Dear John,

With the COVID 19 pandemic, it has become even harder to stay connected to residents who may have already lacked access to digital necessities such as internet and electronic devices. I’m happy to share a funding opportunity designed to assist with broadband access and digital inclusion for communities with demonstrated low broadband access, such as affordable housing communities. 

The California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Adoption Account authorizes $20 million to provide grants to increase publicly available or after-school broadband access and digital inclusion. Eligible projects include Digital Literacy Projects and Broadband Access Projects (full descriptions of these and other fund details). 

Applications may be submitted at any time, however, applications submitted on or before specific deadlines will be considered as a batch, until all funds have been awarded. The next official deadline for batch review is January 1, 2021. 

One grant recipient described the impact of the CASF Adoption Account as “greatly [benefiting] our residents by providing them physical devices and the necessary skills to navigate the digital realm.  From creating emails to understanding how to stay safe on the internet to connecting to loved ones all over the world, this opportunity has helped close the digital divide and empower residents."

I hope you find this funding opportunity helpful. Thank you for all your work in supporting residents during this remote time.

Sincerely,

Estephanie Sunga
NPH Senior Program and Events Manager