Self Advocacy Mini-Grants Through the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities

NOTICE OF FUNDS AVAILABLE:

Beginning May 1, 2012, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities will make funds available for self advocacy mini-grants. There is $20,000 available but the maximum amount for each mini-grant is a maximum of $4999.00.

PURPOSE OF MINI-GRANTS:

The GCDD Five Year Strategic Plan specified the following purposes that the Council would like to see mini-grants related to. These include the following:

Activities to help people coming out of institutions
Improve the transition process
Develop leadership skills toward self determination
Efforts to connect with the broader community

(example: Chamber of Commerce, Young Professionals)

Formation of Alumni Clubs for Partnerships for Success and Project Search
Use of social media / technology to promote self advocacy
Support for local discovery tours to show positive possibilities
Use of technology for IEP planning

WHO CAN APPLY:

Applicants can represent an organization or a collaboration among 3 or more individuals.

HOW TO APPLY:

Complete the application form found on the GCDD website. This is a two page application. Application must include a description of the project with achievements that will be accomplished. There must be a projection of the number of people who will be involved in the activities. A line-item budget must detail how the money requested will be spent. There must be a primary person listed who will serve as the contact person with GCDD. Applications will be accepted beginning May 1, 2012 by fax (404) 657-2132, by email to Anna Watson at , or by mail to GCDD 2 Peachtree St NW, Suite 26-246, Atlanta, GA 30303 Attn: Anna Watson. Applicants will be notified as to the status of their application within 30 days of application or sooner if possible.

SELECTION PROCESS:

A committee of Council Members will be designated to review and make recommendations on the mini-grant applications. These committee members will be sent copies of each application for them to review and rank according to the criteria for selection listed below. A GCDD staff member will be responsible for collecting the information from the committee members and notifying the applicant about the committee’s recommendation for funding. The committee may decide whether or not to fund proposed projects. They may also decide on how much funding the proposal should receive. Decisions are based on the availability of funding.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Mini-grant project must be led by a person with a disability.
The mini-grant must be related to one of the topic areas specified by the Council.
The mini-grant application must clearly spell out the achievements that will be accomplished.
The mini-grant application must provide a timeline on when activities will be completed.
The mini-grant application must include a line-item budget that is less than $4999.00.
The mini-grant application must project the number of people who will be engaged with the project.
Priority will be given to applications that collaborate with the larger community outside disability.
Priority will be given to applications that provide matching funds or in-kind contributions.

FUNDING:

The expenditures provided by GCDD are on a reimbursement basis. The money has to be spent first and receipts kept to document the expenditures. Money must be spent in the categories and amounts specified on the application budget.

Funds cannot be used for lobbying efforts, supplanting funds for existing programs, capital campaigns, fund raisers, or government agencies.

Reimbursements for expenditures can be made through submitting an invoice and receipts to GCDD. This can be done monthly or quarterly.

EXPLANATION OF TERMS:

GCDD – Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities

Strategic Plan – A five year plan done by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities to determine what it will focus on and fund.

Institutions – Public or private facilities that have large numbers of people with disabilities living together.

Transition – The time period when people move from being high school students to being adults.

Self Determination – When a person is given choices in their life and they speak up about what they want .

Broader Community – This includes organizations and groups within the community that are not just focused on disability issues.

Alumni Group - A group of people who keep in contact after they graduate from school.

Partnerships for Success – A project around Georgia where middle and high school students with and without disabilities come together in friendship and for community service. They develop their leadership skills and help each other discover what they are good at doing.

Project Search – A high school transition program that provides students with disabilities with intensive job training through unpaid internships in a business. The goal of the project is to have the intern become employed.

Social Media – Using a variety of ways to network with others through applications such as facebook, twitter, blogs, etc.

Local Discovery Tours - This would be a tour in your local community to show people with disabilities, families, community members, public officials some of the positive things happening for people with disabilities. This might include housing, jobs, inclusive education, inclusive recreation, formal and informal supports, etc.

Technology for IEPs – This might include using different types of media to show the IEP team what the person is good at doing or what they would like to become involved with as part of their education. It might include use of videos, photos, power point presentations, interviews, etc. It might use an IPAD or other form of technology. It could be the use of skype or video conferencing to help important people be present at the IEP.

Collaboration– when people work together

Line-Item Budget – a breakdown of how money is going to be spent using categories and amounts of money.

Match or In-Kind Contributions – When the applicant has other resources either money or donations from a person or organization that will be used to help pay for the project outside of what GCDD is providing.

Lobbying efforts – when money is spent to try to influence a legislator.

Supplanting Funds – you cannot use these funds to take the place of funding that already exists.

Capital Campaigns – efforts to raise a lot of money to construct buildings

Fundraisers – activities or efforts that are for the purpose of raising money.