June 25, 2004 – The Beyond Visions Foundation as part of its outreach to serve and help develop other not-for-profit organizations in the territory has launched an annual grants calendar.
"It is not inclusive, but it covers many of the local annual funding sources available," Yvonne Petersen, foundation executive director, said in a release.
Petersen, who has written successful grant applications for a number of local not-for-profit agencies, says the calendar information is vital. Many times organizations "wait until the last minute to prepare their grant proposals" or do not receive notice of available grants until shortly before the application deadline, she said.
By utilizing the Beyond Visions calendar, she said, agencies can "know ahead of time what funding sources are available and have ample time to prepare better proposals."
The foundation offers grant consulting, writing and management services and aims "to provide a catalyst for non-profit organizations," the release stated.. Examples of local funding are Law Enforcement Planning Commission grants for Little League baseball teams and V.I. Humanities Council grants for theater groups.
"Grant-seeking opportunities are increasingly more competitive on both the national level and our own local level," Petersen said. "With this high level of competitiveness, our nonprofits need to plan ahead to increase their chances for success."
Nonprofit organizations need "assistance and encouragement to move toward developing systems that promote sustainability, rather than those that foster dependency," she said.
The calendar will be a continual work in progress. "We welcome other grant makers to provide us with their information, so we can provide a thorough synopsis of what is available for our local nonprofit organizations," Petersen said.
The calendar can be obtained by e-mailing requests to the Beyond Visions Foundation, calling 715-4790, or visiting the BVF office in Suite 22 of the Professional Building, located adjacent to the Fort Christian Museum grounds in Charlotte Amalie.
For more information about the organization, visit the Beyond Visions Foundation Web site.

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