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Deadlines
Application
Process
Reporting Requirements
Proposal Overview Checklist
OUR GRANTMAKING PROGRAM
Honor the Earth, in partnership with the Tides Foundation, awards grants
solely to organizations that are led and managed by Native peoples. Priority
is given to grassroots, community-based organizations and groups with
a lack of access to federal and/or tribal funding resources. Honor the
Earth does not make grants to individuals. Grants range from $1,000 to
$5,000.
GEOGRAPHIC RESTRICTION
Honor the Earth only issues grants to Native organizations in the United
States & Canada.
NONPROFIT STATUS
Honor the Earth awards grants only to organizations with 501(c)(3) status
or an equivalent. You will be asked to provide proof of this nonprofit
or tax-exempt status when applying for a grant. We acknowledge the challenges
that smaller, native-based groups have in obtaining 501(c)(3) status.
However, Honor the Earth adheres strictly to this requirement in order
to facilitate transparency and accountability.
WHAT WE FUND
Honor the Earth issues grants in the following program areas: Environmental & Energy
Justice; Building Sustainable Communities; and Youth. Please read the descriptions
for each of the program areas below before applying.
ENVIRONMENTAL & ENERGY JUSTICE
Native lands are disproportionately targeted for resource extraction, energy
development, and dumping of hazardous waste. Our communities suffer from
the toxic effects of coal-fired power plants, uranium mining, oil drilling,
and nuclear waste just to name a few. Oftentimes, it is our sacred sites
that are under attack, or places providing critical habitat to endangered
species, traditional and medicinal plants, and biological diversity.
At the same time, Native lands hold vast amounts of renewable energy
potential such as solar and wind that provide cleaner, healthier energy
to the community.
Honor the Earth supports Native community-based groups and organizations
engaged in community organizing in the following areas:
Environmental Justice – includes but is not limited to:
•
Environmental protection & environmental health
• Conservation of natural resources
• Protection of sacred and historical sites
• Protection of endangered species and biological diversity
Energy – includes but
is not limited to:
•
Issues of fossil fuel, nuclear, and mega-hydro energy production, processing & emissions
• Nuclear waste storage and transportation
• Climate change and global warming
• Issues of unsustainable mineral and water extraction related to energy
production and processing
• Energy policy advocacy
• Community-based initiatives using small-scale, clean renewable energy
solutions
Community-based groups and organizations engaged in community organizing,
tribal environmental protection, environmental health and energy policy
advocacy, or popular education are encouraged to apply.
BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
With only four of over 500 Native languages in North America projected
to be vital after the year 2050, our communities are in desperate need
to preserve and restore that which makes us unique: the languages which
frame our world view. We are also facing continued colonization through
exploitation of our land, natural resources, and culture. Our future
depends on reclaiming and restoring our traditional languages, lifeways
and building healthy, sustainable communities.
Honor the Earth supports Native grassroots groups and organizations developing
innovative Native community-based initiatives that build and maintain healthy
and sustaining Native communities that integrate Indigenous traditional
knowledge and language. With respect for the wisdom of our Elders and with
regard for future generations, we support activities that assist in the
preservation of Native lifeways, preserve Indigenous languages and traditional
knowledge, foster youth development and participation, maintain traditional
foods systems, protect environmental and natural resources, and activities
that work toward the decolonization of our communities.
Focus areas could include, but are not limited to:
• Sustaining a community economy
• Addressing internalized oppression and de-colonization, community violence
and suicide
• Fostering youth and elder exchanges
• Language and culture
• Integrating community economic development and environmental justice
• Developing models of Native-based dispute resolution and peacemaking
Native organizations who can demonstrate their commitment to work with
their youth, elders and create a healthy balance with the role of their
men and women are encouraged to apply.
YOUTH
Native youth are the center of the continuity of Native America, and are
the leaders and elders of the future. They are also the descendants of
our communities and, as a consequence, the collective experience of Native
America. Honor the Earth recognizes the need for youth involvement in
community organizing since they will bring new perspectives and new energy
to a grassroots movement that has limited human resources available.
We are committed to investing in youth and support initiatives that educate,
empower, and build the capacity of youth in Indigenous communities. We
seek to help develop the next generation of rural-and reservation-based
Native American youth leaders who will become a major factor in safeguarding
the health of our peoples and our environment through awareness, activism,
advocacy and organizing.
Honor the Earth supports initiatives that promote youth development and
leadership skills. Priority is given to youth-led projects.
OPPORTUNITY FUND GRANTS
*The Opportunity Fund is temporarily frozen due
to low funds. This site will be updated when opportunity funding resumes*
In addition to the program areas listed above, Honor the Earth will occasionally
review requests for unforeseen emergency funding. These requests, unlike
program requests, are reviewed throughout the year, and therefore, applicants
can apply at any time. However, these funds are awarded for emergency
travel-related expenses and project emergency funding only. Opportunity
Fund grant applicants must adhere to the application process listed below
and submit all information required. In addition, applicants seeking
Opportunity Funds must also answer the following:
• Describe your organization, detailing why you
are in need of emergency funds
• Describe your unexpected need in detail
• By what date will you need funding?
• Have you sought funding from other sources? Please list them.
Please note: These grants will require at least a four week turnaround
time for reviewing, selecting, and processing the request through the Tides
Foundation. If your funding needs are less than four weeks away, please
consider seeking alternate funding sources.
FUNDING CYCLE
Honor the Earth issues grants on the funding cycle listed below (all
dates are postmarked by dates). Please note that if the deadline falls
on a weekend, it will move to the
first following business day. Please note: these deadlines may change.
Please
check back with us regularly to ensure you are receiving the most
up-to-date information.
