Announcement: Neighborhood Improvement Grants Deadlines Approaching

If you are a community organization that services the elderly or the disabled; or if your organization services members who could benefit from increased safety awareness; or if your organization needs assistance in building its library or historical records collection, then there are grants available to assist you.

Check out these grants opportunities. But hurry, if you intend on applying, as their deadlines are approaching fast.

The New York State Department of Transportation is accepting applications from non-profit organizations that intend on purchasing vehicles that meet the transportation needs of elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities. Grants will be awarded based on several factors, including the ability of the applicant to operate, maintain and finance a specialized transportation service; the general mobility limitations and the level of need for this specialized transportation service in the area; and the actual vehicle usage for transporting elderly and/or disabled individuals.

• Eligibility: Non-profit organizations that serve elderly individuals and/or individuals with disabilities; public bodies, such as municipalities and county-level governments that are approved to coordinate services for the elderly and/or disabled; public bodies that can certify that no non-profit organizations are available to provide these services in an area of proposed service.
• Funding: A total of $8.2 million is anticipated to be available. This program will provide 80 percent of vehicle-purchase costs. The program requires a 20 percent local-share match.
• Deadline: Wednesday, May 4, 2011.
• Contact: Matthew Haas
  NYS Department of Transportation
  Public Transportation Bureau
  50 Wolf Road, POD 54
  Albany, NY 12232
  518-457-8335
  mhaas@dot.state.ny.us

The New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, through its Buckle Up New York (BUNY) program, is accepting applications from non-profit organizations, local governments and state agencies that would like to participate in BUNY’s seatbelt enforcement activities. GTSC oversees New York State’s highway safety program and receives funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address highway-safety related problems. The goal of the program is to prevent motor-vehicle crashes, save lives and reduce the severity of injuries suffered in crashes on the state’s roadways. Grants are awarded for one-year periods, based on the availability of federal funding and the performance of the grantee.

• Eligibility: Non-profit organizations; local governments; state agencies.
• Funding: Contact the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee for more information.
• Deadline: Sunday, May 15, 2011.
• Contact: The New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee
  6 Empire State Plaza, Room 414
  Albany, NY 12228
  518-474-5111
  www.safeny.com

The National Endowment for the Humanities is accepting applications for its Preservation Assistance Grants, which help small- and mid-sized institutions, such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities. The grants are meant to improve institutions’ ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections. That may include: special collections of books and journals; archives and manuscripts; prints and photographs; moving images; sound recordings; architectural and cartographic records; decorative and fine-art objects; textiles; archaeological and ethnographic artifacts; furniture; historical objects; and digital materials.

• Eligibility: Non-profit organizations; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; state, county, city or township, and special district governments; state, public and private institutions of higher education.
• Funding: Individual awards are not to exceed $6,000.
• Deadline: Tuesday, May 3, 2011.
• Funding Opportunity Number: 20110503-PG.
• Contact: National Endowment for the Humanities
  Division of Preservation and Access
  1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
  Room 411
  Washington, DC 20506
  202-606-8570
  preservation@neh.gov

The Preservation League of New York State is accepting applications for its Preserve New York grant program. The program is committed to supporting projects that advance the preservation of neighborhoods that qualify for the New York State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, preserve architecture and landscapes of the recent past, and continue the use of historic public buildings. Examples of eligible projects include: historic structure reports for cultural institutions and public buildings; historic landscape reports for municipal parks; and cultural resource surveys of residential neighborhoods.

• Eligibility: Non-profit organizations and municipalities.
• Funding: A total of $90,444 is available. Grants are likely to range between $3,000 and $10,000 each.
• Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by Monday, May 2, 2011.
• Contact: Erin Tobin (Eastern NY/NYC/Long Island)
  518-462-5658, ext. 12
  etobin@preservenys.org
• Contact: Tania Werbizky (Central and Western NY)
  607-272-6510
  twerbizky@preservenys.org
  www.preservenys.org