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Tapping into the Recovery Act to Identify Resources for Your Program printer-friendly

By Jeremy White, RestoreHope Consulting

The recently passed $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that has been targeted to either save or create an estimated three million jobs will pour funding into infrastructure projects including highway and road construction and repair to school enhancements, among other projects.

Scheduled to be disbursed to governors around the country over the next 18 months, the funding offers some faith-based and community organizations the opportunity to partner with their states and localities as these government agencies fund selected priority projects. Non-profit organizations may be able to either receive funding through some of these projects directly or indirectly, or to provide information regarding the projects to their participants and communities especially where job opportunities are concerned.

The initial outline of the President Obama's 2010 budget also provides opportunities for faith-based and neighborhood organizations. The Department of Health and Human Services funding will focus on priority areas such as HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse among many others.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development would receive $4.5 billion in funding for the CDBG program while the Department of Justice will focus $6 billion on the Bureau of Prisons including $109 million to create prison re-entry programs, including $75 million for the recently created Second Chance Program. The budget also calls for the creation of a Social Innovation Fund related to community service, to fund innovative non-profit programs.

Faith-based and community organizations should take the time to familiarize themselves with these programs and opportunities at the Federal, state and local government levels in order to better serve their communities.

Organizations can find more information on these opportunities at www.grants.gov and www.recovery.gov as well as touching base with their state, county and local government agencies. For questions or more information about accessing these resources specifically, please contact us.

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