Doing more of what doesn't work won't make it work any better. -Charles Givens
Doing more of the same thing and expecting different results has been given as a definition for insanity! If we are going to provide more than hollow words for the children and adolescents of today then we must attempt to think of different ways and try different methods to allow the opportunities to be present for every child to have the best chance possible to reach their full potential.
One way that many are scared away from is looking for Grants and other financial resources to make opportunities possible. One of the top sites that most foundations and corporate funding sources will recommend is the Foundation Center at:
Some of the current items listed at the Foundation Center are:
1) Target Foundation Accepting Grant Applications for Minneapolis
2) Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Seeks Research Proposals Targeting Fronto-Temporal Dementia
3) Retirement Research Foundation Accepting Grant Applications for General Program
4) Do Something Offering Weekly Grants for Young Social Entrepreneurs
5) National Gardening Association Invites Entries for the Youth Garden Grants Program 6) Open Society Institute Seeks Letters of Inquiry for Sentencing & Incarceration Alternatives
7) Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation Unveils New Grant Program Designed to Help Inner-City Educators
8) Entries Sought for MetLife Foundation Community College Excellence Award
9) Greening Initiative Grants Program to Fund Programs in Maryland's Urban Communities
10) Sidney Hillman Foundation Journalism Awards to Honor Social Justice Work
11) American Lung Association and National Sleep Foundation Launch Fellowship Award
12) American Health Assistance Foundation Invites Letters of Intent for Macular Degeneration Research
13) American Management Association and Leader to Leader Institute Announce New Scholarship Program for Nonprofit Leaders
14) Entries Invited for Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation
15) Public Welfare Foundation Announces Special Initiative on Paid Sick Days
You are encouraged to go to the site and see all of the resources available so that anyone can successfully find the financial resources to assist with providing any type of opportunity in the community, the church, the school, tutoring, after school programs, sports, etc. Most of these grants require effort but not the massive amount of time and paperwork that a Federal Grant would require. Before you dismiss the thought give it a try... What could you do or what would you do if there were no barriers? If money is one of the barriers that keep you from some of your ideas find an answer here at this web site and cross one more excuse off for any inaction on your part!
Let me know what has been your results with pursuing grants and any other resources for funding that you have used!
If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.
-Laurence J. Peter
