New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA)

OTDA and the Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation (HHAC) have announced the availability of funding under the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP). HHAP authorizes a program of State financial assistance to provide grants or loans to acquire, construct or rehabilitate housing in order to expand the supply of housing for low-income persons who are, or would otherwise be, homeless. A homeless person is defined as an undomiciled person (whether alone or as a member of a family) who is unable to secure permanent and stable housing without special assistance, as determined by the Commissioner of OTDA.
ELIGIBILITY: Not-for-profit corporations and their subsidiaries; charitable organizations; municipalities; and public corporations. Applications may be submitted by a single organization, by organizations working jointly as co-applicants, or by a single organization working in cooperation with a supporting organization. Low-income housing development and management is frequently a complex and difficult process, and the provision of support services to homeless and special needs populations requires substantial expertise. Therefore, HHAC urges potential applicants who do not have strong experience or skills in these areas to consider submitting proposals jointly with organizations whose experience can complement their own.
FUNDING: The anticipated total HHAP appropriation for SFY 2003-04 is $30 million, of which $5 million will be reserved for the development of projects serving homeless persons with HIV/AIDS. Funding will be made available subject to the enactment of the SFY 2003-04 State Operations and Aid to Localities Budget, including an appropriation for HHAP.
DEADLINE: Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. on April 21, 2003. Proposals should be sent to the Bureau of Housing Services, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, New York 12243.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To obtain a copy of the RFP and the application package, visit OTDA’s web site at http://www.otda.state.ny.us/cgo/hhap/HHAP_RFP_26FEB03.htm. If you would like to receive a hard copy, send a fax request to Brett Hebner at (518) 486-7068. The request should include the name of the organization, contact person, address, phone number and fax number.

 
Affordable Home Ownership Development Program

New York State Affordable Housing Corporation

The New York State Affordable Home Ownership Corporation, a subsidiary of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, has announced the availability of funding through the Affordable Home Ownership Development Program, which is designed to promote home ownership by persons of low and moderate income, which, in turn, promotes development, stabilization and preservation of neighborhoods and communities. To achieve these goals, the Corporation will provide financial assistance, in conjunction with other private and public investment, for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation and improvement of owner-occupied housing. Assistance provided under the Act is expected to make home ownership affordable to families and individuals for whom there are no other reasonable and affordable home ownership alternatives in the private market. Additionally, the development and rehabilitation activities undertaken in connection with this program are expected to help eliminate conditions of slums and blight and to create jobs and stability in communities throughout the state. The financial assistance provided by the Corporation will be in the form of grants, and grantees will make these funds available to recipients in the form of payments, grants and loans.
ELIGIBILITY: Municipalities; housing development fund companies incorporated pursuant to Article 11 of the Private Housing Finance Law; not-for-profit corporations or charitable organizations that have as one of their primary purposes the improvement of housing; and municipal housing authorities created pursuant to the Public Housing Law. Although individuals and families are not eligible to apply directly for a program grant, there may be an AHC grantee in your area that is administering grants to individuals and families. For a list of current grantees in your region, contact Caroline Telfer-Mingo at (212) 688-4000, x438 or by e-mail.
DEADLINE: Proposals must be received by May 15, 2003 and should be submitted to Ms. Wanda Ferguson-Graham, Vice President, New York State Affordable Housing Corporation, 641 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022. The original proposal and all copies of the proposal must be typed, tabbed and bound.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact (212) 688-4000, x520. You can obtain further information, including a downloadable Request for Proposal, on the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation's web site.

 
Occupational Health Clinics

New York State Department of Health (DOH)

DOH’s Division of Environmental Health Investigation, Bureau of Occupational Health, is soliciting applications for contracts for the operation of occupational health clinics to participate in a statewide clinic network. One contract will be awarded to a not-for-profit organization to establish an occupational health clinic in each of five areas of the state: Buffalo/Niagara Falls; Rochester; Syracuse; Albany/Capital District; and Long Island. In addition, contracts will be awarded to two not-for-profit organizations in the New York City/Westchester area. Finally, one contract will be awarded to a not-for-profit organization to provide agricultural medicine and health services in the State.
ELIGIBILITY: Not-for-profit organizations as described above.
FUNDING: The initial contract period will extend from January 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005, with annual renewals for up to three subsequent years. It is anticipated that the first eighteen months’ contracts will total approximately $8,250,000. Funding for that period and for subsequent years will be dependent upon appropriations from the State Legislature.
DEADLINE: Applications for these contracts must be received by DOH by April 17, 2003 at 3:00 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit DOH’s web site at http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/phforum/notices/rfa/clinic/occ_rfa.htm for information on preparing an application. Questions regarding this RFA should be directed to Matthew London in writing at New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Occupational Health, 547 River Street, Room 230, Troy, New York 12180.

Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program (LSL)

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

The Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program is designed to improve student literacy skills and academic achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; a well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media center; and well-trained, professionally-certified school library media specialists.
ELIGIBILITY: Local Educational Agencies in which at least 20 percent of the students served are from families with incomes below the poverty line. Applicants are encouraged to focus on comprehensive and collaborative reading efforts that maximize the impact of the project on improving student reading achievement and to demonstrate the direct link between the proposed activities and improved reading achievement.
FUNDING: Estimated $12,000,000 total funding with an estimated 75 to 100 awards, ranging from $20,000 to $350,000.
DEADLINE: April 28, 2003.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Margaret McNeely or Beth Fine, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 5C130, FOB-6, Washington, DC 20202-6200; by phone, (202) 260-1335 (Margaret McNeely) or (202) 260-1091 (Beth Fine); by e-mail, LSL@ed.gov; by TDD, (800) 877-8339. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative form (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the contact persons above.

Preservation League of New York/New York State Council on the Arts

The Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on the Arts have announced their 2003 Preserve New York Grant Program, which provides funding to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations undertaking historic structure reports, historic landscape reports and cultural resource surveys. The Preservation League, a statewide, not-for-profit organization, and the Council, the state’s arts funding agency, have collaborated on this grant program annually since 1993. Through the program, the two groups seek to support efforts to plan for the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of historic buildings and landscapes throughout the state. In 2003, the Preservation League especially encourages projects that link preservation to smart growth land use planning; neighborhood and "Main Street" revitalization; preservation initiatives along rural roads and other historic transportation corridors; projects that involve the continued use of historic municipal buildings and historic bridges; and projects that preserve key cultural features and landscapes in rural and urban settings.
ELIGIBILITY: Municipalities and not-for-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status are eligible to apply unless they are applying for funding directly from the New York State Council on the Arts’ Architecture, Planning and Design Program (APD) for another project on March 3, 2003. Groups are limited to one project with APD support per year. State agencies and religious institutions are ineligible for support. Groups that previously received funding through this grant program must have successfully completed their projects to be eligible for the 2003 grant round. The grant panel members will evaluate the architectural and historic significance of the building, landscape or area; the need for the project and for financial support at this time; the applicant group’s ability to carry out the project within a stated schedule; the applicant group’s ability to raise sufficient funds to complete the project; the appropriateness of the project budget and consultant(s); the extent of local support for the project; and the likelihood that significant restoration or planning work will result.
FUNDING: A total of $92,450 is available and will be split among all three project types. Grants are likely to range between $3,000 and $15,000 each. No formal financial match is required; however, the Preservation League and the New York State Council on the Arts expect to see a project budget that reflects the applicant’s meaningful commitment to the project. Please note that it is unlikely that this program will be able to provide full support for any project. It is also expected that the consultant fee structure reflects the applicant’s understanding of the value of these professional services.
DEADLINE: Applications must be postmarked no later than Monday, May 5, 2003. Please follow directions included in the application for assembling the packets.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: If your organization and your project meet these guidelines, contact the League staff to discuss your potential application. For information and an application form, contact Tania G. Werbizky, Director, Technical and Grant Programs, at 607-272-6510 or Lorraine E. Weiss, Program Manager, at 518-462-5658, ext. 12.

 
...Grant Writing

Grantsmanship Training Program

The Grantsmanship Training Program is coming to Syracuse, New York June 9-13, 2003. The seminar will be hosted by P.E.A.C.E., Inc.

The five-day program will be conducted by The Grantsmanship Center (TGCI), the world’s oldest and largest training organization for the nonprofit sector. This is an opportunity to improve your grant research and proposal writing skills. The class is kept at a maximum of 27 participants. The cost of the program is $775, which includes a one-year enrollment in the TGCI Membership Program. A limited number of half-tuition scholarships are available to agencies with annual budgets of less than $300,000.

To register, contact The Grantsmanship Center at 800-421-9512 or visit their web site. For local information and arrangements in Syracuse, call Len Collela (315) 470-3300.

Council on Opportunities for Professional Excellence, Inc. (COPE)

COPE has scheduled three Guerilla Grantsmanship seminars for April 2003. The schedule is as follows:

April 21, 2003 – Crown Plaza, White Plains, New York
April 25, 2003 – Holiday Inn, Poughkeepsie, New York
April 29, 2003 – Holiday Inn Wolf Road, Albany, New York

You will learn how to write hard hitting grants proposals that work and then learn how to work the grant proposals you write. Also, you will find out about the latest funding trends, grant writing software technology, research techniques, where to look for matching funds, and how to develop funding partnerships.

COPE now offers three different registration training packages. For more information, contact COPE at (845) 756-2673 or visit their web site.