City of Boston - Funding update

 

The Funding Update

FEDERAL YouthBuild/ Department of Labor, 2/01/2024 The YouthBuild program awards grants to organizations providing pre-apprenticeship services that support education, occupational skills training, and employment services to opportunity youth, ages 16 to 24, who are performing meaningful work and service to their communities. Expected awards: 75 and grants up to $1,500,000. Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants,  11/21/2024 The Community Change Grants will fund community-driven projects that address climate challenges and reduce pollution while strengthening communities through thoughtful implementation. The historic levels of support provided by these grants will enable communities and their partners to overcome longstanding environmental challenges and implement meaningful solutions to meet community needs now and for generations to come. SYSTEM FOR AWARDS MANAGEMENT UPDATE: The federal government has transitioned from DUNS to the Unique Entity ID. A UEI is required to apply for and receive federal awards. The process is extensive; plan ahead. For more information, go to the FAQ page at SAM.gov. Federal funding opportunities are continuously updated on grants.gov STATE FY2024-FY2026 Residential Energy Assistance Grant Program, 1/12/2024 Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has announced the renewal of the AGO’s Residential Energy Assistance Grant (REAG) program, which will make available through a Request for Proposals process, $1.1 million to public and nonprofit entities to help Massachusetts residents pay or lower their heating bills. Scroll down to "Important Links" on CommBUYS to see Newly Posted Bids CITY FY24 Black Male Advancement Community Empowerment Fund, 1/12/2024 Through the 2024 Community Empowerment Small Grant Fund, the Office of Black Male Advancement (BMA) will award grants of up to $20,000 to support programs that expand one of the following seven focus areas: (1) Mentoring and Out-of-School Time: (2) Youth and Young Adult Pathways (3) Housing Mobility:(4) Economic Inclusion and Wealth Building (5) Workforce Training and Development (5)Fatherhood Engagement and (6) Mental Health and Wellness. Senior Programming Across Boston, 1/18/2024 The City of Boston’s Human Services Cabinet, in collaboration with the Age Strong Commission and Boston Centers for Youth & Families BCYF) offers a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant to create a strategic plan for increased programming for older adult residents age 60+ across the city. Check out all grant opportunities from the City of Boston here! You can also view Office of Workforce Development grants, Community Preservation Act grants, and Public Health Commission grants. Bids are updated continuously on the City of Boston Supplier Portal. FOUNDATIONS Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants, 1/25/2023 Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to support the growth of new connections between scholars working in largely disconnected fields who could change the course of climate change’s impact on human health. Mabel A. Horne Foundation, 1/15/2024 The Mabel A. Horne Fund was established to support and promote quality educational, human services, and health care programming for underserved populations. Grant requests for general operating support or program support are encouraged. Small, program-related capital expenses may be included in general operating or program requests. Massachusetts Medical Society and Alliance Charitable Foundation, (LOI) 1/15/2024 The Foundation award grants to nonprofit organizations addressing one or more of the following funding priorities: (1) Quality health care services for the uninsured and underinsured, (2) Behavioral health services when not available, (3) Improved access to health care by overcoming barriers to health care delivery, (4) Health promotion through proactive prevention, education, and outreach, and (5)Programs aimed at addressing the social determinants of health. ArtsHERE , 1/19/2023 (LOI)                                                                                                                                  Grants of up to $130,000 will be awarded to support projects strengthening each organization’s capacity to sustain meaningful community engagement and increase arts participation for underserved groups/communities. The Parkinson’s Foundation, 1/31/2024 The 2024 community grant cycle focuses on programs that educate and deliver exercise programs specifically designed for people with Parkinson's disease. Nonprofit organizations, healthcare facilities, and for-profit organizations offering programs at no cost are eligible to apply. Applicants must operate at the local level or be an affiliate/chapter of a larger organization that operates locally. JA Community Foundation, (LOI) 1/31/2024 Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to support new projects or improvements to existing programs with the potential to benefit the Japanese American community. New York Life Foundation, the Afterschool Alliance , 2/1/2024 Grants will be awarded to out-of-school-time programs aimed at helping underserved eighth graders reach the ninth grade on time and prepare for high-school-level work. New Earth Foundation, (LOI) 2/1/2023  The foundation invites applications for innovative projects with the potential to enhance life on our planet, brighten the future, and advance peace. The Teiger Foundation, 2/14/2024 The Teiger Foundation provides grants for U.S.-based, curator-led initiatives in contemporary visual art. Grant categories include grants of up to $150,000 for single projects led by curators at organizations of all sizes; grants of up to $150,000 for three years of programming at organizations with annual budgets less than $3.5 million, including independent art spaces, contemporary art centers, nonprofit art institutions, kunsthalles, university galleries, and small contemporary art museums; grants of up to $75,000 for hosting exhibitions that originated elsewhere; and grants of up to $50,000 for curatorial research and development in the earliest stages of a project. 501(c)(3) institutions in the U.S. are eligible to apply. The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Ongoing The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation awards grants to organizations that operate a lending bookmobile that travels into neighborhoods populated by underserved youth. The grants are for purchasing books published for young people in preschool through grade 8. Bookmobiles operated by charitable [501(c)(3)] and other non-taxable agencies, including public libraries or schools, are eligible. The Foundation provides grants to organizations that serve economically or socially at-risk children, have limited book budgets, and demonstrate real need. Grants range from $500 to $3000 and are specifically for book purchases, and cannot be used for administrative or operational uses. Check the Funding Update Archives for back issues with open deadlines. FOUNDATION SPOTLIGHT The Gratis Foundation The mission of the Gratis Foundation is to support programs in the fields of education, health care and medical research, humanitarian services, abused and neglected children, and assisting U.S. Military personnel and their families.  READ MORE FEDERAL GRANT FORECAST Assistance for the Adoption of the Latest and Zero Building Energy Codes  The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) provides up to $1 billion for States and units of local government with the authority to adopt building energy codes to adopt and implement the latest building energy codes, zero energy building codes, or equivalent codes or standards. READ MORE   THE RESOURCE TABLE, NEWS AND CITY EVENTS Research Statistics All City of Boston Newsletters        Daily Updates from the City of Boston News, Resources, Applications, Permits, Jobs, Events and more!