Spring
Proposals Due: January 15th
Your group will be notified by April 15 and will receive your grant by
April 30.
Fall/Winter
Proposals Due: September 15th
Your group will be notified by the end of the calendar year and will receive
your grant early the following year.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Initial Approach: full proposal with cover sheet and attachments
Proposal Format:
A. Cover Sheet
The cover sheet is used for board correspondence; please
fill it out clearly and entirely.
B. Proposal
Proposals should be 3 to 5 pages in length only and include/answer the
following:
Organizational Information/Background
• A brief history of your group: how long has your
group existed, how many staff/volunteers are there, and who in your group
focuses on fundraising
efforts?
• Demonstrate how you are running your organization as a native controlled
organization.
• Where is the program located?
•
How does your work tie into Honor the Earth’s program area(s)?
• Who are the other groups you work with? Describe
your efforts to work in your communit(ies). Who do you work with in the
non-Native community?
Program Description/Project Need
• A brief description of your current and future
work. Please state your goals and describe your strategies to reach them.
What is your long term
vision?
• A brief description of the opportunity, challenge or need your community
faces and/or the issue you are working to address.
• How was that focus determined? Who was involved in the decision-making
process?
• What is your overall goal regarding the situation described above? What
activities will you carry out to achieve that goal? Who will carry them
out?
• What is the timeframe for this project?
• How will your proposed activities benefit the community in which they
will occur? What impact will this project have?
• Please describe your criteria for success. What
do you want to happen as a result of your activities?
• How will you measure these changes?
• Who will be involved in evaluating this work (staff, board, constituents,
community, consultants)?
• What will you do with your evaluation results?
• Who are your other sources of funding? What is your long-term funding
strategy to sustain this effort?
• An IRS letter determining 501(c)(3) status from
your organization or fiscal sponsor. If you have a fiscal sponsor, you
will need to have them send
a letter stating they are in partnership with you
• A list of staff (paid and/or volunteer) and a list of your Board of Directors,
Advisory Board or Community Council including tribal affiliation(s)
• A current year itemized annual budget expenses for your organization
• A list of pending and committed revenues for organization
If seeking funds for a specific project, please also include:
• An itemized budget expenses for specific project
• A list of pending and committed income for specific project
Please do not send CD, DVD, spiral bound documents, or materials other
than what is requested in the cover sheet's check list. We will request
more information if needed.
Submit via mail to:
Honor the Earth Grants Manager
2104 Stevens Ave South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Faxed proposals are not accepted.
Please
send proposal and attachments at the same time. Please send proposal via
email and postal mail to: e-mail: grantsinfo@honorearth.org
with “[Your Organization’s Name] Grant Application” as
the subject line and to the postal address above. Please call (612)
879-7529 if you have any questions concerning your application.
ASSURANCES
If your proposal is accepted, when you receive your grant award letter
you will be required to provide assurances that the grant will be used
only for its intended purpose and that any unused funds will be returned
to the Honor the Earth/Tides Foundation.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Final reports should be submitted within one year of the date your grant
was awarded. No new grant request will be considered until final reports
from prior awards are received. Grantees must send in a mid-term report
in order to be considered for a new grant. If a mid-term report is submitted,
a final report is still required at the end of the grant term (one year
from the date of the grant award). If you have questions regarding the
status of a report, please call (612) 879-7529 or e-mail: grantsinfo@honorearth.org.
Your report package must include:
• Grant ID number
• Your complete progress report (see guidelines below; no longer than 2
pages)
• A financial summary of the budget versus actual revenues/expenses for
the project
• News clippings or other relevant material (just the highlights, please)
Please consider and respond to each of the points below in your progress/final
report.
Impact and Assessment
• Reiterate your original goals and objectives.
What progress was made toward those goals? Your response should include
both qualitative and quantitative
impacts. In other words, how did you move your program? How do/did
you build capacity?
• Who, if anyone, did you collaborate with on the project?
Challenges
• What challenges did you confront and how did your organization deal with
them? Were there any modifications to your strategy in light of this/these
challenges?
• Detail any staff or other institutional program changes made/to be made.
Evaluation and Lessons Learned
• Describe your evaluation process and lessons learned. What has been your
staff capacity to handle reporting requirements/interviewing/assessments?
Funding and Finances
• How did you spend the grant from Tides/Honor
the Earth?
• If applicable, note the percentage of these funds used for direct and
grassroots lobbying.
• List other key funders who provided additional financial support over
the grant period.
• What is your long-term plan?
• Besides money, how else can Honor the Earth support your work?
Please submit report via mail to:
Attn: Honor the Earth Grants Manager
2104 Stevens Ave South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Faxed reports are not accepted.
Please call 612-879-7529, if you have questions
or concerns.
E-mail: grantsinfo@honorearth.org.
Proposal Overview
Honor the Earth includes this overview as a checklist to make sure you
provide us with all the information we will need in order to consider your
proposal:
-
Cover letter – please
fill out accurately and completely
-
Proposal – 3 to 5 pages
only in length detailing the points above
-
Attachments – IRS letter, list
of staff/volunteers, list of Board members with tribal affiliations,
your current year’s budget and
a project budget, a list of pending/committed funding
sources for the organization and/or project
Although Honor the Earth has the utmost respect for all
Native communities and organizations that submit requests for funding,
we are a small organization
and cannot fund all of the worthy proposals we receive. We will notify
you in writing and/or via phone within twelve weeks of our decision.
(In the case of the Opportunity Fund requests, we will notify you within
approximately four weeks following receipt of your request.) We ask that
you not call about the status of your proposal. We will contact you if
we need additional information. Upon receipt of your proposal, we make
sure that all components are included and contact you if we need additional
information. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Honor the Earth: Grants: Apply For A Grant