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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#26282A;background:white;mso-ligatures:none">Colleagues and Friends:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#26282A;background:white;mso-ligatures:none">We are writing to let you know that the 2025 request for proposals for the Aya Initiative has officially opened. This small grant opportunity,
$2,500 to $7,500, is targeted at Black-led and Black-serving organizations in Chicago that are committed to and/or are providing programming related to nature and the environment and have budgets under $850,000. More details about the rfp and its funding objectives
can be found in the attached document. Please feel free to share it with organizations that you believe would find it of interest. Applications will need to be submitted
<b>by 5p on March 12, 2025</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#26282A;background:white">We would also like to remind you that the deadline for
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="https://www.minneapolisfoundation.org/great-lakes/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue;text-decoration:none">The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership</span></strong></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> closes
on January 31, 2025. This partnership </span>will distribute $40 million to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region. The program’s goal is to lift community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups
by breaking down barriers to federal funding. All grants will be given to environmental and public health efforts in underserved communities as defined by the EPA. More details about this funding opportunity can be found here:
<a href="https://theminneapolisfoundation.my.site.com/fundingprograms/s/grant-guidelines?language=en_US">
https://theminneapolisfoundation.my.site.com/fundingprograms/s/grant-guidelines?language=en_US</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Wishing you a soul-inspiring MLK Day, Aya Wisdom Council<span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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