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Inside this e-newsletter, you will find:

• Funding to Conduct Focus Groups with Parents and Caregivers of Children with Disabilities
• Tower Foundation 2025 Programs & Services Grants
• Funding to Provide Summer Primetime Programming
• Funding to Provide Child Poverty Reduction Initiative Services
• Funding to Provide Services for Homeless or At-Risk of Becoming Homeless Individuals and Families
• HOME Affordable Rental Housing Development
• Garman Family Foundation Grants
• AARP Community Challenge grants
• Foundation 214 Grant Cycle 2025
• Accelerate Community Transportation RFP Webinar
• Free grant technical assistance from the Erie County Office of Health Equity

The New York State Bureau of Health Equity and Community Engagement is accepting applications for Funding to Conduct Focus Groups with Parents and Caregivers of Children with Disabilities (Medicaid-Eligible) through February 3, 2025, at 11:59pm. 

Applicants must be community-based organizations who are located in NYS and/or the Nations (excluding NYC) and serve parents and caregivers of Medicaid-eligible children with disabilities.

Funding awards of up to $8,200 per organization are available. The funding must be used to conduct in-person or virtual guided discussions and/or focus groups for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities who receive Medicaid in New York State. Feedback collected from these parents and caregivers will help to identify barriers that these children face in retaining Medicaid coverage. The contract period will be 4/1/25 through 8/31/25.

Applications are due on February 3, 2025, at 11:59pm.  For more information and to apply, click the link below.

The Tower Foundation is accepting first round grant applications for its 2025 Programs & Services grants through February 7, 2025 at 11:59pm.

Applicants must currently provide prevention, treatment, and/or recovery services to people aged 26 years or younger from at least one of these populations: 

• People with intellectual disabilities (including those on the autism spectrum)
• People with specific learning disabilities
• People with mental illness/mental health challenges
• People with substance use disorders 

The focus of the Programs & Services grants is to support projects or initiatives that are new to an organization or that enhance, expand, or adapt existing activities. The Tower Foundation is interested in funding requests that address the needs of young people affected by intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health challenges, and substance use disorders who also have intersecting identities as members of historically marginalized communities (e.g., Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/Indigenous Peoples, disability, housing insecure, immigrant/refugee, LGBTQIA+).

The Tower Foundation has a two-step process where organizations submit a preliminary application and then the Foundation invites applicants to submit a full application later.

First round grant applications are due on February 7, 2025 at 11:59pm. For more information and to apply, click the link below.

The Erie County Department of Social Services is currently accepting proposals to provide summer primetime youth development programming to "at-risk youth" ages 21 and under through February 5, 2025 at 4pm. Programs must provide one or more of the following services as defined by the NYS OCFS:

• Work readiness supports 
• Year-round/seasonal activities
• Career development supports 
• Healthy lifestyles
• Life skill supports  
• Academic support services 
• Alcohol and substance abuse prevention  
• Youth leadership/empowerment opportunities 
• Juvenile delinquency prevention services 

To be eligible for this funding, your organization must: 

• Be located and provide services in Erie County; AND 
• Be determined by the Internal Revenue Service to be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code OR be a local youth bureau or recreation department

Applicants can request up to $10,000 in funding. Applications are due February 5, 2025 at 4pm. To view the RFP, click here. For more information and to apply, click the link below.

The Erie County Department of Social Services is currently accepting proposals to provide Child Poverty Reduction Initiative services through February 14, 2025 at 4pm.

The program is a comprehensive approach to provide strategies for families that facilitate improved economic stability, financial independence, empowerment and hope for a better future. Program participants will be a part of a family residing in the city of Buffalo with a child under the age of 18, and who at the time of program enrollment has income at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The purpose of the RFP is to secure the services of agencies to provide one or more of the following components:

1. Career coaching services to help develop career plans and set goals. Monitor goal progress and attainment of goals. 
2. Life coaching services to address challenges and development of strategies to attain workforce goals, including financial literacy and household budgeting. 
3. Administration

Applications are due February 14, 2025 at 4pm. To view the RFP, click here. For more information and to apply, click the link below.

The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning is currently accepting proposals to provide services for homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless individuals and families through the Erie County Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG) through February 27, 2025 at 4pm. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply.

The ESG Program provides funding to rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families and prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless. Eligible activities include housing search and placement services, housing stability case management, mediation, legal services, credit repair, financial assistance, and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) services.

