Nonprofit Update October 2021: Events & Funding Opportunities

Rental Assistance

If you’re a renter having trouble paying your rent, utilities, or other housing costs – or if you’re a landlord trying to stay afloat with tenants in this situation – help may be available. State and local programs are distributing billions of dollars in rental assistance to help renters stay housed during the pandemic.

Visit the CFPB’s Rental Assistance Finder to find out what this means for you and what you can do. The CFPB’s site also includes resources to help renters and landlords understand other resources to help navigate various financial hardships related to the pandemic.

Homes for All of Us

Homes For All of Us is Mayor Todd Gloria’s package of initiatives aimed at producing more homes across the City that San Diegans of all income levels can afford. While no single policy can solve the housing affordability crisis, these implementation actions address a variety housing issues that San Diegans face, such as displacement, a lack of housing for families and scarcity of affordable and middle-income housing. The City of San Diego invites you to review the Homes For All of Us Implementation Proposal and provide your feedback here starting Friday, October 15. The City welcomes additional suggestions for policy changes to create more affordable housing opportunities.

Upcoming Events

• View a draft of the City of San Diego’s climate resiliency plan, which was released for public review this month. Climate Resilient SD is a comprehensive plan to prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change, like extreme heat, wildfires, flooding, drought, and sea level rise, and it is also a plan for how the City can invest in communities to make them safer, healthier, and more enjoyable while preparing for climate change. The City invites nonprofits to attend an online workshop October 19 to learn more about the plan and provide feedback on how to make it even better. Real-time Spanish interpretation will be available at the workshop.
• The Meeting the Moment – Stewarding the Momentum Summit features findings from the 2021 State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Report which highlights the current state of San Diego’s nonprofit sector and the philanthropy that supports it. The report features input and insight from over 200 nonprofit leaders as well as the results of ongoing public opinion polling, and analysis of nonprofit employment and economic data. The series runs from October 29 to November 10.
• The 13^th annual BlueTech Week is being held November 15-18. Blue Economy Workforce of Tomorrow, which will be held on November 16 from 11:30AM-12:30PM is an open and a free event. You must register to attend.

TSDF Funding & Career Opportunities 

• The Chula Vista Community Foundation is accepting applications for their 2022-2023 grant cycle. In its 12th grant cycle, up to $50,000 in funding may be awarded. The Chula Vista Community Foundation will be accepting proposals for programs which support youth ages 12-24. Deadline: November 1 by 5PM
• Join our team! We are currently seeking a Climate Equity Intern. The San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center is seeking an Executive Assistant. The San Diego Foundation was awarded a 2020 Top Places to Work award by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

More Funding Opportunities 

• The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment’s Cal Wildlands fund is accepting applications from conservationists advocating for the permanent protection, including restoration and stewardship, of intact wildlands on both public and private lands to help preserve California’s wilderness and native biological diversity. Applications are accepted at any time. Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis. Deadline: October 28 by 5PM
• Pisces Foundation is accepting concept notes for a round of grants that will range in amount of approximately $50,000 to $150,000 for a 12-month period. Pisces will award grants to nonprofit organizations and their collaborators building a movement for equitable and culturally relevant environmental and outdoor learning. Deadline: October 29 by 2PM
• The San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture is also accepting proposals for both its Organization Support Program and its Creative Communities San Diego Program. Deadline: October 31
• City National Bank is accepting applications for grants to support literacy and financially-based literacy projects at public and private elementary, middle and high schools in target counties. Deadline: October 31
• The Equity and Special Populations program (ESP) is accepting applications. Grants will be awarded to design and implement projects that accelerate equity in employment and develop innovative employment strategies for populations that face significant barriers to jobs. Applicants to the ESP program may propose to serve one or more of the following special populations: English language learners, the homeless and housing insecure, immigrants, justice-involved individuals, people with disabilities, veterans, youth, and/or other target population(s) in geographic location(s) disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Deadline: November 1 by 3PM
• The California Documentary Project (CDP) is a competitive grant program that supports the research and development and production stages of film, audio, and digital media projects that seek to document California in all its complexity. Applications are being accepted for two categories: Research and Development and Production. Deadline: November 1 
• The Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation is accepting applications to fund medical and science activities, programs that benefit youth and underprivileged individuals and sports related activities. The average grant in recent years has been $20,000. Requests from other areas will be considered. The Foundation grants generally benefit San Diego County organizations. The Board meets four times per year to review grant requests. Deadline: November 1
• The County of San Diego is accepting applications for Community Development Block Grant Funds (CDBG). Residents and nonprofit entities working in the unincorporated area of the County may propose projects for CDBG funding that benefit low- and moderate-income persons and align with the County’s Consolidated Plan. Deadline: November 1 by 5PM
• The ASPCA is inviting proposals for funding from authorized disaster response agencies providing direct support to companion animals, equines, and their owners in communities currently or recently impacted by or at high risk for catastrophic natural disasters. Deadline: November 8
• First Nations Development Institute is accepting applications to the Native Language Immersion Initiative Grants Program. During this funding cycle, First Nations will award 5 to 8 grants ranging from $45,000 to $75,000 to build the capacity of and directly support Native-controlled nonprofit organizations and tribal government programs actively supporting Native language immersion programs. Deadline: November 10
• SeedMoney is accepting applications for their challenge grants. Each year, SeedMoney offers challenge grants to diverse food garden projects through a 30-day crowdfunding challenge running from November 15 to December 15, 2021. Their grants are open to all types of public food garden projects (youth gardens, community gardens, food bank gardens, etc.) regardless of their location. Deadline: November 12
• The Institute of Museum and Library Services is accepting applications to Museums Empowered: Professional Development for Museum Staff. This is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program with the goal of strengthening the ability of an individual museum to serve its public through professional development activities that cut across various departments to generate systemic change within the museum. Deadline: November 15
• The Domanica Foundation is accepting applications from organizations providing direct social services targeting hunger, homelessness, healthcare for the under- or uninsured, and for scholarships. Applicants can apply at any time, however, the deadline for consideration at the year-end meeting is November 15.
• The Nordson Corporation Foundation is accepting applications from organizations that have programs that align with their specific areas of focus: education, human welfare, arts and culture, and civic affairs. Deadline: November 15
• The San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture is accepting applications for their FY23 application review panelists pool. They are looking for artists, cultural practitioners, and arts field professionals from all disciplines and backgrounds. Deadline: November 21
• The California Department of Housing and Community Development (Department) is accepting applications for funds from the CalHome program. The Department is making available approximately $57 million to fund local public agencies, nonprofit corporations, and federally recognized and special government entities for activities within the CalHome program. Deadline: November 22 by 5PM

Resources

• Nonprofit Management Solutions holds a series of live, virtual workshops for nonprofits and individuals working for nonprofits throughout the year and provides access to a Foundation Directory of Online Professionals, a fully searchable database of more than 100,000 foundation and corporate grantmakers.