LAKE COUNTY — The Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council is preparing for the release of as much as $2.5 million in grant funds to parks and programs that connect underserved youth to the outdoors. Non-profit organizations in northern and central California are invited to apply for the grants, which are being distributed as part of the stewardship council”s Youth Investment Program.
The mission of the council is to protect and enhance watershed lands and uses and invest in efforts to improve the lives of young Californians through connections with the outdoors. Grant applications are currently being solicited in three categories. Applications must be submitted by Feb. 12 for consideration under the following programs:
?Catalyst Fund Round 1 for nurturing small grassroots organizations. Program funding is available for under $15,000. This funding is open only to organizations that operate with annual budgets less than $250,000. The funds will be available to qualified applicants requesting up to $15,000. A qualified grassroots organization is defined as one that is all or largely volunteer driven; has a few full-time staff persons or equivalent; has an annual budget, including projects, of less than $250,000; and has not received significant foundation support. Grassroots organizations must identify a significant need related to access to outdoor experiences, describe why that need is a priority for the community, develop a clear plan for translating that need into action and demonstrate an ability to account for expenditure of funds. Applicants in this round will not be required to have been in operation for at least one year.
?Impact Fund Round 1 for sparking innovation and lower barriers. Program funding is available from $15,000 to $50,000. The Impact Fund is designed to support more established organizations with the resources they need to get underserved youth connected to the outdoors. These funds have the potential for lowering the threshold for accessing the outdoors; enhancing the cultural relevancy of the programming offered by the grant-seeking organization; or creating an innovative approach to reaching this population. These funds may be used for, but are not limited to, dedicated programming or operations, program staff, development and capacity building.
?Initiative Fund for lower the barriers connecting youth to the outdoors. Program funding is available between $50,000 and $150,000. This fund is designed to support ventures that eliminate frequently-cited barriers to connecting youth with the outdoors. Grantees will create initiatives that demonstrate their ability to reduce local and/or regional barriers and that will have a ripple effect in their community and region. Grantees will be expected to document their project, approach, successes and challenges and to widely share their work and findings.
Upcoming grants include Catalyst Fund Round 2 and Impact Fund Round 2. The council will begin accepting applications for Round 2 funds on April 14. Those applications will be due June 11.
Additionally, applications for infrastructure funding for building parks and playgrounds will be accepted beginning June 3. Funds will be available up to $200,000. Those applications will be due by Aug. 13.
Infrastructure funding is designed to support efforts to improve community parks and open space to make them more accessible, viable and safe for children and youth. The council will only consider proposals that can demonstrate the ability to complete the project within two years of funding. The council will reportedly favor proposals that involve existing facilities and those that create facilities that have broad community impact and are accessible by the target population.
For more information regarding the available grants or past awards visit the stewardship council”s Web site at www.stewardshipcouncil.org.
Contact South County reporter Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
