Reminder News: Project Grants Available in The Last Green Valley

While snowed-in in DC this past week, I wrote a brief article for Eastern Connecticut's ReminderNews on the return of a popular grant program sponsored by the Last Green Valley, which is the non-profit steward of the Quinnebaug & Shetucket National Heritage Corridor in Eastern Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts

Region —  02/12/2010

Project grants available

BY CHRIS GOLDEN ReminderNews

Non-profit and civic organizations located in the 35 towns of The Last Green Valley, the management entity of the Quinebaug and Shetucket National Heritage Corridor, are invited to apply for funding during the 2010 Last Green Valley grant process.

After a two-year hiatus, the grant program has returned to fund projects that “conserve, celebrate, interpret or enhance” the region, including through economic development and tourism.

“There are lots of great projects in our region that we want to bring to light and leverage the resources of The Last Green Valley to do so,” said Lois Bruinooge , the organization’s executive director .

The Last Green Valley manages Congressionally-appropriated funds to the region. The grant program allows the organization to ensure that funds are dispersed as widely as possible, Bruinooge said.

In the past, grants have been used to fund trail preservation, downtown streetscape community enhancement projects, events and festivals, school curriculum, community gardens and river clean-ups .

In Brooklyn, a grant at the Brooklyn Middle School was used to create a water quality monitoring project. With this project, The Last Green Valley was able to provide additional support and trainings and form a partnership with an existing program in the region.

The grant requires that project budgets include a 50-percent match, either in direct funding or in-kind donations, including volunteer time. In addition, applicants are encouraged to build partnerships with other organizations at the community level.

“It shows a commitment to the project , and it is very important to build support and leverage all of our resources ,” Bruinooge said.

Applications are available on The Last Green Valley’s Web site, www.tlgv. org, and are due March 31, 2010. $150,000 in total funding is available and will be dispersed in grants ranging in size from $500 to $25,000.

For more information, contact The Last Green Valley at (860) 774-3300 .