North Central Region SARE administers four grant programs, each with specific priorities, audiences and timelines. The focus for all four NCR-SARE grant programs is on research and education. Funding considerations are made based on how well the applicant articulates the nature of the research and education components of their sustainable agriculture grant proposals. Scroll down to read more about each program and to find current calls.

Calls for Preproposals and Proposals

We make slight revisions to our calls for proposals each year, which means it is crucial for our readers to read each call carefully from year to year.

We try to allow about 60 days or more between the time that a call is released and the time when the documents are due. Timeline projections are based on past experience; future timelines are subject to change.

Scroll down to read more about each grant program and to view the current calls that are available.

Farmer Rancher Grant Program

The deadline for the 2010 Farmer Rancher Call for Proposals is Thursday, December 2, 2010.

2010 Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals (Word format)

Supports farmers and ranchers striving for agricultural sustainability.

• Questions? Contact Joan Benjamin or call (800) 529-1342
  
  Want to learn more about completing a NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher grant proposal?

  Click here to watch a video, "The Basics of a Solid SARE Grant Application" presented by Jim Peterson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Educator and Wyatt Fraas, Center of Rural Affairs. You must install RealPlayer in order to view this video. Click here for a free download of RealPlayer.

Graduate Student Program

The deadline for 2010 Graduate Student Grant Proposals was Thursday, January 28, 2010.

Provides funds to students enrolled in graduate programs at accredited colleges or universities who are exploring an aspect of sustainable agriculture for their thesis research or project paper.

We post the Graduate Student Program call for proposals sometime in late November and proposals are usually due sometime January.

• Questions? Contact Bill Wilcke, Regional Coordinator, (612) 625-8205

Professional Development Program

The deadline for the 2010 Professional Development Program preproposals was May 21, 2010.

2010 Professional Development Call for Preproposals (Word)

Supports agricultural educators who learn in cooperation with farmers about sustainable practices and concepts.

We post the Professional Development Program (PDP) call for preproposals in about March and preproposals are due in about May. Please note: the call for PDP proposals is not public; it only goes to those prepoposal authors who are invited to submit full proposals.

• Questions? Contact Linda Kleinshmit, PDP Interim Coordinator, (402) 254-3310

Research and Education Grant Program

The deadline for Research and Education Program preproposals was June 10, 2010.

Supports researchers and educators with ideas for environmentally sound, economically viable, socially responsible agricultural systems.

We post the Research and Education (R&E) call for preproposals in about April and preproposals are due in about June. Please note: the call for R&E proposals is not public; it only goes to those prepoposal authors who are invited to submit full proposals.

• Questions? Contact Bill Wilcke, Regional Coordinator, (612) 625-8205

Youth Grant Program

The deadline for the 2010 Youth and Youth Educator Grant proposals is Friday, January 14, 2011.

2010 Youth & Youth Educator Sustainable Agriculture Grant Call for Proposals (Word)

Youth and Youth Educator grants are an exciting new part of the Farmer Rancher Grant program. Their purpose is to provide opportunities for youth in the North Central Region to learn more about Sustainable Agriculture. There are two options:

1. YOUTH GRANTS. These are grants for on-farm research, demonstration, or education projects by youth ages 8-18. Research and demonstration projects are for hands-on efforts to explore sustainable agriculture issues and practices. Education projects can involve teaching others about sustainable agriculture or attending a sustainable agriculture conference, workshop, or camp. $400 maximum.

2. YOUTH EDUCATOR GRANTS. These are grants for educators to provide programming on sustainable agriculture for youth. $2,000 maximum.

• Questions? Contact Joan Benjamin at 402-472-0809, 1-800-529-1342 or jbenjamin2@unl.edu.

General Grant Program Timelines
Timeline projections are subject to change.

