THIS THURSDAY - April 24 – PRESERVATION CRUSTACEANS – ANNUAL CRAWSFISH BOIL TO BENEFIT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF ARKANSAS – NLR 6:00 PM

DEADLINE FRIDAY - The Alliance is also accepting nominations to Arkansas’s Most Endangered Places list. Nominations are due April 25. More information here:
http://www.preservearkansas.org/index.php?page=most-endangered-places

OCTOBER 6-8, DESTINATION DOWNTOWN, BAY ST. LOUIS, MS
October 21-25 - National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference, Tulsa, OK

Main Street Arkansas Calendar April 21-25, 2008
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MONDAY Susan & Mark – Rogers (window display work); Greg – Heber Springs
TUESDAY Susan & Mark - Rogers
WEDNESDAY Heritage Month Kick-Off 6p Old State House
THURSDAY
FRIDAY Cary – annual leave
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The Main Street West Memphis job is posted here:

http://www.mainstreet.org/content.aspx?page=342§ion=13&UCName=DetailsJobListing&JobID=468&referrer=SummaryJobListings

Harrison’s Hotel Seville Redevelopment
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/221404/

IN THIS ISSUE:
7 GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
3 AWARD OPPORTUNITIES
NATIONAL TRUST CONFERENCE IN TULSA DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
AR VOLUNTEERISM CONFERENCE SET FOR MAY 1-2
STATE BY STATE INCOME ANALYSIS
CREATIVE INDUSTRY RANKINGS BY STATE USING DUN & BRADSTREET



Access to $70 Million in Product Donations
Gifts In Kind International
Gifts In Kind International is a national clearinghouse that connects nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. to a wide range of product donations, allowing organizations to stretch their program dollars and empower the people they serve. Through this one-time offer to GrantStation Insider readers, Gifts In Kind International will waive membership fees for six months, providing organizations access to over $70 million in product donations, from toys and personal care items to clothing, appliances, and home improvement products. This offer is valid for new Gifts In Kind International members only. Nonprofit organizations can register for this special offer through May 31, 2008, at the Gifts In Kind website.

Funds for Youth Art Programs
National Endowment for the Arts: Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth
The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to providing leadership in arts education by inspiring all young Americans through rich arts experiences. The Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth grant program offers funding for projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and understanding of and skills in the arts. Projects must provide participatory learning and engage students with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art. Funded projects may take place in school-based or community-based settings and should focus on children and youth in the general age range of 5 through 18 years. The application deadline is June 9, 2008. Online applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. Detailed program and application information is available on the website listed above.

Emergency Support for Social Change Projects
Funding Exchange: Emergency Fund for Seizing Strategic Opportunities
The Funding Exchange is a national membership organization of publicly supported, community-based foundations that address the root causes of social problems. Through the Funding Exchange’s Emergency Fund for Seizing Strategic Opportunities, grants of up to $5,000 are provided to support specific social justice projects, events, or initiatives. The Fund makes grants in response to political crises or opportunities, when a small amount of money can make a difference in educating or mobilizing for social change under time-sensitive circumstances. Applications may be submitted throughout the year. Application guidelines are available on the Funding Exchange website listed above.

Preservation and Access Education and Training Grants

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41224

These grants support national or regional (multi-state) education and training programs on the care and management of, and the creation of intellectual access to, library, archival, and material culture collections. Eligible projects include: the development and presentation of courses or programs on the care and management of collections for staff in cultural organizations who are responsible for the day-to-day care of collections; the development and presentation of courses or programs that focus on the skills and knowledge required to provide or enhance intellectual access to humanities collections; graduate programs in preservation and conservation; and preservation field services that serve a multi-state region and provide surveys, consultations, workshops, reference services, and informational materials to the staff of institutions responsible for the care of humanities collections.

Archer Daniels Midland Company Announces Call for Community Grant Applications

Deadline: June 30, 2008

Continuing its commitment to strengthening American agricultural communities, Archer Daniels Midland Company ( http://admworld.com/ ) is accepting applications for its 2008 Community Partnership Grant Program. The program will award up to four grants of $10,000 each for community-improvement projects in cities and towns where ADM operates (I could not locate exact ADM locations in Arkansas on their website, so I pass this along assuming you’ll know if they’re in your community or not).

The program will award grants to qualified tax-exempt, nonprofit, educational, or community organizations in ADM communities. In order to be eligible to receive a grant, applicants must apply on behalf of a public charity under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, not a private foundation under section 509(a).

Complete program information, including submission guidelines and an application, is available at the ADM Web site.

Conservation Fund Accepting Applications for Kodak American Greenways Awards Program

Deadline: June 15, 2008

The Kodak American Greenways Awards Program, a partnership project of the Eastman Kodak Company ( http://www.kodak.com/ ), the Conservation Fund ( http://www.conservationfund.org/ ), and the National Geographic Society (http://nationalgeographic.com/ ), provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America.

Grants may be used for activities such as mapping, ecological assessments, surveying, conferences, and design activities; developing brochures, interpretative displays, audio-visual productions, or public opinion surveys; and hiring consultants, incorporating land trusts, building infrastructure (e.g., a foot bridge or bike path), or other creative projects. In general, grants can be used for all appropriate expenses needed to complete a greenway project, including planning, technical assistance, legal, and other costs.

