The grant writing season is in full swing for educational grants, with the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top District proposals due October 30, and the Magnet Schools Assistance grant due to be announced soon. 

This issue's feature is on -- what else? -- educational grants. Dr. Lori Brown writes about travel and study grants for educators and students, with lots of resources to get you started. In this issue we also inform you of resources on tracking community generosity and the subject of rural wealth creation, and offer two new grant opportunities.  

If you've ever wondered how generous your community is, now you can find out. How America Gives is an interactive database based on study of IRS tax records from 2008 by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Giving patterns -- searchable by state, city, and ZIP code -- have been adjusted for living costs in different parts of the country.

For the U.S. as a whole, Americans who earned $50,000 or more in 2008 donated 4.7% of their discretionary income to charity. North Carolinians gave 5.9%, ranking 9th out of 51 states (including the District of Columbia) in their generosity to charitable causes. Buncombe, Catawba, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Henderson, and Rowan were the most charitable NC counties, giving above 6%, and Cumberland was the most generous, donating more than 7%.

For more information and insights, read The Chronicle of Philanthropy's article, America's Generosity Divide.   

Rural Wealth Creation

Rural communities have often been behind the economic curve in our country. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report -- Rural Wealth Creation: Concepts, Strategies, and Measures -- addresses wealth creation in rural communities, drawing on U.S. and international rural development literature. The report focuses on local and regional approaches to creating wealth, including traditional strategies, such as exploiting natural resources and developing as bedroom communities, and more innovative strategies, such as industry clusters and entrepreneurship. The report is available for free download from the USDA's Economic Research Service.  

The sooner you know about a new grant, the more time you have to craft a winning proposal. Visit our Grant Alerts webpage to view all the latest funding opportunities, including the two below. We post a PDF of current Grant Alerts twice a month, and new Alerts daily on Twitter. 

NEW

Deadline: 10/01/12 

Program: Ribbon of Hope Grants
Agency: NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation  

Description: Mini-grants program to support activities that establish or expand local programs in health, science, and education to serve identified needs of local communities.
Award Amount: $25,000
Website:  Ribbon of Hope
Eligibility: Nonprofits

NEW

Deadline: 12/05/12 

Program: Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative
Agency: NC Department of Transportation 

Description: A matching grant program to encourage municipalities to develop comprehensive bicycle plans and pedestrian plans. 
Award Amount: $24,800 - $47,500
Website: NC DOT
Eligibility: NC municipalities