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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Funds for Writers

THE FLORENCE TYSON FUND http://www.tysonfund.org/ --- The Mission of the Fund is to support therapists and clinical programs that provide creative arts therapies--music, dance, drama, art and poetry therapy--to people in the community who suffer from, or are at risk for psychiatric problems, such as depression, anxiety, or severe mental illnesses.

THE ROYAL LITERARY FUND http://www.societyofauthors.org/grants --- The Society administers three charitable trusts, which award occasional grants to professional authors who find themselves in sudden and temporary financial difficulty. The Francis Head Bequest grants to professional writers (writing in the English language) who were born in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, and who are over the age of 35. It is aimed at authors who by reason of illness or otherwise are in financial difficulty. The John Masefield Memorial Trust provides grants to professional British poets or their dependents who are faced with sudden financial problems. Margaret Rhondda Awards assist and support women journalists who are in needy circumstances.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Casting Calls

1) House Hunters International
2nd January 2011

Are you buying a home abroad?

If so, we'd like to put your story on TV! HGTV's House Hunters International is looking for energetic individuals, couples and families who are passionate about their search for a new home or vacation property abroad. This hit series takes viewers behind the scenes with a real estate agent to decide which international home is best for you!

If you've recently purchased a home abroad, we would love to speak with you and hear about the ups and downs of your journey.

We are currently casting in multiple countries around the globe. Send an e-mail with your name, phone number, location and attached photo to househunterscasting@leopardfilms.com, and we'll send you additional information.



2) More to come

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Interacting with Other Bloggers-Why It's a Good Thing

Responding to blog posts on topics relevant to your organization or company can be an effective way to engage customers, clients, co-workers, constituents in a discussion about issues or to get the word out about your work or product ot company. Interacting with bloggers, however, can be very time consuming. A little advanced thinking and strategizing can help you engage bloggers and their readers more efficiently to get the desired results. So why interact with other bloggers and web content creators? Why not just read and maintain your own? Lots of good reasons:

1.Interacting with other bloggers can create a portal to your website. Commenting, sharing and liking other blogs can intrigue other readers and followers. This can position you as a contributing authority and make readers curious about your company or brand; a kind of give-and-take in the blogging community.

2. From Writer’s Digest 10 Ways Writers Lose Blog Traffic, Number 7 reminds us all to read (and comment) on other people’s blogs. To read the whole piece, click on this link: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/10-ways-writers-lose-blog-traffic-and-alienate-readers

3. Don't know where to start? Find some blogs you like that tend to post material of interest to your company, and follow them. You can use a free service—like Bloglines.com—to capture posts from all your favorite blogs so you can track and read them all in one location.

4. Find at least one or two blogs with a regular audience of significant size. These blogs will offer the best chances for discussion and a large enough audience to get wider distribution for information about your topic.

5. Bloggers love getting comments, so you can respond to blog posts whenever you read one that inspires additional thoughts or that you find useful. Include insights you’ve gained, while respecting the privacy you might reference. Compliments may be preferred, of course, but constructive criticism or corrections are also generally welcome. It is not in your interest, though, to chastise a blogger or question his or her expertise.

6. Contact the blogger after you have a good understanding of the blog’s focus, point of view, and style and feel it would be an appropriate venue for promoting your product or company. Suggest that the blogger write about your product, and give reasons: there is timely news about your product, it will be of interest to your readers, etc. It is best to contact bloggers by e-mail if you can find their address, but you may also do this through the comments button if necessary. Your message can be informal, but professional. You are more likely to get the blogger’s attention if you refer to specific posts he or she published or a recent news item that provides a timely peg for writing about your product.

