Community Broadband Grants, Deadline May 14

This program helps fund broadband deployment into rural communities where it is not yet economically viable for private sector providers to deliver service.

Who may apply?
Eligible applicants include:

• Most State and local governments
• Federally-recognized Tribes
• Non-profits
• For-profit corporations

What is an eligible area?
Rural areas that lack any existing broadband speed of at least 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream is eligible.

• The Application Guide provides guidance on rural areas currently eligible for Community Connect Grants

How may the funds be used?

• The construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, spectrum, land or buildings used to deploy broadband service for:
  • all residential and business customers located within the Proposed Funded Service Area (PFSA)
  • all participating critical community facilities (such as public schools, fire stations, and public libraries)
• The cost of providing broadband service free of charge to the critical community facilities for 2 years
• Less than 10% of the grant amount or up to $150,000 may be used for the improvement, expansion, construction or acquisition of a community center that provides online access to the public

Are there other grant requirements?

• Buildings constructed with grant funds must be located on property owned by the awardee
• Leasing expenses will only be covered through the advance of funds period included in the award documents
• Grantees must have legal authority to provide, construct, operate and maintain the proposed facilities or services
• Partnerships with other federal, state, local, private and non-profit entities are encouraged
• For additional detail see Code of Federal Regulations 7 CFR, Part 1739

Are there any other grant requirements?

• Matching funds of at least 15% from non-federal sources are required and can be used for operating costs

Contact us for more information about this grant program. To learn more about GFA please visit our website at http://gfa.tc.

Equestrian Trail Grants, Deadline Apr. 18

The Michigan Horse Council has reinstated trail grants and they are available to any Michigan Horse Council member groups. These groups need to be non-profit, non-motorized equestrian trail advocacy organizations that support, expand or improve a public trail or campground open to equestrian use. Additional grants are also allowed by special requests, such as pledges to match projects in partnership with the DNR if it is approved by the DNR.

The purposes of these grants are to assist in the cost of an expansion or improvement of any public trail or campground that is open to equestrian use.

The deadline for this application is April 18, 2018. Contact us for more information. To learn more about GFA please visit our website at http://gfa.tc.

NOAA Coastal Resilience Grants, Deadline Mar. 7 (Pre-Proposals)

Up to $15 million may be awarded for coastal resilience projects under the 2018 NOAA Coastal Resilience Grants, available for projects that strengthen Great Lakes coastal communities and ecosystems, improving their resilience to extreme weather or other adverse events.

Building on the success of previous NOAA Coastal Resilience Grant competitions, the grant is funding two types of projects this year. New projects will require a pre-proposal and should focus on resilience through habitat restoration. Funding may also be awarded to projects that strengthen coastal communities, chosen from last year’s high scoring proposals.

Closing date for pre-proposals is March 7, 2018. Contact us for more information. To learn more about GFA please visit our website at http://gfa.tc.

Waterway Cleanup Grants, Deadline Feb. 20

. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and Great Lakes Commission today announced the availability of $25,000 for small grants to support local efforts to clean up Michigan rivers, streams and creeks.

Michigan’s Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Program provides grants to local units of government to help clean Michigan waterways. Local units of government may partner with nonprofit organizations or other volunteer groups to carry out the work. A 25 percent minimum local match is required.

The program is funded by fees from the sale of Michigan’s specialty water quality protection license plates, available from the Secretary of State’s Office.

The application deadline is Feb. 20, 2018.  Applications are reviewed and assessed by the MDEQ and Great Lakes Commission, with final decisions anticipated in early May 2018.

To learn more about GFA please visit our website at http://gfa.tc.

Underground Tank Cleanup Funds

The Public Highway Program allows local units of government or county road commissions to be reimbursed for certain costs related to the management, relocation, or disposal of media that had been contaminated by a release or releases from a refined petroleum underground storage tank system or systems.

Claim Eligibility

A claim may only be by filed by a local unit of government or county road commission. For a claim to be eligible, there must be a completed institutional control in place for the public highway pursuant to Section 21310a of Part 213, Leaking Underground Storage Tanks of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended.  A copy of the completed institutional control must be provided with the claim submittal.

The program will accept claims for local reimbursement of up to $200,000. Contact us for more information. To learn more about GFA visit our website at http://gfa.tc

Assistance to Firefighters Grant, Deadline Feb. 2, 2018

The FY 2017 AFG application period will open on Tuesday, December 26, 2017 at 8 AM ET and will close on Friday, February 2, 2018 at 5 PM ET.

The AFG Program also addresses the following Core Capabilities of the National Preparedness Goal:
•Fire Management and Suppression
•Environmental Response/Health and Safety
•Threats and Hazards Identification
•Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Medical Services
•Operational Coordination
•Operational Communications
•Mass Search and Rescue Operations
•Community Resilience
•Long-term Vulnerability Reduction

AFG has three activities:
•Operations and Safety
•Vehicle Acquisition
•Regional Projects

Each activity has its own eligibility requirements.

