This fall the Grants & Nonprofit Info Center has quite an incredible line-up of free one-shot library programs that are being presented by spectacular outside presenters! First up, we're going to have Dawn Vandaveer speaking about Increasing Donations with Direct Mail on October 19th. On November 16th, we have Tony Ford coming in for a workshop on Social Media for Non-Profits. Right after that program ends, we'll host an informal event where you can hopefully join us for some networking time and light refreshments. In December we'll have an outside presenter discuss how to get in-kind donations and services from local companies. Registration for this last program isn't open yet, but check our website in November for more information. Remember, these outside presenters are only going to be speaking at their respective programs ONE TIME, so if you want to hear them speak you need to make sure you attend the programs this fall!

AIDS United, in partnership with the M·A·C AIDS Fund, is addressing the intractable barriers that cause one in two people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. to fall out of care. The Retention in Care initiative, administered by AIDS United, is focused on increasing retention in effective HIV healthcare by people living with HIV/AIDS, particularly those living in poverty and who are high risk for dropping out of care or becoming sub-optimally engaged in care. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), approximately five organizations in communities across the U.S. will be selected to receive grants ranging from $200,000 to $250,000. The focus of this RFP is on interventions that will move people toward consistent engagement in healthcare and provide the support needed to maintain this level of engagement. Support will be provided for a range of approaches that either need resources to get off the ground or existing programs that can be brought to a more effective scale.   

The mission of the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation is to improve oral health for communities and residents of Arizona, with emphasis on the underserved. The Foundation's Community Grants Program is designed to support nonprofit organizations throughout the state that focus on oral health promotion and dental disease prevention programs serving children and youth (including programs serving pregnant mothers and children and youth up to age 19). Organizations can apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 for programs providing direct prevention services, oral health instruction, screenings, exams, education, and/or training. Grants are also provided to address staffing and other costs for local, collaborative groups/coalitions offering oral health community activities.

The mission of the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED), an initiative of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO), is to promote activities that improve rural educational, social, and economic conditions. The Technology Grants for Rural Schools Program, administered by FRED, strives to meet the growing need for innovative technology in the classroom. These grants of $1,000 to $5,000 help public schools in rural areas bring modern computers to every classroom, connect schools to the information superhighway, and assure that effective software and online resources are an integral part of the school curriculum. Any public K-12 school located within the service area of an OPASTCO telephone company in the U.S. or Canada may apply, including Tucson. A letter of support from the local company must accompany all applications.

The foundation supports programs designed to promote financial literacy in K-12 and adult students. They also support programs designed to promote economic self-sufficiency for low and moderate income individuals and families through financial literacy, job readiness, job creation and retention, small business training and development, and transitional and supportive housing. Recently made grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with most being $10,000 or less. 

The foundation awards grants to entrepreneurial leaders at new nonprofits that seek to solve existing social problems in innovative ways at a large scale. The applicant must also be the organization's founder. Grants include seed funding of $100,000 annually for three years, advisory support in the form of a board seat, and access to a network of social entrepreneurs in the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation portfolio. The foundation selects proposals from a variety of public service areas, including but not limited to, education, youth and families, the environment, health, and community and economic development.

The Ray Solem Foundation is offering one-time grants of up to $10,000 to non-profit organizations that have found creative ways to help immigrants in the United States further their verbal English language skills - listening comprehension and oral communications or to help immigrants in other ways. A grant is to be used to continue ongoing work performed by the organization; there are no restrictions on its use.

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation works to fully restore instrumental music in all public elementary and middle schools within a district. Based on the need in each community, a multi-year partnership is created to guarantee that all students have access to instrumental music education. The VH1 Save The Music Foundation provides grants of $30,000 worth of new musical instruments to each  public elementary and middle school. Each school has the choice of selecting a package of: band, string, keyboard lab, guitar lab, or mariachi instruments.