11 May 2021

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

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The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, which will direct $268 million for expanding broadband access and connectivity to eligible Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and consortia led by an HBCU, TCU, or MSI that also include a minority business enterprise or tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

For more information, please see https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/ for updates. Applications closed December 1, 2021. See the first round of awardees here.

11 May 2021

Community Connect Grants

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Community Connect Grants offers funding to eligible applicants that will construct broadband networks that provide service on a community-oriented connectivity basis in rural areas. Specifically, funds will be used for the construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, spectrum, land or buildings used to deploy broadband service for residential and business, and essential community facilities (such as public schools, fire stations, public libraries, and public safety stations). Up to 10 percent of the grant may be used for the improvement, expansion, construction, or acquisition of a community center that provides online access to the public.

More information is available here. Applications closed December 23, 2020.

4 May 2021

Impact KC

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Impact KC is a group of philanthropic and civic-minded individuals dedicated to making a substantive impact on the well-being of the Kansas City metropolitan area through volunteerism, fundraising and education. Impact KC receives funding from their general membership, and the fund is administered by the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. They award one-time grants to one to four organizations through an annual application process.

Applications closed July 30, 2021.

4 May 2021

Sunderland Foundation

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Since its inception in 1945, the Sunderland Foundation has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company.  Grants are awarded in Western Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Western Iowa, Idaho, Central Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Montana. 

The Sunderland Foundation generally awards grants to larger, well-established nonprofit organizations. 

4 May 2021

Allen P. and Josephine B. Green Foundation, Inc.

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The Allen P. and Josephine B. Green Foundation is a private foundation with approximately $11 million in assets.  The mission of the Foundation can be summed up as “Improving the quality of life in Missouri.” The Foundation accepts grant applications from publicly and privately supported, non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations whose objectives and programs generally fit within the mission of the Foundation. The Foundation’s Board of Directors consists of 11 members who meet twice a year to award grants and conduct other business essential to the Foundation.

4 May 2021

Missouri Building Entrepreneurial Capacity (MOBEC)

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To create more home-grown, high-tech companies, Missouri must support entrepreneurs and foster innovation.  It is for this reason that the Missouri Building Entrepreneurial Capacity program (MOBEC) is a cornerstone of MTC’s investment strategy. Through the MOBEC grant program, MTC makes strategic investments that expand the support system for entrepreneurs that are commercializing new technologies or that enhance the capacity of Missouri to grow its innovation economy.

Applications closed November 16, 2021.

3 May 2021

CDFI Fund New Markets Tax Credit Program

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Through the NMTC Program, the CDFI Fund allocates tax credit authority to Community Development Entities (CDEs) through a competitive application process. CDEs are financial intermediaries through which private capital flows from an investor to a qualified business located in a low-income community. CDEs use their authority to offer tax credits to investors in exchange for equity in the CDE. Using the capital from these equity investments, CDEs can make loans and investments to businesses operating in low-income communities on better rates and terms and more flexible features than the market.

This program is not currently accepting applications.

3 May 2021

Community Planning and Development – Community Development Block Grant

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HUD continues its efforts to narrow the digital divide in low-income communities served by HUD by providing, where feasible and with HUD funding, broadband infrastructure to communities in need of such infrastructure. Broadband is the common term used to refer to a very fast connection to the Internet. Such connections are also referred to as high-speed.

Although HUD plans to issue regulations that will formalize its steps for narrowing the digital divide, current CDBG funds can be used for broadband installation infrastructure and service delivery.

3 May 2021

ReConnect Program

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The ReConnect Program offers unique federal financing and funding options in the form of loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America that don’t currently have sufficient access to broadband, defined by the law as 10 Mbps (megabits per second) downstream and 1 Mbps upstream.

This program will generate private sector investment to deploy broadband infrastructure to provide high-speed internet e-Connectivity to as many rural premises as possible, including homes, community facilities for healthcare and public safety, schools, libraries, farms, ranches, factories, and other production sites. The ReConnect program offers three products: 100% Loans, 50% Loan-50% Grant combinations, and 100% Grants.

The application window closed February 22, 2022. For more information, see the funding opportunity announcement.