The following opportunities include information compiled by the local HUD field office.

GRANTS

• Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Program. Due September 29, 2017. Purpose: Help schools and parent-teacher groups with school improvement and provide for the basic needs of their students, with a particular focus on technology upgrades, tools for STEM programs, facility renovations, and safety improvements. Eligibility: Individual public K-12 schools or nonprofit parent groups associated with public K-12 schools. Funding: Grants range from $2,000 to $5,000. http://toolboxforeducation.com/
• DOI: African American Civil Rights (AACR) Preservation Grants – P17AS00578 Deadline: Sept 29
  The National Park Service’s (NPS) FY 2017 African American Civil Rights Grant Program (AACR) will document, interpret, and preserve the sites related to the African American struggle to gain equal rights as citizens in the 20th Century. The NPS 2008 report, “Civil Rights in America, A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites,” will serve as the reference document in determining the appropriateness of proposed projects and properties. AACR Grants are funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by the NPS, and will fund a broad range of preservation projects for historic sites including: architectural services, historic structure reports, preservation plans, and physical preservation to structures. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal match. ***There are separate funding announcements for physical preservation projects and for historical research/documentation projects. Funding announcement P17AS00578 is for physical projects only.***https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=296035
• DOI: African American Civil Rights (AACR) History Grants –P17AS00577 Deadline: Oct. 8
  The National Park Service’s (NPS) FY 2017 African American Civil Rights Grant Program (AACR) will document, interpret, and preserve the sites related to the African American struggle to gain equal rights as citizens in the 20th Century. The NPS 2008 report, “Civil Rights in America, A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites,” will serve as the reference document in determining the appropriateness of proposed projects and properties. AACR Grants are funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by the NPS, and will fund a broad range of preservation projects for historic sites including: architectural services, historic structure reports, preservation plans, and physical preservation to structures. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal match. ***There are separate funding announcements for physical preservation projects and for historical research/documentation projects..***https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=296029
• TIGER Discretionary Grants will award funding for transportation projects that better connect communities to centers of employment, education, and services and that hold promise to stimulate long-term job growth, especially in economically distressed areas. Deadline: Oct 16, 2017

Projects that are eligible for TIGER Discretionary Grants include, but are not limited to:

1. Repairing bridges or improving infrastructure to a state of good repair
2. Implementing safety improvements to reduce fatalities or serious injuries
3. Improving grade crossings
4. Providing shorter or more direct access to critical health services\
5. Projects that bring in manufacturing and other jobs

Priority will be given to projects that emphasize improved access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for communities in rural areas, such as projects that improve infrastructure condition, address public health and safety, promote regional connectivity, or facilitate economic growth or competitiveness.
https://www.transportation.gov/tiger

• Honeybee Conservancy Invites Applications for Beekeeping Materials – DEADLINE: October 31, 2017
  Through its Sponsor-A-Hive program, the conservancy will award in-kind grants in the form of honey or solitary bees, their homes, beekeeping equipment, and information on how to care for the bees….
  http://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/beekeeping-grants/
• Annie’s Grants for Gardens – Deadline: Nov 11, 2017
  Offers grants to develop edible garden projects that help connect kids to nutritious food.
  http://www.annies.com/giving-back/grants-for-gardens
• Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program – Deadline is December 4, 2017
  The primary goals of the Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program are to meet the food needs of low-income individuals, increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for their food needs, promote comprehensive responses to local food access, farm, and nutrition issues, and meet specific state, local or neighborhood food and agricultural needs. Grants aim to bring together stakeholders from the distinct parts of the food system and foster understanding of national food security trends and how they might improve local food systems.

All grants require a dollar-for-dollar match in resources. They are intended to support the development of projects with a one-time installment of federal assistance to establish and carry out self-sustaining, multipurpose community food projects. Community Food Projects can be funded up to $400,000 over the course of 48 months. Planning Projects may be funded up to $35,000 for the total project period, which is one year.
https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/community-food-projects-cfp-competitive-grants-program

• Home Depot Foundation Invites Applications for Community Impact Program – DEADLINE: December 31, 2017
  Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to projects that repair, modify, weatherize, or otherwise improve low-income and/or transitional housing or community facilities….
  https://corporate.homedepot.com/grants/community-impact-grants
• Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant. Due February 1, 2018. Up to $3 million to accelerate strategic protection of healthy, freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds / funding at about this level is anticipated on an annual basis around this time through 2020 / 25% match required / priority will be given to proposals that maximize measurable outcomes for watershed protection – e.g. acres protected, progress toward protection goals, degree of watershed function protected, etc. http://usendowment.org/healthywatersheds.html
• Hearst Foundations Grants. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support. https://www.hearstfdn.org/funding-priorities/

Office of Brownfields & Land Revitalization Grants

• FY 2018 Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment Grants
  EPA-OLEM-OBLR-17-07 – Closing Date: November 16, 2017FY18 Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment Grants (EPA-OLEM-OBLR-17-07):  www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=297558

The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (“Brownfields Law,” P.L. 107-118) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish guidance to assist applicants in preparing proposals for grants to assess and clean up brownfield sites. EPA’s Brownfields Program provides funds to empower states, communities, tribes, and nonprofits to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. EPA provides brownfields funding for three types of grants: Brownfields Assessment Grants, Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants, and Brownfields Cleanup Grants.  Under this RFP, EPA is seeking proposals for Assessment Grants, only, to provide funds to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning (including cleanup planning) and community involvement related to brownfield sites.

