There are also a few more spots available on the ACGA teleconference workshop on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 4 PM eastern that will also be about the Community Food Projects grants. Send an email to betsyjohnson at communitygarden.org <mailto:betsyjohnson at communitygarden.,org> if you want to join the workshop.
Betsy Johnson Executive Director American Community Gardening Assoc. 617-267-5280 betsyjohnson at communitygarden.org COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS 2007 GRANT CYCLE WILL BEGIN SOON PROPOSALS WILL NEED TO BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY FREE ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE TO APPLICANTS The Community Food Projects (CFP) Competitive Grants Program provides the major funding source for community-based food and agriculture projects in the U.S. Approximately $4.6 million in funds will be available in 2007, with a Request for Applications (RFA) expected to be released in mid-January. Brief letters of intent will be due about one month after the release of the RFA. Based on a review of these letters, some applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal, due about two months later. The timeline and procedures will be announced in the RFA. The key change expected for 2007 is that electronic submission of proposals will be required. Letters of intent will be submitted by regular email, but those invited to submit a full proposal will need to go through a complicated electronic submission process, and should start the registration process well before the grant deadline at http://www.grants.gov. More information and technical support contacts are available online at: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/funding.cfm The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) Offers Free Assistance to CFP Applicants CFSC's technical assistance (TA) specialists can help you decide whether or not to apply, clarify CFP program guidelines, address technical questions, provide feedback on program plans or proposal drafts, and help you develop an evaluation plan. CFSC will sponsor up to 75 minutes of one-on-one assistance per grant applicant at no cost. Additional time may be available at an hourly rate. If you would like to use this service, begin by reviewing the Guide described below, and then contact the TA provider by email. See http://www.foodsecurity.org/cfp_help.html <http://www.foodsecurity.org/cfp_help.html for details. Starting early is important to ensure that you will be able to receive timely assistance. Community Food Projects Planning Guide and Other Materials CFSC also offers a CFP Planning Guide with a wealth of information about CFP program guidelines and how to develop a strong proposal. It is available for free at http://www.foodsecurity.org/cfp_help.html <http://www.foodsecurity.org/cfp_help.html (scroll down to bottom of page). The CFSC website also includes guides to developing a letter of intent and planning proposals, examples of successful CFP grant proposals, and other information helpful to CFP applicants. The 2007 guides will be posted soon after the RFA is released, but in the meantime the 2006 guides can be used for planning since most of the information will be the same. Community Food Projects Program Goals The CFP Program supports projects that: -Help meet the food needs of low-income people, -Increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for their own food needs, -Promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues, and -Meet specific state, local, or neighborhood food and agriculture needs for infrastructure improvement and development, long-term planning, or the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers. The CFP Request for Applications will soon be available. The 2006 version is posted at: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/fundview.cfm?fonum=1080 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20070105/9a90b683/attachment.html
