Freshwater Voices

The Newsletter of Freshwater Future

Freshwater Voices is the newsletter of Freshwater Future, published four times per year. Freshwater Voices is intended to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas among citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.

Volume 17, Number 4 • Fall 2009

Special Opportunity, Insight Services, and Technology Grants Available

Based on the grant applications that Freshwater Future receives and our direct experience working with groups, community-based groups have three primary needs: money, professional assistance, and network connections. Responding to these needs, Freshwater Future has two opportunities that our members can access at any time based on funding availability. In addition, we have a limited amount of funding available this autumn to provide Insight Services Grants and Technology Grants.

Our Special Opportunity Grants Program (Emergency Grants) is available to groups to support lake, river, and wetland protection efforts that may not coincide with the application timeline of our Spring and Fall grant deadlines. Freshwater Future realizes that many grassroots projects can be completed for under $500, therefore we maintain a reserve to support urgent projects or those that present a special, time-limited opportunity. Special Opportunity Grant (SOG) requests are processed differently to ensure quick turnaround.

Our Insight Services Grants provide financial assistance for Freshwater Future’s professional organizational development and technical assistance. The Insight Services Grants provide grant awards ranging from $500 to $2,500 to be used for assistance from Freshwater Future to build capacity of grassroots organizations, which could include training, board development, membership expansion, fundraising, and strategic planning.

Project examples include:

• Creation of a fundraising plan that identifies different funding sources and methods for reaching goals;
• Strategy assistance to take an issue to the next level;
• Training for board members to increase the board’s role in fundraising or governance;
• One-on-One coaching for organizational issues such as financial management, 501(c )(3) issues, etc.
• Development of a strategic plan

The Deadline for Insight Services Grants is December 8.

Technology Grants are available to ensure groups have the technology and communication tools necessary to accomplish their work. Grants in the range of $2,000 to $5,500 are available to help groups utilize technology and electronic communications, such as reliable e-mail service and mass e-mail capability, a database for tracking donors and members, an effective website with the ability of the organization to make updates easily, computers that can handle the organization’s software needs and reliable backup systems. The deadline for Technology Grants is December 8.

Please contact us at grants@freshwater future.org if you would like to apply for a Special Opportunity Grant, Insight Services Grant, or Technology Grant. Application requirements are described on our website at www.freshwaterfuture.org.

Freshwater Future builds effective community-based citizen action to protect and restore the water quality of the Great Lakes basin. We work toward this goal by providing financial assistance, communications and networking assistance and technical assistance to citizens and grassroots watershed groups throughout the Great Lakes basin. Through these efforts we work with over 1,800 grassroots watershed groups and citizens to protect and restore the rivers, lakes and wetlands in their communities. Freshwater Future is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization.

For more information, please contact:

info@freshwaterfuture.org
P.O. Box 2479,
Petoskey, MI 49770
PH (231) 348-8200;