The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sent this reminder of the July 7 deadline for applying for funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Strengthening Communities Fund. 

The fund, which is described below, will provide one-time, two-year awards of up to $250,000 to state, city, county and Indian/Native American tribal governments.  Governments may use these funds to strengthen nonprofit organizations and increase a nonprofit's involvement in projects that are designed to help turn our economy around.  

 

"Strengthening Communities Fund State, Local and Tribal Capacity Building Grant"

 

Eligibility: Government offices at the State, local or tribal level or their designees can apply for funding to strengthen or create offices encouraging partnerships with nonprofit faith-based and secular organization. 

 

State, Local, and Tribal Government Capacity Building Program:  One-time awards up to $250,000 to State, city, county, and Indian/Native American Tribal government offices (e.g., offices responsible for outreach to faith-based and community organizations or those interested in initiating such an effort), or their designees, to build the capacity of nonprofit faith-based and community organizations to better serve those in need and to increase nonprofit organizations' involvement in the economic recovery.  Grantees will use program funds to provide free capacity building services to nonprofit organizations and to build their own capacity to provide such services to nonprofits.  The grant period for this award is 24 months. 

 

Objective: To enable nonprofit organizations to contribute to the economic recovery and help Federal, State, local, and Indian/Native American Tribal governments ensure that the information and services described in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) reach disadvantaged and hard-to-serve populations. 

 

Program Focus:  To build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, whether secular or faith based, to address the broad economic recovery issues present in their communities, including helping low-income individuals secure and retain employment, earn higher wages, obtain better-quality jobs, and gain greater access to state and Federal benefits and tax credits, including ARRA benefits. 

 

Website for Program Announcement: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2009-ACF-OCS-SN-0092.html

 

Applications due by: July 7, 2009

 

For more information about this new program, visit http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/scf/