconsin.

Government Funding Sources

https://blog.ucsusa.org/charlie-hoffs/how-are-wind-turbines-made/

Applicants may be leveraging funds from:

  • Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
  • Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) 
  • Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) 
  • CHIPS and Sciences Act 
  • American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), including State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) 
  • Private investment or contracts from businesses receiving federal funds
  • Other (must specify)