June 17, 1999 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Center for Y2K and Society plans to award between $200,000 and $500,000 in grants to non-profit organizations that are preparing for the social disruptions that may result from the year-2000 computer problem.
The problem arises because much of the computer hardware and software still in use today identifies years by only the last two digits, and those older systems may malfunction when faced with the year 2000, which they tend to confuse with 1900.
The center will award grants to programs designed to protect the environment from potential year-2000 accidents, to insure that health-care services will be able to operate, or to make sure that poor, elderly, and disabled people will have access to food, shelter, and other necessities. It will also consider grants for projects that help municipalities assess their Y2K readiness, plan for ways to deal with problems that may arise, or educate the public about the year-2000 problem.
The grants will average $5,000 to $20,000 each, and none will be greater than $35,000. National charities are not eligible to apply, and preference will be given to programs that have matching funds from local sources.
The deadline for the next round of applications is July 1.
Grant recipients will be required to write one-page summaries of their activities every other month, which will be posted on the center’s Web site and e-mail alert list.
The Center for Y2K and Society is a project of the Tides Center, in San Francisco, and is financed by 15 grant makers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Go to http://www.y2kcenter.org.
