I turn on the news and read the daily papers and my heart sinks with so many injured and killed in our overseas conflicts. On a more personal level, I have a stepson - a very proud Marine - who was injured in Iraq when a bomb hit the vehicle he was traveling in. He will serve his 3rd tour of duty this September and says he is planning on a 4th tour as well. I worry each time he deploys and there doesn’t seem to be a clear end in site for this conflict.

In our research, evaluation, and planning work, we look for what is and isn’t working and how to explore new ideas and approaches to achieve the desired outcomes. I hope it is safe to say we all want a peaceful world. Perhaps a new approach is exactly what’s needed to achieve a humane outcome to the present turmoil in our world.

For this week’s grant highlight I discovered a foundation that supports efforts toward peaceful conflict prevention through “grassroots organizations working to educate the public and influence decision makers; peace advocacy organizations promoting alternative policies; and organizations initiating media coverage.” The Colombe Foundation is a program of the Proteus Fund which seeks to support peace programs and changes in American policy. They believe that American citizens using the tools of democracy can bring about needed change.

Typical grant amounts range from $10,000 to $45,000. Non-governmental nonprofit organizations can apply via email by September 3, 2007. A relatively simple Standard Cover Sheet can be downloaded at:
http://www.proteusfund.org/grantmaking/colombe/guidelines/.