MMCF GRANTS PROGRAM
UPDATES - PART ONE
The MMCF Grants Program is designed to provide needed funding to organizations and programs in the Eastern Sierra that provide programming for youths.
And this year we made a lot of operational changes to this program to empower MMCF staff to sustainably grow this program and increase our reach to support more and diverse programming throughout the Eastern Sierra.
IMPROVING THE GRANTS PROGRAM
This year we launched a brand new application for all of our grant, scholarship and award programs at MMCF.
Our new application is completely online and provides a one-stop shop for applicants to submit their application and then later on provide our staff with the Grant Report.
One of our favorite parts, and we have heard this from applicants too, is that you can start an application, save it in your online profile, and then come back to it and finish it later. This makes it easier for organizations to take their time and provide the most competitive and complete application they can to receive funding.
STAY IN THE LOOP
Want to be notified when the 2023/2024 Grant Application cycle opens?
Shoot our Grants Team an email and we can add you to our list to be notified:
2022/2023 SUCCESS
For this application cycle, we received 35 grant applications from educational and athletic organizations/programs throughout the Eastern Sierra. That is almost a 40% increase in the number of applications we normally receive.
We are still processing a handful of applications but so far this cycle we have awarded $179,213 to organizations/programs in the Eastern Sierra. Yes, you read that right, roughly $180k was awarded this year alone….and we still have more to evaluate and award.
Of that $180k, $133k went to Athletic focused programming and $46k went to Education focused programming.
As if those numbers aren't impressive enough, the $180k in grant funding is totally separate from the $140k we gave earlier this year to Mammoth Unified School District to support the work they do for kids in Mammoth Lakes.
While we are super impressed with all of the organizations we awarded funding to, there were a couple that stood out that we wanted to highlight.
Don’t worry, we will be featuring more of these organizations later when their programs are done for the year.
Home Street Middle School - Ski PE
Our SKI PE program is offered to all students in grades 6-8…which is roughly 420 kids. This program, during the normal school day, allows our students to learn to ski and increase their skills on the mountain both physically and socially. This grant would cover all the costs associated with our Ski PE program, including transportation for the kids to and from Bishop.
Lee Vining Elementary School - Ski PE
As a small school, we strive to offer a high quality winter sports experience for ALL students. This program is not financially covered by the school district in any way with the exception of travel. 100% of the cost is covered by parents, the LVES PTO, and grant funds from MMCF. Our goal has always been to make this opportunity available to all students, regardless of their financial status. Given the ongoing challenges due to COVID, inflation, and cost of living that our families are experiencing, we have reduced the family contribution for four days of ski and snowboard instruction at June Mountain, one day of cross country skiing at the Tamarack Ski Area, and one day of ice skating at the Mammoth Ice Rink. In addition, we will offer scholarships to families in need. We currently have 100 students enrolled at LVES (K-8th grade). While some of our students have the opportunity to ski and snowboard on a consistent basis, for many of our students the winter sports program provides the rare opportunity to experience winter sports in their local surroundings. Roughly 40% of our students fall within the low socioeconomic range and families in this category do not have the resources to participate in these types of activities. We are a small school that serves a small community, and while our community is supportive, we are unable to raise the amount necessary for all students to participate. And this year in particular, with increased student enrollment paired with increased costs at June Mountain for student lessons, the proposed budget for the Winter Sports Program greatly exceeds the amount we are able to raise.
Bishop Mountain Bike Park Project
The Bishop Bike Park Project proposes to construct a bike park for all ages and all skill levels at the Bishop City Park using volunteer labor and materials purchased with donations and grants.
The bike park will have a broad range of skill levels available to attract all types of riders and will encourage groups of riders of different abilities to visit together and learn from each other. Families especially benefit from a "one-stop shopping" style of park.
Youth who ride bicycles not only develop important physical skills, but also make a connection to the outdoor world. Families who do activities together are healthier, both mentally and physically. A successful bike park is a source of community pride and is a draw for visitors coming to vacation in our area.
Mammoth High School - STEM and Robotics Club
This project will be an ongoing program related to science, technology, engineering, and math. The STEM engineering club will begin this year with the primary goal of getting students interested in STEM careers. The club hopes to accomplish this by working with robots and other programmable engineering projects. The engineering involved includes mechanical, electrical, and computer science. In the first year, it is envisioned that the club will make progress in learning the necessary systems and being ready to compete in the FIRST robotic challenge competitions in Reno for the 2023-24 school year. Secondarily, the same supplies to be used in the club will also be utilized to support the Physics program at Mammoth High School, thereby affecting many more students than a club alone.
Mammoth High School - Books Back on Shelves (MHS Library)
Grant funds would be used to buy books and supplies for the Mammoth High School Library as needed throughout the entire school year. So, in essence, it could have a defined start and end date being the beginning of school and the end of school, June 8, 2023. However, I buy books for the library whenever I can find them, which is often during the summer. To keep students engaged in reading it is important to have new, well reviewed books by diverse authors when they are first published, and as they emerge throughout the year. Supplies for maintaining and circulating the books run out and need to be replenished throughout the year as do art supplies used by students making posters for school projects and to support athletes and clubs. The MHS library needs funding to last the whole school year. If towards the end of the school year there are still funds left, they will be used to buy newly released books and replenish art and book maintenance supplies as needed to set up for the next year.
