Nevada gearing up for America’s 250th birthday
Calling all nonprofits, America’s semi-quincentennial birthday is less than a year away and it’s time to put on those thinking caps to come up with an incredible service project proposal in honor of the occasion.
As part of the nationwide celebration of this momentous milestone, America250 Nevada is hosting its Nevada Gives initiative and three dozen lucky volunteer proposals will be selected by the organization to receive recognition as well as funding for their projects.
With so many different charitable organizations and causes in the Pahrump Valley, this is a perfect opportunity for one or more of the town’s local nonprofits to secure some prestige for Pahrump and highlight the community’s civically-minded, generous-spirited residents.
“Nevada Gives is an America250 Nevada initiative designed to foster community involvement and civic pride,” information from America250 Nevada details. “Throughout history, service has been a cornerstone of American society - from Benjamin Franklin’s first volunteer fire brigade in the 1700s to the establishment of the American Red Cross in 1881 and the creation of the Peace Corps in the 20th century.
“Nevada Gives embarks to reinvigorate our love of community into action - action to reshape our part of the world,” the organization continues. “Shoulder to shoulder, we will work together meeting the needs of our community. Gather your friends, coworkers, and neighbors and join us. Now is the time to come together, our actions today will inspire the next chapter in our state’s story. Join us in this remarkable journey and let’s shape the future through service.”
Representing Nevada’s status as the 36th state, 36 volunteer projects will be chosen for the Nevada Gives program, with all sorts of activities – from supply drives to community gardens to park cleanups – eligible for participation. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 will be awarded, for a total of up to $60,000. Acting as title sponsor for Nevada Gives is MGM Resorts, and its program partner is Nevada Volunteers, “…the state’s lead agency for volunteerism and community service, connecting organizations with resource and volunteers to drive successful volunteer projects,” America250 Nevada details.
Officials with America250 Nevada and Volunteer Nevada are hosting a series of Virtual Lunch and Learn sessions to help educate the public about the program, the next of which is slated for tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 21. For those who may not be ready to dive into the program immediately, another virtual session will be held next month as well.
“These sessions will address key details and your questions about planning your event, including the application process, project parameters and deadlines,” America250 Nevada explained. “We’ll cover creative project ideas, available grants and funding and how to get started.”
Project proposals should be for any date between Jan. 1, 2026 and July 4, 2026. Major holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, AmeriCorps Week, National Volunteer Week and Earth Day are all suggested as dates on which to host these projects.
“America250 Nevada will select recipients based on their innovative approaches, size and scope of the proposed project and the organization’s demonstrated readiness to implement the proposed project,” the Request for Proposals states. “America250 Nevada encouraged application from rural communities throughout the state of Nevada and from organizations that serve inclusive and diverse communities.”
More information on the type of proposals and eligibility can be found in the Nevada Gives Request for Proposals at bit.ly/NevadaGivesRFP
The Virtual Lunch and Learn sessions are set for Thursday, August 21 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to noon. Registration can be completed at tinyurl.com/2tpxrxk5
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
