National Service Briefing

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GRANTS ALERT

November 7, 2013

Volume 20, No. 44

Circulation: 42,000

In this month's Grants Alert, we share 14 grants & awards, including YSA's Sodexo Foundation Youth Grants and these 4 new opportunities added since the last Grants Alert:
  • NYLC's Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Award
  • NYLC's Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award
  • MADD Power of You(th) Video Contest
  • 2014 C-SPAN StudentCam Competition 

More information about all these opportunities is below.  


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YSA Grants & Awards - www.YSA.org/Grants

 

Sodexo Foundation Youth Grants

Deadline: January 31

Do you know where your next meal is coming from? One in five children in America don't. But this is a problem that can be solved, and kids are a part of the solution. That's why YSA (Youth Service America) and Sodexo Foundation are offering Sodexo Foundation Youth Grants, funding of up to $500 for youth that live in the U.S. to lead projects focused on ending childhood hunger in their communities. Find out how you can help end childhood hunger: www.YSA.org/grants/sodexoyouth  

Everyday Young Hero Award

Deadline: Rolling

The Everyday Young Hero program highlights one outstanding youth a week that are making extraordinary contributions and commitments to service. Nominations must come from a parent, teacher, or other adult mentor. The Everyday Young Hero award is open to those between the ages of 5-25.  Winners receive an announcement in YSA's weekly National Serving e-Briefing, a certificate and letter from YSA's President and CEO, a customized press release, and publicity on the YSA's website, Twitter and Facebook accounts.    www.YSA.org/awards/hero   

   

Grants & Awards From YSA Partners

New grants & awards added since last month's Grants Alert have a green NEW! after the title.  

 

NYLC's Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Award  NEW!

Deadline Extended: November 8

The Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Award recognizes service-learning programs and projects that demonstrate outstanding youth leadership. This award focuses on projects that show a high level of youth initiative in all areas including identifying an authentic need, planning the service, and putting that plan into action. Teams of young people participating in service-learning projects can apply. One winner will be selected to receive this award at MONUMENTAL in Washington D.C., April 9-12, 2014. The winner will receive $1,000 to support the program, along with travel, lodging, and registration for the conference for two youth participants and one adult leader.  http://bit.ly/1gOPZho     

NYLC's Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award  NEW!

Deadline Extended: November 8

The Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award recognizes those who have equipped young people to lead and serve, both through their direct work with youth and by nurturing other practitioners. Nominations are accepted from the general public, and a committee of leaders from the service-learning field will select the winners. One winner will be selected. This award will be presented at MONUMENTAL in Washington D.C., April 9-12, 2014. The selected practitioner will receive $1,000 to maintain and develop service-learning programs in his or her organization or school, along with travel, lodging, and registration for the conference. http://bit.ly/1gOPZho    


KaBOOM! Let's Play Engineered Wood Fiber Surfacing Grants and Let's Play Maintenance Grants

Deadline: Rolling (Monthly)

Thanks to generous support from Dr Pepper Snapple Group, KaBOOM! will be awarding grants of $750 each to communities who wish to top-off their Engineered Wood Fiber safety surfacing or who are working to make their existing playgrounds cleaner, safer and more inviting.  The Let's Play Engineered Wood Fiber Surfacing Grant and Let's Play Maintenance Grant are currently available. http://bit.ly/12zv3lc      

J-Serve Start-Up Grants

Deadline: Rolling

J-Serve is the International Day of Jewish Youth Service. Through the generosity of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, grants are available for J-Serve 2014 - April 6, 2014. $500 micro grant awards are available to communities that plan and execute projects that bring a minimum of 10 and maximum of 74 Jewish teens together in partnership with a least two movements or agencies in the community. Micro-grants will be accepted on a rolling basis, and grants will continue to be awarded as long as funding remains available.. http://bit.ly/111Szb3        


Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship

Deadline: December 5

Sodexo Foundation is excepting applications for its Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship program October 5 - December 5, 2013. Through scholarship awards, Sodexo Foundation recognizes and rewards students, ages 5-25, who are driving awareness and mobilizing youth to be catalysts for innovative models and solutions to eliminate hunger across the country. The scholarship recipients each receive $5,000 for their education as well as a $5,000 grant for the hunger-related charity of their choice. Learn more and apply at www.SodexoFoundation.org     

2014 Best Intergenerational Communities Awards

Deadline Extended: December 6

MetLife Foundation and Generations United are searching the nation for communities that place immense value on intergenerational connections and quality of life for all.  If your community fits that description, apply for the third annual Best Intergenerational Communities Awards program. http://bit.ly/GNZpfz  


Starbucks Youth Action Grants 

Deadline: December 15

The Starbucks Foundation is interested in supporting organizations that equip young people ages 15 to 24 years old - especially those not engaged in employment, education, or training - in business savvy, social conscience, and collaborative communication. They will consider grants between $10,000 and $30,000. http://bit.ly/1bKhGIz      

MADD Power of You(th) Video Contest  NEW!

