The Department of Education's Race to the Top program, initiated during the Recovery Act as a state competition, espouses four core educational reform areas: implementing student data systems, adopting college- and career-readiness standards and assessments, building teams of effective teachers and principals, and reforming struggling schools. These four priorities have been at the heart of the program's three state-level competitions. In 2011, an additional reform area centered around early learning and development programs was introduced through the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge, jointly administered by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.  With the release of the Race to the Top: District Competition (RTT-D), the program enters a new realm of possibilities.

Companies selling into the public sector are increasingly offering their customers help with identifying and pursuing grant opportunities in support of the community’s efforts to initiate projects that, not coincidentally, make use of the company’s products or services. Indeed, the US federal government alone provides over $400 billion each year in grants, much of which goes to support purchases of products and services by public sector organizations in their communities. State governments and private foundations also deliver a significant amount of their support through grants.

Arts councils and organizations are essential to enriching the culture and diversity within a community. Whether it is an art show, a music festival or something as simple as a day program for children, it has lasting effects that can only make the community a better place. With the economy in its current state, funding for the arts is not seen as a priority, so state arts organizations must step up to raise money or work even harder to receive funding or to make grants for their communities.

As we approach the end of Fiscal Year 2012 and start a new one on October 1^st, now is the perfect time to start projecting the 2013 grant funding landscape.  Knowing what to expect in 2013 is important to any organization that takes grantseeking seriously.