Farmer Rancher Grant Timeline
Early August - Call for Proposals
Early December - Proposals Due
March - Proposal Status Notification
Spring - Funds Available to Recipients

Graduate Student Grant Timeline
Fall - Call for Proposals
January - Proposals Due
March - Funding Decisions
Fall - Funds Available to Recipients

Research and Education Grant Timeline
April - Call for Pre-Proposals
June - Pre-Proposals Due
Early Fall - Prepropsal Status Notiification
Late Fall - Full Proposals Due
March - Funding Decisions Made
Fall - Funds Available to Recipient

Professional Development Grant Timeline
Late March - Call for Pre-Proposals
Late May - Pre-Proposals Due
Late June - Preproposal Notification
Late August - Full Proposals Due
November - Funding Decisions Made
Early Spring - Funds Available to Recipient

Youth and Youth Educator Grant Timeline
Early August: Call for Proposals
Mid January: Proposals Due
March: Proposal Status Notification
Spring: Funds Available to Recipients

Special Calls

Native American Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program

The deadline for submitting Native American Sustainable Agricultural Grant Program proposals was Wednesday, September 30, 2009.

2010 Call for Native American Sustainable Agriculture Grant Proposals (Word)

The Native American Sustainable Agricultural Grant Program is initially funded as a one-time NCR-SARE grant program. The purpose of this grant program is to fund project(s) that can help NCR-SARE reach and work with Native Americans to improve agricultural sustainability in the North Central Region. Maximum total grant size is $275,000, with a maximum duration of three years.

• Questions? Contact Bill Wilcke, Regional Coordinator, (612) 625-8205

Diversity Grant Program

The deadline for submitting Diversity Grant proposals was Friday, November 30, 2007.

Diversity Research and Education Grant Program Call for Proposals

The Diversity Research and Education Grant Program was to fund people and/or projects that can help NCR-SARE reach and work with underserved audiences to improve agricultural sustainability in the NCR.

• Questions? Contact Bill Wilcke, Regional Coordinator, (612) 625-8205

Resources for Writing a Grant Proposal

How to Write a Winning Proposal
http://www.sare.org/grants/howto.htm

Developing and Writing Grant Proposals
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.GRANT_PROPOSAL_DYN.show

Grantwriting Services for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
http://www.michaelfieldsaginst.org/programs/policy/producer_grantwriting_assistance.html

Conducting an Information Search on Your Research Proposal
Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), 2007
http://ofrf.org/grants/information_search_guide.html

How to Write a SARE Farmer Grant Application
by David Holm, Helen Husher, and Dale Riggs
Northeast Region SARE
http://www.uvm.edu/~nesare/farmerhowto.pdf (PDF|233 KB)

Información acerca de SARE da a un agricultor en español.

NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Program Tips Sheet
North Central Region SARE
http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/documents/FR_tipsheet_2006.pdf (PDF|95 KB)

Research & Education Grants. Professional Development Grants
Northeast SARE
http://nesare.org/downloads/big_grant_how_to_write.pdf (PDF|20 KB)

Outcome Measurement and Grant Writing
by Murari Suvedi and Ben Bartlett
Michigan State University
http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/PDP/evaluationss.pdf (PDF|116 kb)

Proposal Writing Short Course
The Foundation Center
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/index.html

Putting Together a Grant Proposal: A Follow Up Activity of Ensuring the South's Farm and Forestland Protection Workshops
Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, sample proposal
http://www.kerrcenter.com/train_trainer.pdf (PDF|81 KB)

Successful Grants Video
Western Region SARE, Utah State University, 2007
http://wsare.usu.edu/grants/index.cfm?sub=wsv2

Tips for Applying for SARE Grants
North Central Region SARE
http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/tips.htm

Tips on Writing a Competitive Grant Proposal
Western Region SARE
http://wsare.usu.edu/grants/docs/WritingTips.pdf (PDF|73 KB)

Why Did We Pick Them?
Examples of winning proposals and explanations of why they were selected.
Southern Region SARE
http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/winners.htm

Click here to access SARE Grant Recipient documents

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