The new year really is almost here

Sunflower has had its most impactful year to date. It has been amazing to be a part of. We have grown much closer as a team. We have reached dozens of new clients across the country. And the amount of funding we have raised has reached $17 million.

We hope you all have had a great year, too, and are preparing to spend time with family and friends over the next few weeks. In the meantime, enjoy these end of year tips to keep you from starting January already feeling stressed!

LAST MINUTE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

(If you or your client have waited until December to get started!)

First Bank’s Power of Good Grants supports nonprofits in North and South Carolina focusing on affordable housing, education, food security, and health. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the very end of the year.
Organizations like the Organic Valley FAFO program offer grants for advancing organic farming practices, with a focus on benefiting family farmers and organic soil health. Their next deadline will be announced the first week of January.
The Shubert Foundation focuses on operating support for theater and dance organizations in the U.S., with a deadline for applications by the end of the year.
The Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund supports women-led projects focusing on education, gender equality, and economic empowerment globally. They accept letters of inquiry throughout the year.
The mission of WITH Foundation is to promote the establishment of comprehensive healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities that are designed to address their unique and fundamental needs. Their application deadline is the first week of December.

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE DOTTED I IN OREGON: GRANTS AT A GLANCE!

Knowing when grant deadlines peak can help you strategize and prioritize your applications:

The busiest months for grant deadlines are October (4,538) and March (4,297).
Despite October having the most deadlines, Q1 and Q3 have the most overall grant deadlines.
Most grant deadlines fall on the 1st, 15th, or last day of the month.
The least busy grant months are December (3,009) and January (3,115).

GIFT OF TIME GRANT PLANNING IDEAS

Take advantage of the quieter holiday season to get ahead:

Set Realistic Goals: Write down a few attainable objectives for 2025, with one or two stretch goals for inspiration.
Organize Your Calendar: Plan your grant applications and deadlines in advance to get yourself off to a great start.
Stay Informed: Catch up on blogs, books, trainings or podcasts in your field that you’ve been meaning to explore.

FEATURED GRANT STORY

This month we are featuring the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeNDR).

The NeNDR manages our most precious natural resources through sound partnerships, cooperation, and science-based decision making.

Finding a balance between competing demands is a key to Nebraska‛s resource future. Assessing impacts of alternative soil and water management options requires an understanding of complex issues and substantial amounts of reliable data. The NeDNR is committed to providing Nebraska‛s citizens and leaders with the data and analyses they need to make wise resource decisions for the benefit of all Nebraskans both now and in the future. The NeDNR is a State agency with responsibilities in the areas of:

Surface Water
Groundwater
Floodplain Management
Dam Safety
Natural Resources Planning
Water Planning and Integrated Management
Storage of Natural Resources and Related Data
Administration of State Funds

NeDNR also offers many opportunities to learn about Nebraska’s diverse and unique natural resources through State-wide Educational Activities. One of the most important things for students to understand is that all the water around them is connected and that our actions can directly impact the water.

Through the Surface Water Irrigation Infrastructure Fund (SWIIF), NeNDR provides grants to irrigation districts looking to rehabilitate and modernize infrastructure with the goal of improving statewide water management.

NeNDR has enlisted Sunflower to aid those irrigation districts in pursuing federal funding, namely Bureau of Reclamation Water and Energy Efficiency Grants, to support their projects. Sunflower has successfully aided NeNDR in procuring $4,034,388 in federal funds thus far, positively affecting 157 farmers and ranchers over 19,730 acres of land in Southeast Nebraska.

This fall, Sunflower continued its partnership with NeNDR, proposing 3 additional irrigation infrastructure projects and assisting awarded districts in reporting and compliance.

From all of us at Sunflower Grant Writers – Katie, Elif, Jason, Craig, Annie, Guinevere, Larissa, Laura and Chase, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year! See you in 2025!