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $50 Million Investment and Milestones for Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative

 Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $50 Million Investment and Milestones for Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative

Climate Forestry Committee Issues Recommendations for Climate-Oriented Forest Management Practices

EEA will hold a briefing on background for media only at 2:00pm. RSVP to danielle.burney@mass.gov.

 

BOSTON – As part of its “Forests as Climate Solutions” Initiative, the Healey-Driscoll Administration today released the Climate Forestry Committee’s report containing recommendations to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) regarding enhanced climate-oriented forest management practices for Massachusetts based on the latest climate science. The 12-member Committee of scientific experts emphasized the importance of keeping forests intact by enlarging forest reserves, increasing permanent conservation efforts, and reducing the conversion of forests to other uses. Noting the critical role forests play in mitigating dangerous climate change, the Committee urged the state to sharpen its land management focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

 

EEA is allocating $50 million to help communities conserve forested land and support forest-based businesses and local economies. EEA will invest this funding in forest conservation, including new forest reserves and incentives that encourage municipal and private landowners to adopt climate-oriented management approaches. This funding will help the state reach its climate goals, as set forth in the Clean Energy and Climate Plan, conserving 40 percent of Massachusetts’ natural and working lands by 2050.

 

EEA is now seeking public input on the Committee’s recommendations to inform the state’s implementation of management guidelines for forest lands held by the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Divisions of State Parks and Recreation and Water Supply Protection, and the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). As planned, the six-month temporary pause on timber harvesting projects is over.  During the public comment period, the State will review the paused projects and apply the Committee’s recommendations. 

