March 2011
NRPA to Host Free Online Chat About Baseball Tomorrow Fund
What: An online chat hosted by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to answer questions related to the BTF application process and evaluation criteria. Chats are online conversations that last 30 to 45 minutes and are live, free, and open to anyone.
Where: Wednesday, April 6 at 2pm EST
Log-in Directions below.
Who: Cathy Bradley, Executive Director of BTF, will answer questions and discuss issues related to the grant process.
We encourage participation by:
- Park and recreation professionals involved in fundraising/development/grant writing serving low-income communities
- Non-profit organizers for youth sports programs and facilities, especially youth baseball/softball, serving low-income communities
- Current or prospective BTF applicants
More: The Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF) is designed to promote the growth of youth baseball and softball throughout the world by awarding grants to support field renovation and construction projects, equipment and uniform purchases, coaches training material and other selected program expenses. Established by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association in 1999, BTF awards approximately $2 million annually to non-profit and tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.
BTF strongly encourages applicants serving low-income communities, minority players and girls to apply. Information regarding the application process and past grant awards can be found at www.baseballtomorrowfund.com.
Log-In Directions:
- Before the chat begins, visit www.nrpaonlinelearning.org to create your own NRPA Online Account. Set up an email reminder to ensure you join the chat on Wednesday, April 6!
- At the time of the chat, log in and hit the chat tab located across the top of the dashboard.
- During the chat, feel free to submit questions or concerns.
BTF APPLICATION DEADLINE – APRIL 1
Friday, April 1…is the deadline for submitting a formal BTF application for the April-June review cycle.
*Note: Application deadlines are for applications only. Letters of inquiry may be submitted at anytime; however, please allow at least one month for the review of a letter of inquiry. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications early.
Click here to apply and visit our website for more details: www.baseballtomorrowfund.com.
Grant Writing Tips – From BTF Recipient
Several organizations that initially apply for a BTF grant indicate that the process of completing the grant application is difficult. Why? Organizations point to lack of funds to hire a grant writer or lack of staff/volunteers with time or experience to complete the application.
Marge Jacobs is a grant writer who submitted an application for a BTF grant for the City of Port Isabel located near South Padre Island, TX. A BTF grant was awarded to provide funding for the installation of Musco Lighting equipment for the Little League field in the Laguna Madre Park.
Jacobs’s advice is directed to those applicants located in Texas. However, several states have similar programming:
The University of North Texas has an online website for librarians to gain knowledge about various things. Advise inquirers to go to www.leadonline.info. On the left side of the page, click on LE@D for Individuals / Courses.
The Grant Writing Basics is a self-paced course which instructs techniques for writing grants, specifically for libraries. The student has one month to complete the work. The course costs $45. This is the course I took when I began writing grants. I made a hard copy of each lesson so that I could refer to the information when I wrote my first several grants. The information provided can be applied to any type of grant once you finish the course.
UNT also has Minicourses which deal with grants and grant writing. The cost is $89. The courses can be found at www.ed2go/unt. The grant courses can be found under Writing and Publishing.
The courses offer:
� Learn a new skill or enhance existing skills for professional development or personal enrichment.
� New sessions starting monthly with lessons and assignments released weekly.
� 2-4 hours a week in a convenient six-week format.
� Interactive learning environment. Classroom built around discussion areas where you can engage with classmates and instructors.
� Expert instructors develop, lead, and interact with students in each course.
� Award of completion from your learning institution with passing score.
If you have any advice or grant writing tips for completing a grant application, we want to know! Email us at btf@mlb.com.
Keys to a Healthy Sports Diet for our Children – National Nutrition Month
Coaching baseball and softball includes both on-the-field and off-the-field instruction that educates our youth on different ways to reach their fullest potential. An often forgotten topic that is vital to both health and athletic performance is nutrition. In recognition of National Nutrition Month, we’ll take a closer look at ways we can educate youth on how to seek out the best nutritional options.
Three key nutrition topics for children that first come to mind are variety, moderation and balance:
1) Variety – no single food or supplement contains all of the vitamins and nutrients that our children need. Eating food from each of the five food groups daily is essential.
2) Moderation – Our children should not eat too much or too little of any one food or nutrient.
3) Balance – Calorie intake and energy expenditure should be balanced to maintain healthy weight and body composition.
If you’d like to learn more about teaching our youth proper nutritional habits, please visit our colleagues at WePlay.com
mlblogsbaseballtomorrowfund1
Recent Comments