USFCR Blog

“As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.”

—Mary Anne Radmacher

National Nonprofit Day celebrates the hard work that nonprofit organizations undertake to lift the hardships of their communities, whether locally or across the globe. Founded by Sherita J. Herring, a respected author and speaker, it also acknowledges the signing of the Tariff Act on August 17, 1894. The Act provides exclusions from the federal income tax levied on corporations for charitable organizations and charities.¹ Since then, National Nonprofit Day is commemorated every August 17th. 

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program is offering up to $68,000,000 in funding that supports the recruitment, preparation, and retention of highly effective K-12 STEM teachers and teacher leaders in high-need school districts. This program offers four distinct avenues that applicants can choose from:

[…] Disasters come in all shapes and sizes—fires, hurricanes, economic downturns, droughts, virus outbreaks, terrorism. We can’t predict how long the impact will be felt but we can do much to be ready. […] Disasters stretch the limits of community systems. Communities that recover best are […] those that have invested in social fabric, inter-connectedness, physical and emotional infrastructure, and those that have woven bonds between sectors and between citizens.

Jennifer Cole, Metro Nashville
Arts Commission¹

Given the uncertainty of disasters, humanities organizations must have precautionary preparedness plans to ensure that their valuable works are accounted for. Some risk strategies to develop include:

• Relocating pieces to more structurally-sound areas;
• Conducting comprehensive structural assessments of the building to determine areas of vulnerability;
• Training staff to know the plan of action when disasters occur;
• Prioritizing pieces of most importance; and
• Ensuring that individuals are not put in harm's way in order to protect their work.²

The Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers, also known as the 2501 Program, has recently been released with the goal of enhancing equal access and opportunities for the underserved by encouraging participation in USDA programs related to agriculture and forestry. Under this initiative, the USDA, in partnership with the OPPE, is expected to reward applicants with funding geared towards aiding underserved populations with the ownership and operation of farms and ranches. Funding will also be allocated to projects that aid in the development of underserved youth’s interest in agriculture through education and training.

“Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Grant opportunities allow organizations to elevate their current programs so they can channel connections within their communities to provide assistance to their intended populations. However, searching through the plethora of federal, national and foundational databases to identify Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), Request for Proposals (RFPs) or Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) can get tiring if you are unsure what to seek out. 

The well-being of domestic animals is of high priority for many. Oftentimes, our beloved companions symbolize more than just a pet and become genuine members of our families. In situations involving domestic violence or intimate partner violence, finding shelters that accommodate pets is a common barrier that survivors face. Over 77 percent of pet-owning adult women have witnessed their pets being physically abused.¹ Since most shelters do not allow for the intake of animals, survivors must either forgo checking into a shelter or surrender their pets to animal welfare facilities. Animal welfare facilities are left in need of greater support and equipment to ensure that influx of animals are offered quality care. By spreading awareness of the following grant opportunities, USFCR hopes to help increase the capacity of organizations that facilitate initiatives that benefit animals and enhance their livelihoods. 

“When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization.”
–Daniel Webster

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is offering approximately $10.5 million in funds to domestic entities owned, operated and located within the 50 U.S. states and its territories that sell their agricultural products at farmers markets. The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), compared to the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), focuses on promoting direct-to-consumer or direct producer-to-institutional activities.  

According to Oregon State University, value-added products are “raw or pre-processed commodities whose value has been increased through the addition of ingredients or processed that make them more attractive to the buyer and/or readily usable by the consumer.” ¹ Through this grant program, the USDA aims to assist various agricultural product producers in the creation and production of new consumer products. 

Video games, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), are one of the most beloved pastimes in the United States, keeping over 62 percent of adults and 76 percent of kids engaged through various gaming mediums (mobile, console, PC, VR, etc).¹ Also, a majority of players have stated the various benefits of playing video games, including expanding social circles through a welcoming and inclusive environment, introducing people to new friends and relationships, creating accessible experiences for those with different physical abilities, and being a way for parents to spend time with their children.²

“Animal models are essential for several biomedical research fields such as cancer biology and therapeutics, neuroscience, pharmacology and toxicology, neurobiology of diseases, endocrinology, public health, palliative medicine, also, in studies in human and animal biology and for the discovery and testing of new drugs, vaccines, and other biologicals [...] Currently, these models address current research priorities, considered as those imposing major global threats to human and animal health.”
– Adriana Domínguez-Olivia, et al., 2023¹

The  National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is supporting biomedical research projects to improve the rigor, reproducibility, and translatability of animal models via the development and implementation of broadly applicable technologies, tools, and resources. This opportunity stresses that the proposed studies, resources, models, or technologies must either explore multiple organ systems or be applicable to diseases and processes impacting many organ systems and must address research interests of multiple NIH Institutes & Centers (IC’s).