Request for Proposals

Fall 2005 Conservation Cycle

Horizon Foundation seeks, this spring and early summer, executive summaries from qualified non-profit 501c3 organizations that describe projects that will address ONE of the following two interest areas:

1. Efforts that will encourage collaboration among and/or merging of land trusts, watershed associations and other non-profit organizations focused on land conservation and stewardship. These efforts will have a regional emphasis rather than one based on single municipalities. Grant funding will support the following activities: training costs for staff and volunteers in the fields of conservation easement monitoring, fundraising, sharing office resources, board development, volunteer recruitment, organizational strategic planning and development and associated consulting costs identifying and implementing “best practices” in the field coordination and capacity building of regional organizations realizing economies of scale by centralizing efforts.

Grants proposals should range in the $10,000 to $25,000 range for these projects.

2. Efforts that use a smart growth approach to eliminate sprawl that are: collaborative among conservation organizations, municipal planners, developers, regional planning associations, and other local civic and business leaders and decision makers entirely regional in their approach to smart growth problem solving inclusive of land trusts, watershed associations, urban planning organizations focused on the importance of preserving biological diversity of natural resources as a cornerstone for any planning activity aware that smart growth must promote environmental stewardship and strive for preservation of livable communities while building a “sense of place.”

Grant proposals should range from $20,000 to $30,000 for these projects.

Horizon Foundation will make one year grants for these projects as a part of a five year commitment by the Foundation to support efforts that promote smart growth, smart conservation and livable communities. Horizon’s Conservation Grants program will be funded each fall, through the fall of 2006, in counties within Horizon’s existing geographic areas.

Executive summaries should be no longer than two pages in length and follow the format outlined in the Letters of Inquiry page. Summaries must be in the Horizon office by Friday, July 15, 2005, and invitations to submit complete proposals will be mailed by the second week in August to select organizations. Final proposals will be due on October 3, 2005, and grant recipients will be notified by December 1, 2005.