Rural Initiative Program

THE LAURA JANE MUSSER FUND wants to encourage collaborative and participatory efforts among citizens in rural communities that will help to strengthen their towns and regions in a number of civic areas including, but not limited to, economic development, business preservation, arts and humanities, public space improvements, and education.

Priority is placed on projects that:

• Bring together a broad range of community members and institutions
• Provide the opportunity for diverse community members to work together
• Contain measurable short term outcomes within the first 12 to 18 months
• Include community members actively in all phases of the process
• Work toward an outcome of positive change within their community

Projects must demonstrate:

• Support from a diverse cross-section of community members and institutions
• Matching financial and /or in-kind support from the local community
• Significant volunteer participation
• Reasonable plans to complete their project within 18 months or less

Limits of geography:

• Programs in Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, and Wyoming may apply
• The applicant community must have a population of 10,000 or fewer and must be able to demonstrate the rural characteristics of their location

Funds will be available for:

• Planning (up to $5,000) - These funds may support costs like: consultant or staff time, meeting costs, mailings, secretarial support, refreshments, local travel, childcare, etc.   Note - this stage is optional and not a required phase prior to applying for or receiving an implementation grant. If an organization receives a planning grant from the Musser Fund, this in no way implies a commitment on the part of the Musser Fund to provide the organization with any subsequent implementation grant.


• Implementation (Up to $25,000) - These funds are available to implement community based rural projects that originate in, have been planned by, and involve diverse people from the local community.  A limited amount of implementation funds may be expended for physical aspects of the project.  The projects will result in a tangible outcome within at least the first 18 months.

To apply for a grant under the Rural Initiative program:
Please construct your application in the following format, and include a cover sheet when you submit it. The proposal body can be no more than 5 pages. Complete proposal packets must be received in the Musser Fund office by November 5, 2008. Funding decisions will be announced February 2009.

1. SUMMARY: Provide a three sentence summary of your project at the beginning of your proposal.
2. BACKGROUND: Summarize your organizational background and the history of your involvement in your community.
3. RURAL IDENTITY: Describe, using qualitative and quantitative descriptions, the rural identity of your community.
4. RURAL NEED: Provide a synopsis of the need or situation in your community that the proposed project will address.
5. GOALS AND ACTIVITIES: Describe the overall goals of this project and the activities planned that will accomplish these goals; provide the timeline for the activities that includes schedule and completion for the project.  Please note that projects funded with implementation grants must be completed within at least 18 months.
6. COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND INSTITUTIONS: Describe the community members involved in this project;  indicate how many have already announced support for the project.
7. PROCESS: Describe the process you will use to implement your project.  Please be specific about the role of the community and the methods you will use to facilitate and encourage broad community participation.
8. COMMUNITY IMPACT: Describe the impact the project will have on the various strengths of your community.
9. OUTCOMES: List the outcomes expected.

The Directors of the Laura Jane Musser Fund continue to be interested in the replicability of projects requesting funding. If you have plans to share your project results, please include them in your proposal.

• BUDGET: Include a budget with the project income and expenses, and list other income sources, actual or pending
• MAP: Include a map that indicates the location of your project and local community, and which places your project in the context of the larger community or state.
• LETTERS OF SUPPORT: Please include letters of support from at least two (but not more than six) community members and institutions involved in your proposed project. In addition, please provide a letter of support from the local government entity that is most closely involved in your project. The Fund is only able to consider letters that arrive in the same packet with your proposal and before the submission deadline.

Please include a copy of your 501(c)(3) statement, or your 170(b) statement if you are a unit of government.

Example List Of Previous Grants

WHAT THE PROGRAM WILL COVER:

• New programs or projects within their first three years
• A planning, and/or implementation phase

WHAT WILL NOT BE FUNDED:

• Capital Expenses
• General Operating Support
• Ongoing Program Support

WHO CAN APPLY:

• Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations
• Organizations that are forming if they are sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization
• Units of government at the local level

PROPOSAL FORMAT: Electronic proposals can not be accepted. Please send your application packet in single-sided, unbound format. Please only send one copy. No materials other than those listed above will be included in the proposal review process. Only complete application packets can be considered.