ARRA Support

The First 5 LA Board of Commissioners recently approved funding and action to encourage and support local agencies, municipalities and community-based organizations applying for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) federal grants to serve young children and their families in Los Angeles County. Based on responses to a recent ARRA Support survey, First 5 LA is offering support in a variety of ways.

Opportunity for Matching Funds
In an effort to help organizations strengthen their applications, First 5 LA is offering matching funds for ARRA grant requests. To receive matching funds, organizations must apply for ARRA grants serving young children and their families and impacting one of the priority measures approved for the First 5 LA 2009-2015 strategic plan:

• Children are born healthy (decrease the percent of children born at a low birth weight);

• Children are safe from abuse and neglect (decrease the number of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect);

• Children are ready for Kindergarten (increase the percent of children reading at grade level at 3rd grade);

• Children maintain a healthy weight (decrease the percent of overweight children).

First 5 LA is providing matching grants for eligible organizations that are applying for the federal grants listed below. First 5 LA’s matching funds are intended to meet the federal application match requirements. Many of the federal grant opportunities require applicants to demonstrate their ability to match federal funds, thus First 5 LA is supporting applicants to meet a portion of this requirement.   

Please note that unfortunately we cannot match funds for applicants who have already submitted grant proposals.

Completed ARRA Match Applications and Signature Authorization Form must be received by Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 5pm.

ARRA Grant Source and Due Dates

First 5 LA will award matching funds contingent upon successful application for ARRA grants. The most immediate deadlines for ARRA grants related to the First 5 LA strategic plan priority measures are:

Family Connections Discretionary Grants  - July 6. Click here to learn more about this grant.

Strengthening Communities Fund  - July 7. Click here to learn more about this grant.

Early Head Start/Head Start  - July 9. Click here to learn more about this grant.

Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grants  - July 17. Click here to learn more about this grant.

To apply, complete and return the First 5 LA Matching Fund Application Form (pdf). 

Submit applications to ARRA.support@first5la.org.

Related Documents and Information 

Application eligibility criteria and requirements (pdf) 

Monday Morning Report Policy Pick 

Technical Assistance

First 5 LA will also provide technical assistance to applicants, including grant writing workshops, review of federal grant application processes, and identification of additional ARRA grant opportunities related to the First 5 LA strategic plan priority measures.

As a first step in offering technical assistance, First 5 LA has awarded the following agencies with partial scholarships to attend The Grantsmanship Center’s 5-day workshop, “Competing for Federal Grants.”

The Grantsmanship Center Scholarship Recipients

• Asian Pacific Women’s Center
• Child Care Resource Center
• The Help Group
• Jr. Posse Youth Equestrian Organization
• Los Angeles Child Guidance Center
• Los Angeles Valley College
• St. Anne’s
• St. Mary’s Medical Center Foundation
• Vaughn Next Century Learning Center
• Westside Infant-Family Network

For technical assistance support, email to ARRA.support@first5la.org.