Grant recipients are selected according to criteria that include the importance of the project to local greenway development efforts; demonstrated community support for the project; extent to which the grant will result in matching funds or other support from public or private sources; the likelihood of tangible results; and capacity of the organization to complete the project.

Awards will primarily go to local, regional, or statewide non- profit organizations. Although public agencies may also apply, community organizations will receive preference.

Most grants will range from $500 to $1,000 each; the maximum individual grant award is $2,500.

Visit the Conservation Fund Web site for complete program information

SAVE OUR HISTORY GRANTS
The History Channel awards grants of up to $10,000 to fund partnerships between history organizations and schools or youth groups on projects that teach students about their local history and actively engage them in its preservation. Applications are due on Friday, June 6.
Click here for more information: www.saveourhistory.com

Nominations Invited for Garden Crusader Awards
Good information for many of your Master Gardner partners
Deadline: June 15, 2008

The Garden Crusader Awards were created by Gardener's Supply (http://www.gardeners.com/ ) to honor individuals who are improving the world through gardening. Garden Crusaders are men and women who are planting trees and flowers, growing food, creating new green spaces, and teaching their friends and neighbors about the rewards of gardening.

The awards honor individuals in the United States who are improving their communities through gardening. Nominations of organizations will not be accepted. However, many organizations apply and choose one person to represent the group, with the entire group sharing the prize. There is no age requirement. Nominees may be volunteers or may be paid for their garden work. Self-nominations are accepted.

Award categories for 2008 are Education; Feeding the Hungry; Urban Renewal; and Restoration. There are five winners for each category: first, second, third, plus two honorable mentions and one grand-prize winner, for a total of twenty-one winners over- all. The grand-prize winner will receive $2,500 in cash and a $2,500 gift certificate from Gardener's Supply. First-place winners will receive a $1,000 gift certificate each; second- place winners a $750 gift certificate; third-place winners a $500 gift certificate; and honorable mentions a $200 gift certificate. All prizes will be awarded to the winner's organization in his/her name.

Visit the program's Web site for complete guidelines and nomination forms.

Inc. 5,000 Awards - Successful Entrepreneurs Must Apply by April 30th
AEO is partnering with Inc. in its search for America's fastest growing companies....the Inc. 5,000 Awards. This annual list is sponsored by Inc. magazine and Inc.com.
To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of 2004, and able to show four full calendar years of sales as of December 31, 2007. Revenue in 2004 must have been at least $200,000, and revenue in 2007 must be at least $2 million.
The deadline is April 30th and there is no application fee. If one of your current or former clients meets this criteria, encourage him or her to apply. Visit http://www.inc.com/inc5000apply/ for more information.
Enterprise Community Partners Accepting Applications for Jim and Patty Rouse Award

Deadline: April 18, 2008

Established in 2002 to honor Enterprise Community Partners'
( http://www.enterprisecommunity.org ) founders, the Jim and Patty Rouse Award celebrates the important work being done by community-based and regional nonprofit organizations and eligible Tribal entities that engage in affordable housing development and comprehensive community revitalization.

An award of $10,000 (in unrestricted funds) will be presented to a member of the Enterprise Network ( http://enterprisecommunity.org/ ) who develops and provides quality affordable housing and has a strong record of strategic planning and community building and excellent resident and community services. The winner also receives publicity via a press release and case study, and a free registration to the Enterprise Community Conference this November in Baltimore, Maryland.

Applying organizations must be a member of the Enterprise Network, must be financially sound, and must have a proven track record of housing development and other community services.

Visit the Enterprise Community Partners Web site for application guidelines and information on joining the Enterprise Network.

National Preservation Conference: Diversity Scholarship Program
The goal of the Diversity Scholarship Program is to increase the diversity of participants at the annual National Preservation Conference and in the preservation movement. The program provides financial assistance to approximately 60 community leaders from diverse social, economic, racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to attend the National Preservation Conference. Through interactive sessions, presentations, informal gatherings, and tours in Tulsa and its surrounding areas, participants will learn the necessary tools to strengthen their commitment to and effectiveness in preserving historic places and revitalizing communities. The deadline for Diversity Scholarships is May 31, 2008. For applications please visit http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/find-funding/scholarships/diversity/

The Summit 2008:
Where Volunteer, Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leaders Meet
The 33rd Annual Conference, The Summit 2008 will be Thursday and Friday May 1 & 2, 2008 at the Doubletree Hotel in Little Rock. The Summit, sponsored by the Arkansas Community Foundation and the Arkansas Department of Human Services- Division of Volunteerism, brings leaders in philanthropy, the nonprofit and volunteer sectors together for learning and networking over two days. This year's keynote speaker will be Kyle Caldwell, President and CEO of Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA), our fellow nonprofit association!
Click here for registration, and to review the full agenda. See you there!

Pulling apart: A state-by-state analysis of income trends
http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/studies_pulling_apart_2008
Arkansas’s analysis can be found here:
http://www.epi.org/studies/pulling08/4-9-08sfp-fact-ar.pdf
I’m forced to wonder the effect that five of the richest people in the world living here has on the findings?

Arkansas Ranks 35th in Creative Industries based upon American for the Arts report, using Dun & Bradstreet data
http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/research/services/creative_industries/default.asp