 

In June, the Healey-Driscoll Administration launched “Forests as Climate Solutions” to increase the focus on forests and climate by investing in forest conservation, enhancing a network of forest reserves, and developing forest management guidelines based on the latest climate science. EEA convened the Climate Forestry Committee, a group of scientific experts, to bring their expertise and recommend a climate-centered approach for state lands. The Climate Forestry Committee’s report offers guidelines to optimize carbon storage and resilience of state forests in alignment with the 2050 Clean Energy and Climate Plan (CECP).

 

“We’ve done the review – now we’re following the science. It is encouraging to see that Massachusetts has been proactive in many ways when managing our forests, but our work is not done yet,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “With these funds, we will empower communities to invest in this critical resource while boosting local economies that rely on our forests. These investments will pay dividends in the long term as we confront extreme weather and make progress on our climate goals.”

 

“Healthy forests and wetlands are our best defense against the increasingly dangerous impacts of climate change. Nature—our forests, wetlands, grasslands—sequester huge amounts of carbon; you can look out your window today and see the best direct air capture technology currently available—trees. And they provide this service for free. But our forests are in danger—each year we lose more and more as forests are cut for other land uses and the forests themselves are experiencing the effects of more extreme climate impacts, including droughts, fires, heat waves, invasive species, and more intense storms. The Healey-Driscoll Administration made it a top priority to ensure our forest management practices and state policies guiding our forestry programs integrate the best and most current science,” said Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer. “The policy choices and actions we take now will impact future generations. We look forward to incorporating these recommendations into our land management plans and strategies, and we are very grateful to the Committee members who collectively bring deep expertise on a broad range of forestry and climate science.”

 

“Mass Audubon applauds the important work of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Climate Forestry Committee (CFC), especially its consensus finding that forests must remain forests and its recommendation to invest more in forest protection and management to reach our state-mandated climate goals and related environmental objectives,” said David J. O’Neill, President and CEO of Mass Audubon. “The findings of the CFC reflect the complexity of protecting and managing forests for carbon and other outcomes, and it’s indisputable that forests have a Swiss army knife-like ability to address a variety of environmental challenges including serving as a central prescription for meeting our climate objectives.” 

 

“The Trustees wholeheartedly embrace the shared goal of ‘keeping forests as forests’ by promoting both forest protection and climate-smart forestry. In addition to playing a key role in storing and sequestering greenhouse gas emissions, forests also protect fish and wildlife habitat, keep our drinking water clean, provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and protect our communities from increased flooding,” said Katie Theoharides, President and CEO of The Trustees. “We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration's increased investment in forest protection and their whole-of-government approach to reaching the Commonwealth's 2050 Net Zero emissions goals. We look forward to working alongside the Administration, our partner conservation organizations, state and local agencies, landowners, local communities, and the forestry industry to protect large, forested landscapes across the Commonwealth.”

 

Climate Forestry Committee Recommendations

 

Over six months, the Committee deliberated on recent science about how forests can affect climate change and how they are best managed for carbon storage and sequestration. The Committee centered its recommendations around the idea that forest management ranges along a spectrum from the most passive, hands-off approach, where nature takes it course, to active management, where interventions are targeted to advance specific forest conditions. Its recommendations covered several areas, including carbon stocks and sequestration, soils, natural disturbances, and habitat management, offering climate-centered approaches for each.

 

In addition, the Committee discussed strategies for maximizing carbon storage. The Committee agreed that carbon storage is greatest in older forests, and the state should allow forests to grow old while balancing goals for active management. The Committee also recommended strategies for pursuing active forest management in a climate-focused manner, including updating Best Management Practices and encouraging EEA to implement its Healthy Soils Action Plan to preserve soil carbon.

 

The Committee also recommended a reduction in habitat goals for species dependent on young forests, shrublands, and grasslands on MassWildlife lands to increase carbon storage and sequestration. Separately, as part of the Biodiversity Conservation in Massachusetts Executive Order, the Department of Fish and Game will evaluate and update habitat goals for 2030, 2040, and 2050 for Massachusetts.

