If you’re looking to boost your cloud presence but don’t have the budget to pull it off, a grant program from Amazon Web Services might interest you. 

The AWS Imagine Grant, now in its fourth year, aims to help nonprofits achieve their technological goals. In a blog post, the company  announced an expanded program with two new award categories. 

“Nonprofit organizations are in all stages of their digital transformation journeys and often lack funding for foundational IT projects that may be viewed as overhead or administrative expenses,” the company’s public sector blog team writes.

The program, available to registered 501(c) nonprofits of all mission areas and sizes, is adding these two categories:

Momentum to Modernize, which supports transformational infrastructure projects, will offer grants of up to $30,000 plus $10,000 in AWS promotional credit.

Go Further, Faster will support big, innovative projects that take advantage of the cloud, using tools such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the internet of things. Grants will include up to $150,000 in funding plus $100,000 in AWS promotional credit.

The program has made available more than $2.5 million in grants since its 2018 launch. Details about grant requirements are available on the AWS website.

Other recent headlines:

TSA extends mask mandate for travel. Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Transportation Security Administration has said masks will continue to be required on all major modes of public transportation, including planes, trains, and buses, until at least September 3. The requirement had been set to expire this month. The move, according to TravelPulse, was met with praise from travel industry groups. “The universal wearing of masks in the travel environment is both an effective safeguard against spreading the virus and boosts public confidence in traveling—both of which are paramount for generating a sustained reopening of the travel economy,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, the U.S. Travel Association’s executive vice president of public affairs and policy, in a statement.

Why does hearing loss go untreated? People highly value their hearing, but they often don’t seek treatment for hearing problems, according to a recent poll by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  Only 20 percent of adults had their hearing tested in the past five years, compared with 61 percent who had their vision tested, according to the poll. More than half of adult respondents reported having a hearing problem, but many left it untreated unless they thought it was severe. “This inaction on hearing health is especially unfortunate because there are effective treatment options that can enable adults with hearing loss to live fuller and more satisfying lives,” said 2021 ASHA President A. Lynn Williams, PhD, in a news release. 

Moving Past Content Roadblocks

Creating content at the speed of culture—without being slowed down by bureaucracy — by @Revmade https://t.co/FGDSCxEbOa #assnchat pic.twitter.com/ZkzqbkakCD

— Deirdre Reid, CAE (@DeirdreReid) April 27, 2021

Producing great content for a variety of stakeholders is challenging—and it’s especially hard when you have to cut through layers of bureaucracy, writes Krystle Kopacz of the content agency Revmade.

What’s the solution? Kopacz recommends implementing a series of practical steps, including piloting new ideas, frequently communicating strategy, and using audience data. “Content marketers tend to be entrepreneurial thinkers and restless achievers, and it can feel frustrating when you feel slowed down by an internal system,” she writes. “But don’t give up yet.”

ICYMI …

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