Deadline: December 20

Enter MADD's Power of You(th) Video Contest by answering the question, "If You Don't Drink Alcohol Today, What Could Your Tomorrow Be?" with a 15-second Instagram video. The contest winner and the school with the most submissions will EACH win $1,500! Entrants must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 13 and 18. http://bit.ly/Ag2znC   


2014 C-SPAN StudentCam Competition   NEW!

Deadline: January 20

StudentCam is an annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation, sponsored by C-SPAN. StudentCam's theme for 2014 is:  "A Message to the U.S. Congress: What's the most important issue the U.S. Congress should consider in 2014?" Maximum award: $5,000, plus $750 to spend on digital video equipment for his/her school. Eligibility: students grades 6-12, individually or in teams. http://cs.pn/wo6O3b  

Daily Point of Light Award 

Deadline: Rolling

The power of the individual to spark change and improve the world - that's what the Daily Point of Light Award celebrates. Nominate a local hero for a Daily Point of Light Award. Winners get formally recognized by Points of Light, a media advisory sent to their community, a certificate signed by President George H. W. Bush - and a bit of the world's spotlight. http://bit.ly/15XKMSl   


World We Want Foundation Grants

Deadline: Rolling

The World We Want Foundation promotes and supports Young Global Citizens making positive social change in their communities and around the world. They work with and through Partner Organizations and Mentors youth applicants provide; help young people design and conduct meaningful Social Action Projects and acquire substantive knowledge and 21st-century skills while creating social value; provide micro-grants to support their Projects; provide an online funding platform to encourage and allow others to help fund their Projects; and provide an online Showcase to share their Stories of Social Impact with the world. http://bit.ly/11IE94t    

 

DoSomething.org Seed Grants

Deadline: Rolling

Are you working to start a community action project or program with your friends? Do you need money to put your ideas into action? A $500 Do Something Seed Grant is given out every week to help young people just like YOU! These grants can be used towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started, or to jump-start your program and realize your ideas for the first time. These grants can also be used towards projects that are already developed and sustainable, towards the next steps of your project and organization to help you as you look to expand your project and grow your impact. http://bit.ly/PQYfTr        

Everyday Young Heroes


Ari Hiller

Teaneck, NJ


YSA recognizes 15-year-old Ari Hiller of Teaneck, New Jersey as an Everyday Young Hero for bringing smiles and laughter to children with special needs and senior citizens.

For the past few years Ari served as a Mitzvah Clown, a medical clown, visiting senior care facilities. He interacts with as many people as possible, talking with the elderly who get few visitors; bringing joy and smiles to everyone he visits. Mitzvah Clowning not only showcases Ari's talents and passion for entertaining others, but also allows him to help others by providing them a smile, kind words, and laughter. With the desire to engage his friends and classmates in service, Ari designed and implemented a community service tour in order to educate his peers about the numerous community needs people face throughout their county. Through the community tour, Ari engaged 40 youth volunteers and donated over 100 magazines and nonperishable items to senior care facilities and a local food pantry.   

For his commitment to service by 'clowning around' and encouraging his peers to serve alongside him, we honor Ari Hiller as an Everyday Young Hero. 

 

To nominate a young person who has improved their community through service to be recognized as an Everyday Young Hero, please visit www.ysa.org/awards/hero.

 

Service Calendars

Conferences & Events

 

Service Learning: Building a Culture of Service
December 4, 2013 - New York, NY 

 

National Afterschool Convention
February 28-March 3, 2014 - New York, NY

Green Schools National Conference
March 27-29, 2014 - Sacramento, CA 

 

25th Annual National Service-Learning Conference 

April 9-12, 2014 - Washington, DC  

 

Building a Grad Nation Summit 

April 27-29, 2014 - Washington, D.C.  

Seasons of Service

 

November 2013

National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month - November
National Runaway Prevention Month - November
Veterans Day
- November 11
World Kindness Day - November 13
World Diabetes Day - November 14
America Recycles Day
- November 15
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
- November 16-24
American Education Week - November 18-22
National Family Volunteer Day - November 23
National Family Week - November 24-30  

Song of the Week

Regina Spektor - "The Call" 

 
"It started out as a feeling 
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
'Til it was a battle cry
...
Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never been this way before
All you can do is try to know who your friends are
As you head off to the war
Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light
You'll come back when it's over..."



This song selected in honor of Veterans Day - Monday, November 11. 

YSA Funding Partners


The Editor

Mike Minks

Mike Minks

Director of Development & Innovation
Editor-in-Chief, National Service Briefing 

@michaelminks