Good Afternoon, All-
Here are some NYSCAA news and updates as well as some other information that may be of interest.
The Public Policy Committee will be communicating with the Human Services sub-committee in the upcoming week.
Josephine Bias Robinson, Director of the Federal Office of Community Services, announced the selection of Peter Thompson as the permanent Director of the Division of State Assistance. Peter has served the past four months on detail to the Office of Community Services as the Acting Director of the Division of State Assistance. During this brief term, Peter has implemented several significant and positive changes to the program operations and administration of the Community Services and Social Services Block Grant programs.
New York Times Nonprofit Excellence Awards
The Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York and the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers are inviting local nonprofits to apply for the 2007 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The awards, which recognize management excellence and encourage innovation and communication, will go to four local organizations. Two application clinics have been scheduled for interested nonprofits: Monday, December 11, 3:00-4:30pm and Friday, December 15, 9:30-11:00am. Nonprofits based in and serving
The Nonprofit Excellence Award - A $25,000 grant presented to the winning organization
Award for Excellence in Meeting Emerging Issues or Serving Emerging Communities ($5,000)
Award for Excellence in Sustained Impact ($5,000)
Award for Excellence in Communications ($5,000).
To register for the December 11th meeting, go to: http://www.nycharities.org/event/event.asp?CE_ID=848F For the December 15th meeting go to:
http://www.nycharities.org/event/event.asp?CE_ID=849 For additional information, contact Kristy Grammer at kgrammer@npccny.org. Put "Question about NYTimes Award" in subject line.
Independent Sector Invites Nominations for John W. Gardner Leadership Award
Deadline: January 31, 2007
Independent Sector (http://www.independentsector.org/) presents the John W. Gardner Leadership Award each year to an individual working in the voluntary sector who has advanced the common good by building, mobilizing, and unifying people, institutions, or causes. Named for the late John W. Gardner -- American statesman and founding chairperson of Independent Sector -- the award honors a leader who has transformed society and served as a beacon to individuals and communities. RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10005414/independentsector. For additional RFPs in Philanthropy and Voluntarism, visit: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_philanthropy.jhtml
For those NYCAA Members that are also CCSNYS Member, this may be of interest. Many CCSNYS members are currently saving money by taking advantage of their option of being a "reimburser" for Unemployment costs. (Read More here http://www.firstnonprofitcompanies.com/llc.htm) If you are looking for a way to save money in 2007, consider finding out if this option is right for your nonprofit. CCSNYS has partnered with First Nonprofit to help you understand if this option is right for you. Finding out how much you can save is completely free http://www.firstnonprofitcompanies.com/free_evaluation_llc.htm. Nonprofits in
Taxpayers claiming charitable contribution deductions for cash, check, or other monetary gifts made in taxable years beginning after August 17, 2006, are subject to the new recordkeeping requirements of § 170(f)(17), as added by section 1217 of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, P.L. 109-280, 120 Stat. 780 (2006)(PPA). Notice 2006-110 provides guidance on how charitable contributions made by payroll deduction may meet the requirements of § 170(f)(17) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Assessment of the Income and Expenses of
This paper is from the Urban Institute and provides information on expenses and income of low-income working families. Authors found that families with one full-time worker in 2001 fared well due to work effort, earnings and the earned income tax credit. However, it was found that low-income families without a full- time worker did not have enough income to cover basic needs. To view or download, please see: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411382_ surve.pdf
New York: More New Yorkers Going to Bed Hungry (“Report: One In Six New Yorkers Goes Hungry,” ny1.com, November 28, 2006) More than 1.2 million New Yorkers, or one in six people, can’t afford adequate food, according to a survey released by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH). The number of hungry people is growing despite the fact that the unemployment rate is falling and the economy is doing well. “There was an 11 percent rise in people going to pantries and kitchens over the last year,” said NYCCAH President Joel Berg. “
