TCCF 2008 Cycle 2 is just around the corner…

Did you miss the Tony Cox Community Fund 2008 Cycle 1 deadline? There is really no need to fret, as Cycle 2 is just months away; we anticipate a deadline of around September 14^th, 2008.

For those agencies that were not able to apply for the TCCF 2008 Cycle 1, the question is why did you not make use of the only unrestricted media funds available to AIDS Service Organizations in the United States? There can be so many answers to this question: not enough time to complete the RFP (request for proposals), there is no staff to oversee the project, you feel your agency does not have the infrastructure to take on a PSA campaign, your agency does not have the staff to write the application, the agency could not get a cable partner agreement, the list can go on and on. The project may have seemed like an additional headache and that completion of the grant application was easier said than done, right? Well you may be correct in understanding that TCCF 2008 Cycle 1 might not have been the best time to submit an application for your agency, but what about Cycle 2? The next few months would be a great time to identify which staff can complete the application, oversee the project, implement the timeline, and start the process of securing a cable partner.

We at Cable Positive understand the additional work that a PSA project can provide to an agency that is already strapped by overworked staff, under developed budgets, growing numbers of clients, and the trappings of paperwork, paperwork, paperwork (can anyone say a COBRA service plan??, WE KNOW!). Yet, think of that traditional pro/con’s list when you are thinking about applying for Tony Cox monies; I can promise you that the pros will always win. While the grant initial grant application may seem taxing, the results can be tremendous, including: a partnership with a local cable system (that can only grow), increased agency clientele, agency branding, increased agency recognition within your community (and in the surround areas), increased participation in agency events, increase in potential grant monies from PSA exposure, etc. etc.

Remember that creative and innovative partnerships are fostered and sometimes those relationships come from taking a risk. Take risk on media, we promise it won’t hurt; apply for Tony Cox Community Fund 08 Cycle 2, coming to an ASO near you in September 2008.