• FY 2018 Guidelines for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants

FY18 Guidelines for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants (EPA-OLEM-OBLR-17-08): www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=297557

EPA-OLEM-OBLR-17-08 – Closing Date: November 16, 2017
The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (“Brownfields Law,” P.L. 107-118) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish guidance to assist applicants in preparing proposals for grants to assess and clean up brownfield sites. EPA’s Brownfields Program provides funds to empower states, communities, tribes, and nonprofits to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. EPA provides brownfields funding for three types of grants: Brownfields Assessment Grants, Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants, and Brownfields Cleanup Grants.  Under this RFP, EPA is seeking proposals for RLF Grants, only, to provide funds to capitalize a revolving fund and to make loans and provide subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.

• FY 2018 Guidelines for Brownfields Cleanup Grants

FY18 Guidelines for Brownfields Cleanup Grants (EPA-OLEM-OBLR-17-09):www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=297578

EPA-OLEM-OBLR-17-09 – Closing Date: November 16, 2017
The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (“Brownfields Law,” P.L. 107-118) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish guidance to assist applicants in preparing proposals for grants to assess and clean up brownfield sites. EPA’s Brownfields Program provides funds to empower states, communities, tribes, and nonprofits to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. EPA provides brownfields funding for three types of grants: Brownfields Assessment Grants, Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants, and Brownfields Cleanup Grants. Under this RFP, EPA is seeking proposals for Cleanup Grants, only, to provide funds to carry out cleanup activities at a specific brownfield site owned by the applicant.

Resources

• In 2012, Fannie Mae introduced Multifamily Green Financing to help apartment building owners, and cooperatives, reduce energy or water consumption by 20 percent or more. Over 80 percent of the multifamily units Fannie Mae finances are affordable, workforce housing, and greening those buildings enables those residents to spend more on education, transportation, health care and child care: https://www.multihousingnews.com/post/green-financing-and-the-triple-bottom-line/
  https://www.fanniemae.com/multifamily/green-initiative
• Residential energy efficiency programs should offer more than one option for home energy assessments. Offering more basic and advanced options helps customers choose the best method for them. For some, more comprehensive assessments motivate customers to undertake deeper energy upgrades. For others, low-cost, less time-intensive assessments attract homeowners with less need or time, or fewer funds: https://rpsc.energy.gov/proven-practices/proven-practices-offer-various-assessment-options
• “Understanding Market Forces in Regional Development” – Presentation by Joe Minicozzi, hosted by Metroplan’s Better Communities Lecture Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBD7mkM-O9Y
• Home is Where the Heart Is: Insights on the Coordination and Delivery of Home Health Services in Rural America
  Identifies facilitators and barriers to providing home health services in rural areas, discusses how rural home health services are currently provided, and offers thoughts about the provision of home health services in the future. Findings are based on phone interviews with home health agency administrators, hospital discharge planners or case managers, and rural health innovators that took place during 2015-2016. Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center, Date: 08/2017. https://ruralhealth.und.edu/assets/480-1335/home-is-where-the-heart-is.pdf
• Cleanup after Flooding: Presents an infographic on post-flood hazards in agricultural environments. Summarizes risk factors, tips for prevention, and offers fact sheets for further reading on farm hazards, as well as additional resources. Sponsoring organization: AgriSafe Network. LINK: http://www.agrisafe.org/floodcleanup

• Guide Helps Assess Food System Economics
  Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Food Systems has released Tools for Assessing Economic Impact: A Primer for Food System Practitioners. This guide summarizes tools that food-systems practitioners can use to assess economic growth. It explores both standard commercial models and alternative, community-based approaches. LINK: http://foodsystems.msu.edu/resources/tools-for-assessing-economic-impact-a-primer-for-food-system-practitioners
• Second Quarter 2017 FDIC State Profiles are now available for all fifty states, Puerto Rico & the Virgin Islands. LINK: https://go.usa.gov/xNmsf
• Contact Information for Economic Development Resources in the United States Foundation for Rural Service http://www.frs.org/; Booklet http://www.frs.org/images/documents/state_by_state_resource_guide.pdf; Foundation for Rural Service (http://www.frs.org/ http://www.frs.org/images/documents/state_by_state_resource_guide.pdf

Training

• EPA will host its annual National Guideline Outreach Webinar on Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 12:30 pm Central/1:30 pm Eastern.  Participants can join the webinar at: http://epawebconferencing.acms.com/app18/  and/or via conference call (dial-in number: 1-866-299-3188/ access code: 202-566-1817). Registration is now open for the Southeast Brownfields Workshop (See the attached flyer) which we are hosting in partnership with the Georgia Brownfields Association.  It is being held at the Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center, 250 14th St NW, Atlanta, Georgia from Nov 7th at noon to Nov 9th at noon. Please see the attached draft Agenda and register at this link:  SE Brownfields Workshop Registration.
• Florida Brownfields Conference is in St. Petersburg from October 2 – 4 Check the EPA website for information.