7. Once you get a blogger’s attention it can often lead to additional coverage by other bloggers or news organizations. Getting coverage on a popular blog could also help you spread the word about the value of your products and promote a positive image about you to the general public.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Grant Opportunities

1. Garden Grant Opportunity from the Whole Kids Foundation. These grants are open to nonprofit school or school districts (public, private or charter – elementary, middle or secondary) and/or a 501(c)(3) organization that is developing or currently maintaining a school garden project that will help children engage with fresh fruits and vegetables. http://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/gardengrants-application.php

2. Childhood Obesity Rapid Response Grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Heart Association. Grants will be geared toward activities like grassroots organizaing, coalition building, public opinion research or media relations to influence public policies affecting healthy weight and living among children.
http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@tcs/documents/downloadable/ucm_433609.pdf

3. Scotts Miracle-Gro is accepting applications for the 2012 Grassroots Grants program. Grants of up to $1,500 are awarded to local communities to help bring edible gardens, flower gardens and public green spaces to even more neighborhoods in the United States. The application deadline is February 24, 2012
http://www.thescottsmiraclegrocompany.com/corporateresponsibility/community/gro1000.html

4. The Rolf H. Jensen Memorial Public Education Grant provides a $5,000 grant to one local fire department to support a community-wide fire and life safety education program or campaign. Funded by the RJA Group, the grant is open to any fire dept. (career or volunteer) located in the United States or Canada. The application deadline is February 3, 2012
http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=473&itemID=17871&URL=Training/Scholarships,%20awards,%20grants/For%20public%20educators/Rolf%20H.%20Jensen%20Memorial%20Public%20Education%20Grant&cookie_test=1

5. Classics for Kids Foundation aims to bridge the funding gap and enhance school music programs by providing matching grants for beautiful new stringed instruments.
If your school or non-profit organization believes in the role of fine instruments in your program, and can show evidence of need and commitment to raising matching funds, you are a strong candidate for the Classics for Kids matching grant program.
The next application deadline is March 31, 2012
http://www.classicsforkids.org/grants.html

6. The Safeway Foundation supports nonprofit organizations whose mission is aligned with their four priority areas: Hunger Relief, Education, Health and Human Services, Assisting People with Disabilities. All organizations funded by The Safeway Foundation must serve the community where Safeway operates stores.
The next application deadline is March 31, 2012
http://www.safewayfoundation.org/get-funded/what-we-fund.html

7. The Public Welfare Foundation supports efforts to ensure fundamental rights and opportunities for people in need. They look for carefully defined points where their funds can make a difference in bringing about systemic changes that can improve lives. They focus on three program areas: Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Health Reform and Workers’ Rights. Applications are accepted throughout the year. Applicants should submit letters of inquiry six to eight weeks before proposal deadlines. The next proposal deadline is March 26, 2012.
http://www.publicwelfare.org/ApplyGrant.aspx

8. The Thornton S. Glide, Jr. and Katrina D. Glide Foundation is a perpetual California charitable trust. Its purpose is to provide benefits for qualified organizations committed to animal protection organizations, other land and wildlife conservancy groups, agricultural purposes, preservation of land in its natural state, and opera, symphony, and other similar civic organizations. The foundation has two programs; a regular grant program for funding up to $25,000 and a major grant program for funding up to $50,000 intended for capital expenditures.
The next application deadline is August 15, 2012. http://www.glidefoundation.org/grants/

9. RBC Blue Water Project™ Guidelines & Eligibility.RBC Blue Water Project offers:
Leadership Grants. These grants range from $25,000 to $500,000, are awarded annually and are directed to organizations that are leaders in providing programs in North America and other countries where we do business; and
Community Action Grants. These grants range from $1,000 to $5,000, and focus on local watershed protection. They are available on an on-going basis to local or community organizations in Canada, the United States or the Caribbean.
http://www.rbc.com/community-sustainability/apply-for-funding/guidelines-and-eligibility/blue-water-project.html

10. Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation Toolbox for Education grant program. Through the program, Lowe's will donate a total of $5 million to U.S. public schools and public school parent teacher groups at more than one thousand public schools. http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/

Friday, January 27, 2012

Writer Grants & Money

BARBARA DEMING MEMORIAL FUND
Susan Pliner, Executive Director
Money for Women/Barbara Deming
Memorial Fund, Inc.
P.O. Box 309, Wilton, NH 03086
---
The Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund awards grants
of up to $1,500 to poets, fiction and nonfiction writers, visual
artists -- as well as for a mixed-genre category (illustration
and text) -- who are feminist women. Application fee is $20.
Two application deadlines each year: December 31 (art and fiction)
and June 30 (nonfiction and poetry). Fund does not maintain email,
phone, or website. To request application materials, write above
address and include SASE.

