14 Jun

Posted at 12:19h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) recently opened applications for its Basic Center Program (BCP). As with many federal grant opportunities, there are a lot of “so” questions that come to my mind. So, what is the BCP? Funded under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act passed in 1974, BCP works to establish or strengthen community-based programs that meet the immediate needs of youth and families of youth, who have run away from home or are experiencing homelessness. The purpose of the BCP is to provide emergency shelter and counseling services to youth under the age of 18 who meet one or more of the following criteria:
  • have left home without permission of their parents or guardians;
  • have been forced to leave their home;
  • cannot live safely with a parent, legal guardian, or relative;
  • have no other safe alternative living arrangement; or
  • are experiencing homelessness and might otherwise end up in contact with law enforcement or in the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems.

14 Jun

Posted at 12:08h in AGS Staff, Case Statements, Competency Four, Narrative, Program Design, Program Development, Writing

Grant proposals consist of a variety of components depending on each grant’s requirements. Most require some form of a budget, whether that is a simple project budget or a complex organizational budget, or both. Some will also include a budget narrative or justification and any number of other attachments. But in any grant proposal, the narrative is where you will likely spend most of your time. Fortunately, the proposal’s narrative is the fun part! This is where you get to put your storytelling skills to work. So how do you get started? Much like an author would begin a novel, start with an outline.

12 Jun

Posted at 19:50h in Competency One, Funding Opportunities
The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) recently opened applications for its Street Outreach Program (SOP). As with many federal grant opportunities, there are a lot of “so” questions that come to my mind. So, what is the SOP? To prevent sexual abuse and exploitation of young people who have run away from home or are experiencing homelessness and help them leave the streets, Congress established the Education and Prevention Services to Reduce Sexual Abuse of Runaway, Homeless, and Street Youth Program. It was established through the Violence Against Women Act of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The legislation funds street-based outreach and education for youth who have run away from home or are experiencing homelessness. FYSB has funded the SOP since 1996. The purpose of the SOP is to provide street-based services to youth 21 years of age and younger who have run away from home or are experiencing homelessness and have been subjected to, or are at risk of being subjected to, sexual abuse, prostitution, sexual exploitation, and severe forms of trafficking. This includes building relationships between this target population and street outreach workers to move youth into stable housing and prepare them for independence.

26 May

Posted at 21:55h in Competency Nine, Thomas Assel, GPC, Writing
We’re grant writers. We often have to fit lots of content into character, word, or page limits. We always have to worry about keeping a reader’s attention. One way we condense content is by using a series, a list of three or more items separated by commas. One way to confuse readers and lose their attention is to write series that don’t make sense. This blog post will help you avoid that so you can write as clearly and concisely as possible.

23 May

Posted at 15:44h in Grants in Action, Industry News, Success Stories
KidsTLC was recently awarded a $75,000 grant from the Sarli Foundation to support agency growth and sustainability. KidsTLC will be making numerous technology upgrades to support their electronic health records software as well as improvements in staff recruitment and retention. Operating support allows KidsTLC to provide services to all families in need, regardless of their ability to pay.

23 May

Posted at 15:11h in Grants in Action, Industry News, Success Stories
Developing Potential, Inc. was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Health Forward Foundation, Applicant Defined Grant to support the Increase Access to Services program. The program serves all DPI participants (160) and staff (65). These funds will support the program’s full-time registered nurse. The nurse oversees DPI’s medical services, providing direct support through comprehensive health assessments, medication administrations, choking risk assessments, GI tube feedings, and many other tasks. The nurse also educates program participants and staff on healthy lifestyle topics, and trains staff in medical issues like medication side effects, fall awareness and prevention, procedures for addressing seizures, and many more.

23 May

Posted at 14:25h in Grants in Action, Industry News, Success Stories
KidsTLC recently received a grant for $2,000 from the Johnson County Bar Foundation to support their Thriving Families program. KidsTLC’s Thriving Families program is available to help all families navigate the complexities of finding mental health/health care and daily living support. This eliminates barriers and helps them have better family relationships and improve mental health issues for themselves and their children.