Editorial: Public Colleges Overlook Low-Income Students, Serving as “Engines of Inequality” (“Public Colleges as ‘Engines of Inequality,’” nytimes.com, November 23, 2006) Now it’s time for Democrats to act on their promise to reduce the cost of college that has contributed to pricing millions of poor and working-class Americans out of higher education, writes this editorial in The New York Times. In addition to boosting the value of the federal Pell Grant program, “policy changes will also be required in the states, where public universities have been choking off college access and upward mobility for the poor by shifting away from the traditional need-based aid formula to a so-called merit formula that heavily favors affluent students,” argues the newspaper. An “eye-opening” report released by the Education Trust shows that even high-performing low-income students are much less likely to attend college than their high-income counterparts and are less likely to graduate if they do attend. In recent years, public flagship and research universities more than quadrupled aid to students whose families earn over $100,000 and, on average, awarded affluent students larger grants than those from low- or middle-income families. Colleges compete for “high-income, high-achieving students who would otherwise attend college elsewhere, while overlooking low-income students who are perfectly able to succeed at college but whose options are far more narrow.” These are ominous facts at a time when a college degree opens the door to the middle class, the newspaper writes. “Unless the country reverses this trend, upward mobility through public higher education will pretty much come to a halt.” http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/23/opinion/23thu3.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogi
Funding Opportunities
The Charitable Leadership Foundation is offering a grant opportunity designed to address the problems of marketing, outreach and capacity building in the counties of Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Washington for the following target areas: Education (language arts, history, recreation), Volunteerism, Job Skills and Food Banks. All proposals must not exceed one page and include organization basics (type of organization, general contact information, copy of 501(c)3, copy of most recent audited financials) and are due by February 1st, 2007. Each proposal should outline how the funds will provide a solution to a defined problem and what the projected outcomes would be if the grant is awarded. Contact Charitable Leadership Foundation at (518) 877-6701 ext. 301 or visit their website at http://www.charitableleadership.org/index.aspx?id=9.
With support from the Ford Foundation, the Families and Work Institute has announced a request for proposals for the Supporting Work Project. Approximately four grants will be awarded of up to $140,000 for community-based projects to increase the number of employers facilitating access to publicly funded work supports for low-wage employees, including but not limited to the Earned Income Tax Credit, child care assistance, transportation assistance, food stamps, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or housing assistance. While applicants are strongly encouraged to involve local elected officials in their application, the lead agency requesting the grant may be a government, non-profit, or for-profit entity. Proposals are due Jan. 8, 2007. For more information, contact SupportingWorkRFP@familiesandwork.org. You may also contact Abby Hughes Holsclaw at the YEF Institute at (202) 626-3107 or holsclaw@nlc.org
NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) DHCR has announced the availability of a tax credit under the Low-Income Housing Credit Program (LIHC).
ELIGIBILITY: Persons and firms that construct and/or rehabilitate rental housing that is reserved for low-income households may apply for LIHC.
FUNDING: DHCR expects to have approximately $20 million available for Credit Reservations.
DEADLINE: 5:00 p.m., February 26, 2007.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact a DHCR Regional Office: Capital District Regional Office, 38-40 State Street, Albany, NY 12207; (518) 486-5012; Buffalo Regional Office, Statler Towers, 107 Delaware Avenue, Suite 600, Buffalo, NY 14202; (716) 842-2244; Syracuse Regional Office, 800 South Wilbur Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13204; phone (315) 473-6930, mailing address: P.O. Box 1127, Syracuse, NY 13201; New York City Regional Office, 25 Beaver Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004; phone (212) 480-7644.
ELIGIBILITY: All categories except for the Innovative Programs Initiative are open to not-for-profit and for-profit child day care centers, school age child care programs other not-for-profit organizations and government agencies. The Innovative Programs Initiative category is limited to government and not-for-profit organizations.
FUNDING: Contact the Office of Children and Family Services for funding details.
DEADLINE: Applications for all program types, except Health and Safety grants $15,000 and under, will be accepted on March 16, 2007 and July 14, 2007. Applications may be submitted for Health and Safety grants $15,000 and under by the 10th of each month ending with submissions on June 10, 2007.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For information and an application, contact Suzanne Sennett, Bureau of Early Childhood Services,
The William T. Grant Foundation has announced the launch of the Youth Service Improvement Grants program. Grants made through the program will support activities conducted by nonprofit community-based organizations in the
ELIGIBILITY: Organizations must have tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code and must provide services to youth located in the New York metropolitan area, which is defined as Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties in New York state.
FUNDING: The foundation expects most grants will be close to the maximum amount of $25,000 each, and that twenty to twenty-five awards will be made per year.
DEADLINE: Proposals will be accepted during March through April, with an application deadline of April 30, 2007.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call (212) 752-0071; fax (212) 752-1398; e-mail info@wtgrantfdn.org.
Denise
(518) 690-0491
Fax: (518) 690-0498
www.nyscaaonline.org
A Member of the Community Action Partnership-Helping People. Changing Lives.