Always wanted to build a playground, school garden, add to your neighborhood park, or library? The MSU extension office painstakingly lists available grant programs. If you don't have a project in mind yet, check out available grants for ideas.
Intimidated by "grant writing"? There is no magic to it, and you don't need a special degree, just a good dose of enthusiasm. A lot of grants are easy online forms. For others, shoot us a comment with your ideas, and we'll connect you with community resources to help.
At the time of this writing the list contained close to 200 available grants. Below are just a few fun grants with upcoming due dates:
Jamba Juice (due 2/18): http://grants.kidsgardening.org/its-all-about-fruit-and-veggies
Grow Your Park (due 2/6): http://www.nrpa.org/garden/
Do something (Seeds and other grants, weekly): http://www.dosomething.org/grants/seed-grants
Enjoy, and start doing something :)
Spark Architecture
Showing posts with label grants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grants. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Historic and Economic Development Resources, Great Falls and Montana
As promised in our historic tax credit summary, additional resources are listed below. Please let us know if you are aware of additional resources.
Great Falls Business Improvement (BID) District Grants
BID grants are available for improvements within the BID district and are funded by a property tax improvement fund (TIF) to support downtown goals. They are unique in that they are available to owners or tenants. Grants cover a percentage of permanent improvements and contract labor costs. Separate grants are available for facade (up to 20%), interiors, and residential (up to 10%). Interiors for new businesses locating within the BID may qualify for up to 30% rebates. These grants are not limited to historic register projects, and may include new construction. Residential projects can be tenant or owner occupied. Property owners must be current on their property taxes to qualify. Recent examples include Taco del Sol, Murphy McClay, subway Building, and Lofts at Johnson Hotel.
Historic Tax Abatement:
The Montana Department of Revenue provides various development incentives, including a provision for development within historic districts. Properties within historic districts can qualify for an abatement of 100% of the taxable value increase attributed to the rehabilitation, restoration, expansion or new construction for a period of up to five years. A recently approved example is the Baum Trinastich Building (a.k.a. Owl Cigar Buidling) at 114 3rd St. S. For more information contact Great Falls Historic Preservation Officer Ellen Sievert at 455-8435.
Great Falls Development Authority
Great local business and development organization, supporting small business and attracting large investors. Assistance in finding loans and funding, such as through:
Montana Community Development Corporation
Resource in utilizing "New Market" tax credits for medium to big projects. New construction and existing building projects.
Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP)
The purpose of (TIIP) is to provide grant funding that leverages other private and public funds for construction of new tourism-related facilities, and the enhancement of existing facilities to encourage visitors to stay in Montana longer and spend more money. The facility construction and enhancement will strengthen Montana’s attraction as a visitor destination. Funding starts at $20,000, with a phenomenal investment ratio of 1:2. Applicant status has to be non-profit. Submission deadline is end of July. Historic value is recognized amongst the selection criteria. In Great Falls restorations and renovation projects such as the Ursuline Center, the Iceplex have been awarded in the past two years. Other statewide projects include museums, parks, pavilions, event centers, and theatre renovations.
National Trust for Preservation
Non profit members of the National Trust Forum or Main Street; Funds have to be matched 1:1, and can generally only be applied to consulting and planning fees, not to construction itself.
Montana Economic Developers Association
Montana wide economic development seminars. Scholarships for industry professional development.
EPA Brownfield Program
Launched in 1993, the program has provided 2,500 grants totaling $600M in direct funding to turn physical liabilities into community assets to date. The EPA describes sample brownfields as "an abandoned factory, a boarded up corner gas station, a run down mill. In communities across the country, we see brownfields of every shape and size. It is hard to miss the graffiti-laced walls, the broken windows, the caved in roofs. It is equally hard to dismiss the unknown environmental contaminants and health hazards brownfields can pose." (...)
Community Reinvestment Fund
Private non-profit organization issuing loans to qualified "socially beneficial" projects.
USDA Rural Development Grants and loans
Funds for rural businesses, communities, planning, local food systems, agriculture, and low income housing repair.
Government Grant search
Searchable database with information about all government grants.
Provided by Spark Architecture
Great Falls Business Improvement (BID) District Grants
BID grants are available for improvements within the BID district and are funded by a property tax improvement fund (TIF) to support downtown goals. They are unique in that they are available to owners or tenants. Grants cover a percentage of permanent improvements and contract labor costs. Separate grants are available for facade (up to 20%), interiors, and residential (up to 10%). Interiors for new businesses locating within the BID may qualify for up to 30% rebates. These grants are not limited to historic register projects, and may include new construction. Residential projects can be tenant or owner occupied. Property owners must be current on their property taxes to qualify. Recent examples include Taco del Sol, Murphy McClay, subway Building, and Lofts at Johnson Hotel.
Historic Tax Abatement:
The Montana Department of Revenue provides various development incentives, including a provision for development within historic districts. Properties within historic districts can qualify for an abatement of 100% of the taxable value increase attributed to the rehabilitation, restoration, expansion or new construction for a period of up to five years. A recently approved example is the Baum Trinastich Building (a.k.a. Owl Cigar Buidling) at 114 3rd St. S. For more information contact Great Falls Historic Preservation Officer Ellen Sievert at 455-8435.
Great Falls Development Authority
Great local business and development organization, supporting small business and attracting large investors. Assistance in finding loans and funding, such as through:
Montana Community Development Corporation
Resource in utilizing "New Market" tax credits for medium to big projects. New construction and existing building projects.
Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP)
The purpose of (TIIP) is to provide grant funding that leverages other private and public funds for construction of new tourism-related facilities, and the enhancement of existing facilities to encourage visitors to stay in Montana longer and spend more money. The facility construction and enhancement will strengthen Montana’s attraction as a visitor destination. Funding starts at $20,000, with a phenomenal investment ratio of 1:2. Applicant status has to be non-profit. Submission deadline is end of July. Historic value is recognized amongst the selection criteria. In Great Falls restorations and renovation projects such as the Ursuline Center, the Iceplex have been awarded in the past two years. Other statewide projects include museums, parks, pavilions, event centers, and theatre renovations.
National Trust for Preservation
Non profit members of the National Trust Forum or Main Street; Funds have to be matched 1:1, and can generally only be applied to consulting and planning fees, not to construction itself.
Montana Economic Developers Association
Montana wide economic development seminars. Scholarships for industry professional development.
EPA Brownfield Program
Launched in 1993, the program has provided 2,500 grants totaling $600M in direct funding to turn physical liabilities into community assets to date. The EPA describes sample brownfields as "an abandoned factory, a boarded up corner gas station, a run down mill. In communities across the country, we see brownfields of every shape and size. It is hard to miss the graffiti-laced walls, the broken windows, the caved in roofs. It is equally hard to dismiss the unknown environmental contaminants and health hazards brownfields can pose." (...)
Community Reinvestment Fund
Private non-profit organization issuing loans to qualified "socially beneficial" projects.
USDA Rural Development Grants and loans
Funds for rural businesses, communities, planning, local food systems, agriculture, and low income housing repair.
Government Grant search
Searchable database with information about all government grants.
Provided by Spark Architecture
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