New Funding from the Digital Equity Act: Opportunities for Nonprofit Organizations

The Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC) and the National Skills Coalition presented the webinar "New Funding from the Digital Equity Act" to representatives of Central Valley Nonprofit organizations. The webinar recording of the presentation is included below. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7t69-m2ZE8[/embed] The pdf version of the presentation is also provided for your convenience. [pdf-embedder url="https://cviic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/CVIIC-webinar-on-Digital-Equity-Act-June-2022.pdf" title="New Funding from the Digital Equity Act: CVIIC Webinar"]

Elements of the Digital Equity Act:

-$2.75 billion nationwide (over five years), administered by the US Commerce Dept’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) -Provides funding for states, localities, nonprofits and others to provide a range of digital inclusion services (help with broadband access, digital devices, and digital skills, etc.) -English learners, rural residents, and people of color are among the “covered populations” that states must specifically address under the law

Digital Equity Act Funding Timeline:

-July 2022: State applications to federal Commerce Dept/NTIA are due for first, small ($60M nationwide) state Digital Equity planning grants -Summer 2022: States begin 12-month Digital Equity planning process -Summer 2023: NTIA releases NOFO for $1.44 billion in formula funds to states (“Digital Equity Capacity Grants”) -Summer/Fall 2023: NOFO for $1.25 billion in competitive grants to states and other eligible entities (“Digital Equity Competitive Grants”)

Digital Equity Act Covered Populations Include Immigrants and Refugees:

-Individuals in a household with income below 150 percent of poverty level -Aging individuals -Incarcerated individuals (other than individuals who are incarcerated in a Federal correctional facility) -Veterans -Individuals with disabilities -Individuals with a language barrier, including individuals who are English learners; and have low levels of literacy; -Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group; and -Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area

Organizations Able to Apply for the Federal Competitive Grants Made Available by the Digital Equity Act:

-A political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of a State, including an agency of a State that is responsible for administering or supervising adult education and literacy activities, or for providing public housing -An Indian Tribe, an Alaska Native entity, or a Native Hawaiian organization -A foundation, corporation, institution, or association that is a not-for-profit entity and not a school -A community anchor institution -A local educational agency -An entity that carries out a workforce development program -A partnership between any of the preceding entities -A partnership between any of the preceding entities and an entity that the -Assistant Secretary determines to be in the public interest; and is not a school. (Cannot be or have been an administering entity under the Capacity Grant Program [formula funding]) Please share this video using this link: https://youtu.be/x7t69-m2ZE8 Please feel free to share these resources with your co-workers and other partner organizations that might benefit from the funding opportunities that will be made available by the Digital Equity Act. Visit our websites: https://CVIIC.org | https://ValleCentral.org | https://InmigrantesEmprendedores.org