 

Additionally, the Committee underscored the importance of natural disturbances for forests, and recommended, wherever possible, that dead trees be left on the ground for their biodiversity benefits – rather than removed. 

 

Recognizing the impact pests, pathogens, and invasive plant species can have on natural and working lands, the Committee recommended that EEA evaluate each circumstance individually including the nature of the invasive pest or pathogen, the tree species impacted, the stage of the invasion, and the likelihood of successful intervention.

 

Overall, the Committee encouraged state agencies to be more specific about the rationale behind forest management projects and their carbon and climate implications, including for water supply protection and habitat management goals. It also called for more investment in data, science, and staffing resources for state forest lands.

 

Forest and Carbon Data 

 

Understanding the essential role of forests and carbon, the administration has also developed an outline and framework for a publicly available dashboard that will launch in 2024, highlighting forest carbon metrics and trends. Projects planned for 2024 include engaging an external contractor to investigate where and how wood from Massachusetts forests is being utilized and the impact on carbon storage of use in long-lived wood products.

 

Landowner and Business Incentives

 

Working directly with private forest landowners representing 60 percent of Massachusetts’ forests and forestry business owners representing the state’s $5.4 billion market sectors, EEA will expand its successful Working Forest Initiative program. In 2024, the administration will take actions to increase technical assistance, incentivize practices that protect or enhance forest soils and carbon stocks, and promote forest resilience across private and municipal lands in Massachusetts via technical assistance from licensed foresters to advance climate-oriented forestry practices. In addition, an annual climate forestry event will be launched for all forest landowners and related businesses to exchange ideas, best practices, and innovations. 

 

For more information regarding the “Forests as Climate Solutions” initiative and the Climate Forestry Committee’s report, please visit the webpage.  

波士頓台山鄉親新春茶敘 200人歡聚

波士頓台山鄉親聯誼會正會長黃紹培(中)率領副會長陳晶年(右啟)，黃偉健，
黃漢湖，李樹靄向鄉親拜年，預祝龍年龍馬精神。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 台山鄉親聯誼會2024年1月1日早上9點半在波士頓華埠帝苑大酒樓，席開20桌的「新春茶敘」，同飲廣式早茶，互祝身心健康，世界安樂和平。5人會長團並宣佈，龍年春宴訂3月9日在帝苑大酒樓恭迎鄉親。

台山鄉親聯誼會的2024新春茶敘有將近200人參加。
(周菊子攝)

              波士頓台山鄉親聯誼會的體制是職員3年1任，可以連遠連任，但正會長只能連任一屆。黃紹培、黃偉健、黃漢湖，李樹靄，陳晶年等5人，在2023年的職員互選中，脫穎而出，接任會長，迄今已各司其職的服務了一整年，會員們都非常認可這幾位會長的服務熱誠。

             美國華僑早年幾乎全是台山人，波士頓台山鄉親聯誼會的會員名冊，也有逾千人，只是各人忙於工作，平時難得一聚。

台山鄉親們難得聚會，拍照留念。 (周菊子攝)

              1月1日一早，由司儀陳晶年宣佈「新春茶敘」開始，祝福鄉親們新年快樂，感謝到來，提醒鄉親們，今年是龍年，祝福眾人龍馬精神，龍騰虎躍，生龍活虎。該會將更頻繁地舉辦茶敘，給鄉親更多歡聚機會。

              黃紹培會長指出，新冠病毒疫情爆發後，許多鄉親忌憚病毒，能不出門就不出門，政府開放聚會後，該會每次辦茶敘，頂多就100多人出席，這次卻有200多人參加，應邀出席，向台山鄉親們拜年的中華公所主席雷國輝看到了，都為他們高興不已。

台山前會長鄺元傑(右起)和中華公所的中英文書記翁宇才、
阮鴻燦同桌暢敘。(周菊子攝)

