Grant Focus Areas and Priorities [Maximum Grant Amounts] Requests for single focus areas and those that combine several focus areas will be considered. In determining the amount for your grant request, please consider that other centers also have needs, funds are limited, and NAFCM wants to assist as many member centers as possible. Electronic applications are welcome, with supporting documentation by mail. There is a $5,000 maximum for each applicant, except in the center start-up and state collaboration categories, which have a $12,000 maximum. Centers that already received a minigrant may apply again, however, some special consideration may be given to centers that have not yet received a grant.

1. Program Development [up to $5,000]. Innovative programs that: create potential local or national models; expand existing services resulting in new populations reached and served; partner with courts, schools, youth groups, other community mediation centers, or community organizations resulting in broader and more effective provision of services; enhance capacity for center sustainability and/or leveraging other funds; and, enable center to expand/grow to better meet NAFCM’s Characteristics of Community Mediation. (See below.)

 

2. Professional Development & Organizational Effectiveness [up to $2,000]. Activities that: assist centers to employ, train, develop or enhance staff proficiencies to increase centers’ capacity to function more effectively by improving supervision, and/or training and providing conference and education opportunities resulting in more capable staff; increase opportunities for funding, fees for service, and grant writing; enhance center diversity and community involvement; and, improve the understanding of theory and practice of community mediation resulting in higher quality provision of services.

 

3. Quality Assurance [up to $2,000]. Improve center quality through: volunteer mediator skill evaluation and education; self or peer evaluation of center program(s), staff, volunteers, and board; program and management audit; evaluations by clients and referral sources resulting in evaluation data that can be used to continually refine center programs. [Examples of evaluation tools are available from NAFCM.]

 

4. Promote Diversity and Social Justice [up to $5,000]. Strategies and programs that: reach and serve under-served populations; help center governing/advisory board, staff and volunteers achieve meaningful diversity and participation of the communities served; build active alliances that develop programs and partnerships that impact on social issues, such as violence, homelessness, hunger, aging, health care, welfare reform, police/community relations, democratic community problem solving, race relations, etc.

 

5. Technology [up to $1,000]. Increase centers’ capacity to use the Internet, web sites, e-commerce resulting in an e-mail address, participation on the NAFCM Listserv and center ability to search the World Wide Web; assist with the costs of ISP fees; purchase software and/or training. A first computer may be requested for a center that does not have one; 50/50 matching funds requested for other equipment. You must have Internet access (an ISP) and an e-mail address to apply in this category, or use part of the grant to achieve such capacity.

6. Other/Open [up to $3,000]. Other proposals will be considered that do not fit within the above focus areas and priorities. Examples might include: explicit community outreach and education programs; public relations; funds for matching another grant; etc…

 

7. Statewide Collaboration [up to $12,000]. Collaborative projects among community mediation centers statewide or regionally that: enhance the capacity of existing statewide community mediation associations to support and advocate for local community mediation centers; establish a statewide network or association in states that do not have them; and advance programmatic initiatives or informal coalitions that may lead to more formal statewide organization, such as strategies that build, enhance or leverage state funding for centers through contracts or legislative appropriation. Statewide community mediation associations and informal groups of centers (submitted under the auspices of one center) are eligible to apply in this category.

 

8. New Center Start-up [up to $12,000]. Community mediation centers should be available and accessible to citizens of every community. NAFCM will support proposals that have a clear plan of action to meet community needs and build a sustainable community mediation program or satellite office in unserved areas. A separate application is included in this packet for start-up funds.

Review Process: Grants will be reviewed by a committee of NAFCM staff and six volunteers that include NAFCM board members (3) and current or former staff from NAFCM member centers; committee members will not participate in decisions regarding any center from their state of residence. The committee reserves the right to request additional information, suggest changes, and/or roll proposals over to the next funding period. Centers should receive a response within 60 days of the application deadline. Grants will be evaluated based upon the completion and thoroughness of the bulleted items in the application form.

Minigrants Committee

National Association for Community Mediation

1527 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Fourth Floor

Washington, DC 20036

E-mail: jgalindo@nafcm.org

Phone: 202-667-9700 ext. 219

Fax: 202-667-8629