=====

CREATIVE CAPITAL OPENING UP TO APPLICATIONS
http://creative-capital.org/apply
---
On February 1, 2012, Creative Capital will begin accepting
online Letters of Inquiry for grants in Emerging Fields,
Literature and Performing Arts. To be eligible to apply, an
artist must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident,
at least 25 years old, a working artist with at least five
years of professional experience, and not a full-time student.
Selected grantees receive up to $50,000 in direct support and
a suite of services valued at more than $40,000. The Inquiry
Form will be open until March 1, 2012.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King

Address at March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (Aug 1963)

Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."


Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech (Dec 1964)

I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land.

Most of these people will never make the headlines and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we live -- men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization -- because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Domain Name Resources

NameStation
Ajax Whois
Easy Domain Finder
Nameboy.com
domain hacks
domai.nr
Dot-o-mator: Domain and company name ideas generator.
DomainsBot: Domain name search engine.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Call to artists, writers & more

da Vinci Film Festival issues open call for entries — Entry deadlines are Dec. 10 (regular entry), Jan. 20 (late entry) and Feb. 5 (extended entry). The da Vinci Film Festival is seeking submissions for its 2012 program, to be held during the July 20-22 da Vinci Days in Corvallis. Films will be accepted in the categories of Documentary, Narrative Shorts, Animation, Experimental and Young Filmmakers (middle and high school). Documentary films must be 90 minutes or less. Young Filmmaker entries must be 10 minutes or less, and all other categories must be no longer than 30 minutes. Film submissions are made via Withoutabox (www.withoutabox.com), an online service for film festivals. The festival is especially interested in works that incorporate themes of art and science, but all submitted films will be considered for selection. Winners will be chosen for each of the five categories. In addition, two cash prizes for $150 will go to the best “Emerging Artist” and to the film that best captures the “Spirit of da Vinci.” Information: 541-757-6363 or www.davincidays.org.

CALYX open to electronic submissions — CALYX Journal is now accepting electronic submissions of poetry and prose through Dec. 31. Please submit to www.calyxpress.org/submissions/. Submission guidelines are available at www.calyxpress.org/submission.html. Information: 541-753-9384 or www.calyxpress.org.

Northwest Film Center asks filmmakers: to “Make It Short” — Submission deadline is Jan. 6, 2012. The Northwest Film Festival kicks off its “Make It Short” 40-Second Film Competition, challenging Northwest filmmakers to create outstanding short films in any format — from Super-8 to cell phone videos — the only caveat being that the films must have a running time of 40 seconds or less. Contestants may compete in youth or adult categories. Information: www.nwfilm.org.

Oregon Poetry Association seeks young poets — Entries must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012. The Oregon Poetry Association has announced its 14th annual Oregon Student Poetry Contest. All K-12 Oregon students are eligible to enter. Ten winners each in four age categories receive cash prizes ranging from $5 for honorable mentions to $30 for first place. All 40 winning poems will be published in Cascadia: The Oregon Student Poetry Anthology. Each winner will receive a certificate and copy of the anthology. There is no entry fee. Complete guidelines can be found at www.oregonpoets.org or by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Student Contest, P.O. Box 1016, Klamath Falls, OR 97601-1016 or by sending an email to fishtrappe@hughes.net.