In general, eligible applicants shall agree to make available non-federal funds to carry out an AFG award in an amount equal to and not less than 15 percent of the grant awarded. Exceptions to this general requirement apply to entities serving smaller communities as follows:
•When serving a jurisdiction of 20,000 residents or fewer, the applicantshall agree to make available non-federal funds in an amount equal to andnot less than 5 percent of the grant awarded;
•When serving a jurisdiction of more than 20,000 residents, but not more than1,000,000 residents, the applicant shall agree to make available non-federal fundsin an amount equal to and not less than 10 percent of the grant awarded;

Contact us for more information about this program. To learn more about please visit our website at http://gfa.tc.

Safe Routes to School Mini Grants, Deadline March 2, 2018

The Safe Routes to School program offers mini grants as a way to explore applying the program to your school district. Mini Grants are an excellent way to ease into the Safe Routes to School movement, and start building a culture of walking, biking, and rolling at your school. These grants allow schools and communities to create programs that educate and encourage students to stay healthy and active, and to reduce traffic around schools. Up to $5,000 per school is available, and up $25,000 per school district.

As of this writing the 2018 RFP is not yet available, but if you are planning an application now is a good time to start getting your information in order. To learn more about GFA visit our website at http://gfa.tc.

Michigan County Fair Grants, Deadline Feb. 1

A competitive grant opportunity for Michigan’s county fairs is now open. The grant offers dollars to make building and other capital improvements to fairground facilities. Grants are also available to other entities (such as associations or other organized events) hosting fairs or livestock/commodity expositions.

The capital improvement program provides additional funds for county fair officials to help make needed improvements to their fairground facilities; including, but not limited to, structural improvements or other renovations to buildings.

The submitted grants will go through a competitive grant process and will be reviewed by an evaluation committee.

Eligible applicants include:

• fairs that are incorporated under Act 80 of 1855
• county-owned and operated fairs operating under Act 11 of 1929 that have submitted all required year-end reports for the prior two years
• fairs that did not receive a competitive capital improvement grant for the grant period of April 1 through December 31, 2017

The shows and expositions grant provides financial support for awards in the form of premiums or promotional activities of the livestock and commodity expositions. Livestock expositions hosting expos must meet the required number of exhibitors.

The application deadline for these programs is Feb. 1, 5 pm. Contact us for more information. To learn more about GFA please visit our website at http://gfa.tc.

 

MDEQ Recycling Grants, Deadline March 9 2018

The MDEQ is offering communities grants to purchase residential recycling carts. Too often, the lack of recycling collection infrastructure prevents valuable recyclable materials from becoming new products manufactured in Michigan. A proven method for increasing recycling is ensuring that community members have convenient access to recycling opportunities. Communities in the Southeastern Oakland Resource Recovery Authority that received DEQ grants for curbside carts have seen trash volumes decrease and recycling volumes increase 30% in just the first few months after cart delivery.

To assist communities with the purchase of residential recycling carts, the DEQ is offering up to $500,000 during fiscal year 2018. Cities, villages, townships, charter townships, counties, tribal governments and/or municipal solid waste or resource recovery authorities are all welcome to apply. Requests for funding will be accepted through March 9, 2018. For more information about the grants program, visit http://www.michigan.gov/mirecycles.

This information is provided as a service for our clients and communities. To learn more about GFA please visit our website at http://gfa.tc.

Community Foundation Grants, Deadline Oct. 1

The Grand Traverse Community Foundation’s fall grant cycle is open. Application are due by Oct. 1.

Genuine Leelanau Charitable Endowment

• The Genuine Leelanau Charitable Endowment provides support to nonprofit organizations or groups that work to enhance the life and culture of women, children and families in Leelanau County.

Joan Rajkovich McGarry Family Education Endowment

• The Joan Rajkovich McGarry Family Education Endowment supports programs and services to benefit Grand Traverse and/or Leelanau Counties. The grantmaking focus is on nutrition and, in particular, on school aged children and obesity issues. $5,000 will be available to grant in 2017.

Traverse City Track Club Endowment

• The TC Track Club Endowment supports running related activities including; Cross Country Programs, Track and Field Programs, Summer Camp Activities, Running/Walking Programs and Charitable Giving Related to Running. The TC Track Club Endowment is both a Spring and Fall Grant Cycle Opportunity

Youth Endowment

• The Community Foundation Youth Endowment grants are available to nonprofit, educational or governmental organizations serving youth in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau Counties.

Note: This is a very local program, limited to northwest Michigan, that we publicize as a public service. To learn more about GFA please visit our website at http://gfa.tc.