May 2006
In This Issue
Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act and the Ryan White CARE Act
The Older Americans Act
The Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965 was last reauthorized in 2000 (P.L. 106-501), and while the
OAA needed to be reauthorized by the end of FY 2005 on September 30, 2005, Congress did not act by
that deadline, but simply continued the OAA in effect as it was. Congress is
now considering amendments to and the reauthorization of the OAA in 2006.
Representative Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) has introduced HR 5293 ("Senior Independence Act of 2006"). On
May 2, the subcommittee chaired by Rep. Tiberi, the Subcommittee on Select Education of the House
Committee on Education and the Workforce,
held a hearing
on the bill, and on May 10, the subcommittee approved the bill by voice vote
with no debate. The full House committee
considered the bill on May 17,
where it was passed without opposition. The legislation now
moves to the full House for deliberation.
In addition to reauthorizing all of the traditional activities of the Administration on Aging,
including grants for supportive services such as civil legal aid, the bill authorizes a Labor
Department program that gives grants to states and nonprofits to provide job training for low-income
elderly persons and place them in community-service positions at nonprofits and government agencies.
It is this program, called the Senior Community Service Employee Program that has generated what
little controversy the House reauthorization bill has garnered.
The Senate is also considering the reauthorization of the OAA. On April 7, Senator Hillary Rodham
Clinton (D-NY) introduced S. 2620. Senator Clinton’s bill focuses on authorizing the establishment
of a "national long-term care choice program." The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions was scheduled to consider amendments to the OAA on Wednesday, May 17.
For further information,
visit the website
on the Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act maintained by the
Center for Social Gerontology.
The Ryan White CARE Act
On February 28, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) introduced a bill (S. 2339, "Ryan White CARE Act Amendments
of 2006") to reauthorize and amend the Ryan White CARE Act, which also expired on September 30, 2005.
There has been no impact on funding and services under the CARE Act for FY 2006. Senator Coburn's
bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, but no
further action has been taken.
Go to the Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR) Coalition’s
Reauthorization Action Center
for more information about the reauthorization process.
Federal Funding Opportunities
- Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) Grants
Deadline: July 7, 2006
http://www.irs.gov/advocate/article/0,,id=108538,00.html
The National Taxpayer Advocate of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that the Low
Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) grant application process is now open for the 2007 grant cycle
(January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007). The LITC grant program is now in its eighth year and
continues to expand.
Under the program, IRS awards matching grants of up to $100,000 a year to develop, expand or
continue low income taxpayer clinics. For the 2006 grant cycle, the LITC Program Office awarded
LITC grants to 150 organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
View the list of 2006 clinics
here
.
Nonprofit organizations providing free or nominal fee representation to people involved in tax
disputes can apply for grants for the 2007 grant cycle. Grants are also available for organizations
that inform taxpayers for whom English is a second language of their tax rights and responsibilities.
Grant funds may be awarded for start-up expenditures incurred by new clinics during the 2007
grant cycle.
- Assets for Independence Projects
Deadline: July 18, 2006
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding
The Office of Community Services (OCS), in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the
Department of Health and Human Services, is accepting applications for grants to establish and
administer Assets for Independence (AFI) Projects. These projects assist low-income people in
becoming economically self-sufficient by teaching project participants about economic and consumer
issues and helping them to establish matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts
(IDA) in order to save for buying a first home, starting a business or attending higher education.
OCS has extended the FY 2006 deadline from June 15 to July 18 in order to hold teleconferences to
help potential applicants. The series of teleconferences will be held on May 25, June 1, June 7 and
June 8 (all at 2-3:30 pm EST). For more information about the calls and to register,
click here
.
There is a 1-1 matching requirement for these grants; the difficulty of finding nonfederal funding
for the matching requirement limits the competition for these grants. The agency does expect to
award FY 2007 funds starting with a November 1 deadline. However, while the program is relatively
popular with Congress, all programs run by the Office of Community Services face tough times ahead.
Private Foundation Funding
- Foundation for the Improvement of Justice
Deadline: June 1, 2006
http://www.justiceawards.com/index.htm
The Foundation for Improvement of Justice encourages improvement in the various systems of justice
in the United States through its annual awards program. Individuals or groups can be nominated in
ten categories, and the winners are awarded $10,000 for innovative programs or actions that have
been effective in the pursuit of justice and can serve as models for others. These are awards given
for accomplishments, not for future projects.
Recent award recipients include the Montana Legal Services Association in 2005 and the Guardianship
Clinic of Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino in 2004. Visit the website above for a description of
the ten categories and nomination information.
- Norman Foundation
http://www.normanfdn.org/
The Norman Foundation supports efforts that strengthen the ability of communities throughout the
U.S. to determine their own economic, environmental, and social well-being, and that help people
control those forces that affect their lives. The foundation’s specific areas of interest include
civil rights, environmental justice, and economic justice.
Letters of inquiry are reviewed throughout the year on a schedule determined by issue area. The
foundation’s deadlines for letters of inquiry are as follows:
- July 14, 2006 - Civil Rights
- November 15, 2006 - Environmental Justice
- March 1, 2007 - Economic Justice
They will continue to review letters of inquiry throughout the year but prospective grantees should
be aware that they review proposals and make grants by issue area according to the above schedule.
- Avon Foundation
Deadline: August 1, 2006
http://www.avoncompany.com/women/avonfoundation/gapeop.html
In its commitment to end domestic violence, the Avon Foundation in the United States supports
awareness, education, direct services, and prevention programs. The foundation offers two grants
programs in this area: Helping Children of Domestic Violence, and the Grants Program for Local and
Regional Domestic Violence Organizations.
In administering the Grants Program for Local and Regional Domestic Violence Organizations, the
foundation works closely with Avon regional offices in the United States and Puerto Rico to support
community-based organizations that provide direct services to domestic violence victims. For this
grant program, the foundation only supports organizations that are in proximity to Avon locations
across the U.S. The list of eligible geographic areas and Avon office contact information is
available at the foundation's website.
The Avon Foundation is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations and agencies that provide
programs which deliver essential services to domestic violence victims, including shelter,
counseling, educational and professional training, and advocacy and case management.
Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $25,000, depending on size, scope, and impact of the program
proposed, though most grants will be in the $1,000 to $10,000 range.
As the foundation receives many more proposals than it can support, organizations are encouraged to
submit preliminary Letters of Inquiry prior to August 1 to ascertain whether the foundation will have
an interest in considering their project.
See the website above for complete program information and a list of eligible geographic
areas and local Avon office contact addresses.
- Impact Fund
http://www.impactfund.org/
The Impact Fund, a public foundation dedicated to providing representation, technical assistance and
funding for complex public interest litigation, provides funding for out-of-pocket expenses in cases
with a potential broad impact and a demonstrated financial need. Grants are awarded four times a
year to nonprofit legal firms, private attorneys, or small law firms which seek to advance social
justice in the areas of civil and human rights, environmental justice, and poverty law.
The fund has recently received a cy pres award in a predatory lending/fair debt collection case.
They are inviting non-profit and private firms that have potential class action cases to contact the
fund about help with out of pocket expenses. A short narrative (2 page maximum) sent by email to
Brad Seligman (bs@impactfund.org) describing the potential
case and need for financial help is all that is needed to begin the process.
Click here to view other recent issues of Advocacy Funding Fact$.
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