All posts created by nancy.wolanski@unitedwayri.org

Azure nonprofit grant

Get Started Microsoft Tech for Social Impact is dedicated to providing affordable and accessible technology to help nonprofits of all sizes achieve their mission. With the Azure grant, eligible nonprofits can leverage $2,000 (USD) Azure services credits per year and access the complete portfolio of Azure products and cloud services. Microsoft offers a free Azure Onboarding Concierge service for organizations who are new to the Azure grant or would like a refresher.

Download the Microsoft Nonprofit Grants Proposal to learn about additional nonprofit offers, including:

Improve cybersecurity, reduce costs, and empower staff and volunteers to work from anywhere with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams. Free for up to 10 users and discounted pricing of $5.50 (USD) per user/month for additional users. Easily develop mobile and web apps to support your mission—even if you have no technical or development experience. Power Apps is now free for up to 10 users with discounted pricing of $2.50 per user per month for additional users. Get started with free technology grants and discounts

Get grants and discounts across Microsoft’s cloud products including Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365. To get started, register and confirm your organization’s eligibility. Already registered as a nonprofit? Login to your Microsoft Nonprofit page and access Admin Center. Watch our guided demo to help you get your free Microsoft 365 licenses.

Regards,

Microsoft Tech for Social Impact Team

*Urban Institute Research*__

Enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) were a key element of the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in March 2021 and were extended through 2025 under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The enhanced PTCs substantially increased the subsidies available for people to buy insurance in the Marketplace: they reduced net premiums to zero for some people with low incomes and made subsidies available to people with higher incomes for the first time. As a result, Marketplace enrollment steadily increased, reaching a new high of over 24 million plan selections for 2025.

In this brief, we estimate the impact on coverage of the expiration of enhanced PTCs that would occur in 2026 without action by Congress. Our estimates include the major Marketplace provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that will be in effect for 2026 (most will be implemented later) and the provisions of the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability rule released by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that will be in effect for 2026, excluding those provisions stayed because of an August 22 decision by a Maryland District Court.

Link to full brief, fact sheet on veterans' coverage and congressional district data

In the new podcast series from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), "Silence is Violence: The Stories of Financial Education," Chloe B. McKenzie, former NEFE visiting scholar and founder of BlackFem, Inc., introduces, analyzes and puts into historical context the concept of financial trauma. She combines the results of her in-depth research and conversations with a unique consortium of thought leaders to define how this underexplored topic has been viewed over time.

Listen Now

Companion resources expand on the themes discussed in the podcast series. These materials include research in practice and research in review that place financial trauma within the broader context of systemic oppression, wealth inequality and lived experience. Together, they provide a foundation for understanding how economic systems and societal structures have shared accountability in addressing financial well-being.

Research in Practice

Research in Review

From Democracy Forward:

Preserving disaster relief for all Americans -- A district court stopped the Trump-Vance administration from unlawfully withholding $233 million in funding from 11 states led by elected officials who are Democrats, as well as the District of Columbia. The court’s temporary restraining order came just one day after the coalition of state Attorneys General filed the suit. The lawsuit challenges the administration’s decision to withhold Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funds from states that limit information sharing with federal immigration enforcement. The order preserves the funding, which states use for counterterrorism, emergency preparedness, and disaster response, while the case continues.

Reversing immigration conditions placed on emergency management grants -- A federal district court granted a permanent injunction preventing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from placing immigration-related conditions on federal disaster relief and emergency management grants. Earlier in the year, a coalition of state Attorneys General filed the lawsuit after DHS required grant recipients to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement as a condition of funding.

Protecting the Federal Reserve -- The Supreme Court has declined to intervene in a lower court’s ruling that has temporarily stopped the Trump-Vance administration from removing Governor Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve. The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on the issue in January, and declined to issue an order before then.

Interview with Michelle Schumate -- Sustained Collaboration Network

Listen here

Potential is unleashed when organizations come together

Your Collaboration Journey

Our roadmap to collaboration is designed to guide you through every step, ensuring a seamless and rewarding partnership experience. From initial conversation to exploring common goals and values to reaching a board resolution, this framework of steps helps keep the project moving and aligned.

1 - Catalysts for Collaboration

• Executive Transitions

• Closing the Doors

• Innovation and Scale

• Strategy and Planning

• Adapting to Change

• Starting a Nonprofit

Read more:

The ACLU has a resource library for Know Your Rights information for many topics, including:

• Digital Discrimination in Hiring
• Disability Rights
• Dreamers (DACA)
• Encountering Law Enforcement and Military Troops
• Health Care Providers
• Immigrants' Rights
• LGBTQ Rights
• Protesters' Rights
• Race, Ethnicity, or National Origin-Based Discrimination

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/page/3#all-kyr

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Application deadline: November 10, 2025 Grant range: $1,000–$20,000 Description: The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation supports community-based nonprofits across the U.S. where modest grants can have a meaningful impact. Funding priorities include museums, arts and cultural programs, schools, hospitals, youth and senior services, disability programs, environmental and wildlife protection, and other local initiatives. Grants may be used for projects, activities, or general operating support.

https://www.mvdreyfusfoundation.org/

Puffin Foundation Application deadline: November 21, 2025 Grant amount: Up to $3,500 Target population: Artists Description: The Puffin Foundation provides grants to emerging artists and arts organizations often excluded from mainstream opportunities. Funding is currently focused on projects in the areas of fine arts, music, and photography. The Foundation prioritizes art that educates and engages the public on topical issues such as climate change, healthcare, social justice, and civil rights.

https://www.puffinfoundation.org/

Hearst Foundations Application deadline: None Grant amount: Minimum of $100,000 Target population: Students, low-income and rural populations, and general population Description: The Hearst Foundations support nonprofits in four key areas: culture, education, health, and social services. Their priorities include higher education, STEM programs, healthcare access for underserved populations, and artistic initiatives. With a focus on expanding opportunity and improving quality of life, the Foundations invest in organizations working to build a more equitable future for all.