Salem Art Fair & Festival accepting online applications — Visual-artist applications for the 63rd annual Salem Art Fair & Festival will be online through Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012, at www.zapplication.org. Other applications, including musical performers, nonprofit food booths, the Kids’ Court and Cultural Corridor, are also available online, at www.salemart.org. The festival will be held July 20-22, 2012, at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem.

UVAA solitics art, photos for shows — Submission deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. The Umpqua Valley Arts Association invites artists and photographers to submit to the annual ArtWorks NW and PhotoWorks NW juried art shows and competitions. Applicants may submit up to three entries in all themes, genres, media and photographic processes (ArtWorks NW, however, is not accepting photography), except video. Cost: $30 for up to three entries. All work must be display-ready on arrival. Information: 541-672-2532 or http://uvarts.com/call-to-artists.

Kip Smith Young Writer’s Award now accepting submissions — Deadline is Monday, May 7, 2012. The Kip Smith Young Writer’s Award is open to all high-school seniors in Benton County. Students should submit their best writing in any genre — poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama or translation. The award offers a cash prize of $1,000 and is sponsored by Poetry Enterprises, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Prior to his death in an Alabama traffic accident, Kip Smith was a 1981 Crescent Valley High School graduate. High school seniors should submit as many samples of writing as desired to show their scope and interests. Entries should be sent to The Kip Smith Young Writer’s Award, Poetry Enterprises, 712 N.W. 13th St., Corvallis, OR 97330.

Reading/Writing Contest for Young Readers — Entry deadline is Friday, Jan. 6, 2012. The Library of Congress announces “Letters About Literature,” a national reading and writing promotion program for readers in grades 4-12, sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target. To enter, readers write a personal letter to the author, explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. To obtain the guidelines and required entry form, ask your teacher or librarian, or dowload it from the Letters About Literature website at www.oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvs/aboutlit.shtml.


Travel Oregon seeks appetites for Oregon Bounty Wanderfeast contest — Travel Oregon invites foodies to dig, gather and forage for the Oregon Bounty Wanderfeast, a statewide excursion with 10 of the state’s top chefs as guides. One lucky foodie will win a four-day, three-night Oregon Bounty Wanderfeast. To enter, create an itinerary of your choosing from a variety of Oregon culinary destinations and submit in 25 words or less what makes Oregon the perfect place for a Wanderfeast. A randomly selected winner will have the opportunity to bring three friends or family members on a culinary adventure. The prize includes the chosen itinerary, airfare on Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air and lodging by Best Western. Information: www.traveloregon.com/bounty.

Win a bike trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia with Bike Beyond Boundaries. Visit Bike Beyond Boundaries Facebook page for details.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Update for the Holidays

So I am busy like all others but here are some links to published clients:

http://jumpin-beans.blogspot.com/2011/11/we-were-busy-with-perfect-picture.html


http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/off-roading-gear-guide-the-essential-stuff-to-have-in-your-truck.html

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

funding database

So, way back in the beginning of this blog I wrote:

"I know, I know. You are probably thinking finding funds to finance your business venture may come from anybody or anywhere. But I have taken the time, over past 15 years, to create a list of over 4600 funding sources that came from everybody and everywhere." Well, well, well.

We are counting the database and yes, well over 4600. Try 10,000 plus but then again we are still counting. I will keep you posted.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

innovation

Today another innovator left us. Steve Jobs died today. 56 years old and so much to show for his life.

I loved the Stanford speech....http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html

Sunday, September 25, 2011

September Promo Days

Eye & Health Safety Month
Read a Book Day September 6
Labor Day September 6
National Suicide Prevention Week September 6
Rosh Hashanah September 9
Patriot Day September 11
William Sydney Porter's - "O. Henry" - Birthday September 11, 1862
Grandparents' Day September 12
Mayflower Day September 16
Mexican Independence Day September 16
U.S. Constitution Signing Day September 17, 1787
Yom Kippur September 18
Autumn Equinox September 23
Native American Day September 24
William Faulkner's Birthday September 25, 1897
Johnny Appleseed's Birthday September 26,1774