Community Services Block Grant

Community-based nonprofits can tap into an extra $1 billion in funding for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) -- part of the funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The money is intended to be used to boost the economy by reducing poverty, revitalizing low-income communities, and helping families become self-sufficient. Funds can be used to address needs like housing, education, employment, nutrition, and emergency services.

For more information, see the CSBG website or the state-by-state breakdown of CSBG Recovery Act funding.

Obama Administration Launches $650M Program to Boost Education

By Nick Anderson

The Obama administration announced goals for a $650 million grant competition for school systems and nonprofit organizations with ideas for narrowing achievement gaps, reducing high school dropout rates and improving teacher and principal effectiveness.

The competition dovetails with a $4.35 billion grant program for states that the administration calls "Race to the Top." The combined $5 billion in seed money for fixing or improving schools amounts to one of the largest federal investments to date in educational entrepreneurship.

Read full text of this Washington Post article.

Foundation Center Launches National Education Stimulus Initiative

The Foundation Center recently announced the launch of 'Foundations for Education Excellence', a national initiative it is supporting to engage philanthropic institutions and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education.

The cornerstone of this initiative is a new online resource center that will help education funders align their grantmaking — and maximize their overall impact — with funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Read full PNN Online article.