Hello again and Happy New Year! I hope you had a peaceful and rejuvenating holiday experience. At this new beginning we all prioritize and concentrate on what means the most to us. To launch 2007, I am focused on my children and making their lives as positive as possible. In this spirit I am offering two funding avenues to better the lives of children.

This week’s picks:

My son blows a mean trombone and music and the arts are a passion in my family. I was pleased to find The Mockingbird Foundation, Inc. funded by the rock band, Phish and incorporated in the state of New York by a dozen longtime fans of the band. They fund public schools and nonprofit organizations across the United States that “encourage and foster creative expression in any musical form (including composition, instrumentation, vocalization, or improvisation).” You can start a request process through their online Letter of Inquiry accepted by February 1 and August 1 each year. Information on their funding requirements can be found at http://www.mockingbirdfoundation.org/funding/guidelines.html.
You will be contacted by email if they want a formal proposal submitted. Grants range in size from $50 to $5,000 and are made on a one-time basis.

For my second pick I am looking in my own back yard. The Improve Group offices are located directly across the street from the Mall of America and they have a foundation of their own. The Mall of America® Foundation for Youth, provides MOA the opportunity to partner with charities and organizations across the country “that promote the self-development, well being and education of youth, their families and their communities.” You must be a nonprofit to apply. Although schools can only apply for special initiatives not covered in their budgets there is another opportunity for students themselves to apply for MOA Foundation Youth Scholarships. Their website at http://www.mallofamerica.com/young_adults_moa_foundation_youth.aspx gives more details and an application to download.