                             嘉賓致詞後，還有SWH醫療保險公司的翁月媚解說社會保險的相關問題。

                            中華公所的中英文書記，翁宇才與阮鴻燦，這天也應邀出席，和台山同鄉會的前會長們，鄺元傑、李照桃等人同桌，和鄉親們一起享用一籠一籠的美味點心，熱絡交流。

台山鄉親們圍桌歡聚。(周菊子攝)

              波士頓台山鄉親聯誼會甫於2022年慶祝了成立20週年。2023年當選的幹部們，除前述5名正副會長之外，有財政陳潔雲，審核伍快榮，譚錫壯，中文書記余梓，溫烜民，鄺寶蓮，英文書記黃恭蓮，麥冬玲，組織黃朝宗，歐陽綺棠，婦女組陳素瑜、陳美瑤、周敏，娛樂黃認清，李國賢，甄月儀，後勤黃達榮，梅永良，陳貴全，外交麥道迎、甄錦民等人。這些幹部的任期從2023年到2025年。

台山鄉親填表交會費。(周菊子攝)

              黃紹培當天還率同會長團，5人聯袂宣佈，2024年的龍年春宴，訂3月9日在帝苑大酒樓舉行，席券訂為會員30元，非會員55元，歡迎鄉親加入成為會員，報名參加春宴，可和會長及幹部們聯絡。(更新版)

波士頓慈濟歲末鍋樂聚餐 感恩新添2名委員

波士頓慈濟聯絡人長金滿(前右一)，紐約慈濟執行長蘇煜昇(左一)陪同慈濟人
回台灣領證。波士頓有林采彤(前右二)，吳明真(前左三)領證，黃湘霏(後左二)，
金花(後左三) 補領證。 (波士頓慈濟提供)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州報導) 慈濟基金會波士頓聯絡處12月30日晚在麻州牛頓市會所”鍋樂”聚餐，閒話家常，為慈濟之友慶生，和慈少聯絡感情，談來年期望，感謝今年得到的驚喜。

波士頓慈濟的慈少們。(周菊子攝)

              波士頓慈濟有好幾人在聯絡人長金滿陪同下，最近才回了台灣一趟，其中的吳明真，林采彤是去接受授證，加入慈濟委員行列，高金花和黃湘霏儘管已修課2年，做義工超過200多個小時，早就在美國授證成為慈濟委員，只是今年才抽得出時間回台灣，由證嚴上人親自捕授證。

              在”鍋樂”閒聊中，同為波士頓慈濟人的陳裕逢，齊明君指出，慈濟分慈誠與委員兩種身份，慈誠需要承擔勞力任務，基本上男生才會是慈誠，委員則肩負協助募款的使命，所以多半是女生，不過很多男生同時兼任慈誠與委員。

波士頓慈濟的慈少項目由馮美霞(左)開辦，黃湘霏(右)接棒。(周菊子攝)

              目前波士頓慈濟的慈誠加委員，約50多人，還有許多隨緣快樂志工。大約6年前，馮美霞師姐還啟動了慈少培養計畫，把慈濟的四大志業思想與精神貫穿在適合青少年的各種活動中，提升青少年的人文、社會關懷能力與志向。接手辦理這項目的黃湘霏，30日這天也帶著12歲到17歲之間的慈少，在會所歲末聯誼。

                          長金滿透露，波士頓慈濟除了平日的服務社區，救助急難，照顧老人之外，正在研議如何為新移民提供更多幫助，希望邀更多善心人加入慈濟行列，發揚大愛精神，讓世界變得更加美好。

      (僑務電子報:     https://ocacnews.net/article/358727)

吳明真用手機上的影像蠟燭邀請壽星吹蠟燭，切蛋糕慶生。(周菊子攝)

慈濟波士頓聯絡人長金滿歡迎出席”鍋樂”聚會者，感謝金花師姊等備餐志工。(周菊子攝)

新年快樂 - 波士頓第一夜遊行照片