Mining Mini-Grant application deadline is Oct. 1

The deadline for applying for a Mining Mini-Grant from the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) and the Western Mining Action Network (WMAN) is Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013.

The goal of the Mining Mini-grants Program is to support and enhance the capacity building efforts of mining-impacted communities in the U.S. and Canada to assure that mining projects do not adversely affect the human, cultural, and ecological health of communities.

"This is a very special program, offering small grants to communities impacted by mining for specific short-term projects," says Aimee Boulanger, WMAN coordinator. "We feel very fortunate to have the resources to offer this program and are privileged to provide this support to worthy groups doing important work to protect the environment and their local communities." 

Applications are accepted three times a year: June 1, Oct. 1, and Feb. 1. Applicants will be notified of the funding decision within one month of the application deadline. Each grant issued will not exceed $3,000 U.S.

There will be an "emergency" fund for extremely time-sensitive projects that fall between grant cycles (i.e., needs that could not have been anticipated at the time of the last cycle and cannot wait to be addressed until the next cycle). These grants will be very limited and awarded on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Mini-Grant Review Committee.

Click here to download the mini-grant program guidelines from the WMAN Web site.

If you have questions, please contact either Aimee Boulanger, WMAN Network Coordinator at (360) 969-2028 or email aboulanger@whidbey.com or call Simone Senogles, Indigenous Environmental Network, (218) 751-4967, or email simone@ienearth.org.

The grant application can be emailed to either Aimee Boulanger or to Simone Senogles, or it can be sent by regular mail, postmarked by Oct. 1, 2013 (for this grant cycle), to: IEN attn: Mining Mini-grants, PO Box 485, Bemidji, MN 56619. If you are mailing the application, please call Simone or Aimee to let them know to expect it.