Applications are due February 27, 2025 at 4pm. To view the RFP, click here. For more information and to apply, click the link below.

The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning is currently accepting proposals for the creation and development of affordable housing through February 28, 2025. Nonprofit organizations and housing developers are eligible to apply.

HOME funds may be used for the acquisition, construction, and/or rehabilitation of affordable rental housing within 37 consortium communities that comprise the Erie County/Town of Hamburg HOME Consortium (See Attachment A of the RFP for a full list).

Applications are due February 27, 2025. To view the RFP, click here. For more information and to apply, click the link below.

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is currently accepting applications for Garman Family Foundation Grants addressing mental health, physical wellness, and education through February 24, 2025 at 4pm.

501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations located in or serving one of the eight counties of Western New York are eligible to apply for grant funding up to $50,000. The Garman Family Foundation offers two cycles per year with a focus on organizations addressing mental health, physical wellness, and education of individuals with a preference for women and children.

Applications are due February 24, 2025 at 4pm. For more information and to apply, click the link below.

AARP Community Challenge Grants

The AARP is currently accepting applications for its Community Challenge grant program through March 5, 2025 at 5pm.

Projects must be completed by December 15, 2025. The program is open to 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) nonprofits and government entities.

In 2025, the AARP Community Challenge is accepting applications for projects that benefit residents (especially those age 50 and older) across three different grant opportunities:

• Flagship Grants support projects that improve public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and community resilience.
• Capacity-Building Microgrants are $2,500 grants are combined with additional resources, such as webinars, cohort learning opportunities, up to two hours of one-on-one expert support with leading national organizations and AARP publications. This grant opportunity will accept applications for projects that support Disaster Preparedness Training, Walk Audits, Bike Audits and HomeFit® Guide Modifications.
• Demonstration Grants support efforts that encourage replication of promising local efforts. This grant opportunity will accept applications for enhancing pedestrian safety with funding support from Toyota Motor North America; expanding high-speed internet (broadband) access and adoption with funding support from Microsoft; reconnecting communities divided by infrastructure; and housing design competitions.

Applications are due March 5, 2025 at 5pm. For more information and to apply, click the link below.

Foundation 214 Grant Cycle 2025

Foundation 214's 2025 grant application process will be open from February 4, 2025 through April 30, 2024. Foundation 214 is in search of effective tools to help improve the lives of children, the elderly and veterans of the various branches of the United States military through education and healthcare interventions. Applicant organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Western New York with at least one year of 990 tax filings. 

Foundation 214 will fund Capital Grants and Innovative Program Grants. Capital Grants are for projects which involve raising money to pay for the purchase and proper installation and training of physical assets to assist your organization’s ability to service its clients and constituents. Innovative Program Grants are made to assist a charitable organization in its delivery of its mission on a day-to-day basis to offset the expenses and costs of program delivery.

LOIs are due April 30, 2025. Invited applicants will submit their applications no later than July 7, 2025. For more information and to apply, click the link below. 

Accelerate Community Transportation RFP Webinar

The Health Foundation for Western & Central New York will launch a new program and funding opportunity, Accelerate Community Transportation (ACT), with a webinar for community organizations to learn more. The informational webinar will be held on February 19, 10 am – 11 am. Register here.

ACT is a new grant program in partnership with ITNAmerica that is designed to help community-based organizations eliminate barriers through sustainable volunteer transportation services in western and central New York. ITNAmerica leads a national transportation network grounded in research, policy analysis, technology and education.

Representatives from community-based organizations that currently offer, or are planning to offer, a volunteer transportation program should attend the webinar to learn more about ACT. Special consideration will be given to organizations who focus on reaching people from under-resourced communities including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA individuals, and other populations with inequitable access to transportation.

The application to participate in ACT will be published and shared at the conclusion of the February 19 webinar. There are 10 two-year grants available. Grantees will receive $15,000 in the first year and $10,000 in the second year.

In addition to funding, grant recipients will receive free access to the ITNCountry technology platform and technical support. Participants must operate in one of the 16 western and central New York counties that the Health Foundation serves.

To register for the webinar, click the link below. 

Free Grant Technical Assistance from the Erie County Office of Health Equity

Did you know that the Erie County Office of Health Equity provides free grant technical assistance to community organizations and groups serving minority, marginalized, and underserved communities in Erie County?

We can help with:

• Finding grants
• Applying for grants
• Data & evaluation
• Grant reporting

Click the image to download a flyer or click the link below to learn more or request technical assistance.

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