In this May 2007 Issue

With the school year drawing to a close this month's E-Newsletter contains plenty of resources as you prepare to unwind or gear up for the summer season.

Be sure to review and take advantage of the many grant opportunities and exciting program offerings included. Additionally, our advocacy efforts are moving forward with strong media contacts and important national and local planning. Read all about the latest and join us as we rebuild New Orleans one afternoon at a time.

Unified Summer Grant Process

Applications for Unified Summer Grants have been collected and are currently under review by the partner funders:

• Emeril Lagasse Foundation
• Greater New Orleans Afterschool Partnership
• Save the Children
• United Way of GNO

Awards will be announced the week of 5/7/07.

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Funding Opportunities

GNOAP is always on the look out for funding opportunities available locally and nationally. Please review the following list and visit the specific funders' website for complete information.

• The Foundation Center's most recent 'RFP Bulletin' is now available. To search or browse the Bulletin on the Web, visit: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/

• The Target Corporation supports nonprofit organizations in three distinct categories:
  
  1. Arts grants
  2. Family violence prevention grants
  3. Reading grants
  
  Click here for complete information and the current application. Online applications must be submitted by 5/31/07.

• Edweek.org has compiled a list of national grant opportunities. Not all items will be applicable to our area so please be sure to check all geographic qualifications before writing for any particular grant. You can visit their current list at: http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/grants/index.html. They also have a newsletter available to receive updates directly to your email account.

• Starbucks is sponsoring the C.O.A.S.T. fund through GNOF; full details of the grant opportunity and the application form are available at: http://www.starbuckscoastfund.com/.
  
  Completed applications are due on 6/1/07 to GNOF. Final decisions will be announced by mid-August.

• Nominations for the Burger King 'Campaign for Your Cause' entries continues until Tuesday, 5/5/07. Go to www.CampaignForYourCause.com and nominate the cause of your choice.

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Getting OUR message out

Gina was able to schedule time this month with the Times-Picayune Editorial Board and other afterschool and summer care stakeholders to discuss the challenges New Orleans faces in providing access to students and sustaining providers. The meeting went extremely well with Times-Picayune staff taking additional time to ask specific questions and committing to covering our struggle in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned!

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National Partners

We have invited a group of afterschool intermediaries to join us here in New Orleans in late June and assist with our city-wide afterschool planning efforts. Public/Private Ventures and National Institute on Out-of-School Time are helping us host the Cross-Cities Network for a roundtable addressing New Orleans afterschool infrastructure needs. The Cross-Cities Network (CCN) brings together leaders from 25 citywide afterschool initiatives in major cities across the United States. Please contact us to join this important project.

Findings from our meeting with these afterschool leaders will be used to create clear and direct requests for national funders.

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LSU Ag Center Resources

Need programming help?

Interested in finding a speaker for families?

Would your program benefit from a 4-H club?

All of these resources and more are available through the LSU Ag Center.

Contact Terry Toombs the Orleans Parish Associate Extension Agent directly at ttombs@agcenter.lsu.edu to find out more.

You, and your students, will be glad you did!

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Clowns Available!

Clowns without Borders will be available at various times this summer to provide entertainment for students in your summer programs. Clowns without Borders can visit your site and put on a 30-minute presentation that is sure to be the highlight of your students' day. Their motto is, "no child without a smile" and providers such as Young Audience report that they are true crowd pleasers.

If you are interested in having the Clowns visit please contact Shelley for schedule details. Their visits are completely free of charge!

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Summer Calendar

Our final New Orleans provider meeting, until the end of summer, will be:

• May 16, 2007
  10 am to Noon
  Junion League Headquarters
  4319 Carondelet Street

Please be sure to join us for summer programming resources and the latest information on our city-wide planning efforts.

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