First-time applicants must contact the Foundation to discuss grant proposals prior to submission.
We welcome grant applications from any 501(c)3 organization that is doing work to make our community a better place. Our staff will be very glad to work with you. For more information, please contact Emerald Blankenship at (765) 454-7298/(800) 964-0508 or by email at emerald@cfhoward.org
Based on our strategic plan and community listening processes, the Foundation grant program guidelines are outlined below.
Strategic Grants – In 2019, the Community Foundation conducted 16 community conversations in Howard County, 16 community conversations in Clinton County and 14 community conversations in Carroll County to hear the issues citizens feel are important to the future well-being and growth of our communities. You can read more about the process at www.cfhoward.org, www.cfclinton.org and www.cfcarroll.org. We are seeking applications that make significant progress in one of these aspirations prioritized by you and our neighbors:
Mentally Healthy, Safe and Drug-Free: This includes support of criminal justice initiatives, affordable housing, shelters, mental health and substance abuse services (bilingual services for care), removing barriers (includes transportation) to access services, family strengthening initiatives, safe housing, job training and education for those struggling with behavioral health and substance abuse issues.
Progressive, Growing, Vibrant and Economically Healthy: This includes community development, workforce diversity and skills, workforce development, education, building an innovative and diverse business environment, affordable housing, transportation and quality of place initiatives.
Inclusive, Supportive, Connected, Engaging and Culturally Diverse: This includes initiatives that encourage inclusiveness, cultural diversity, connectiveness, and bilingual services, collaborative activities, socioeconomic interaction initiatives, diversity in community outreach, human rights programs and accessibility for all to resources.
These are part of our regular grant cycles.
General Grants – Also part of our regular grant cycles, general grants are a continuation of our traditional, responsive grantmaking program which supports a variety of programs and services in our counties. It also includes grants for nonprofit capacity building
Health & Medical -- to include the support of health and medical related programs
Social Services -- to include the support of human service organizations, programs for children and youth and services to the aged;
Education -- to include support for programs in pre-school, elementary and secondary education, post-secondary education, scholarships and for special education programs;
Cultural Affairs -- to include the support of programs and facilities which are designed to establish a diversified county cultural program that offers widespread participation and appreciation;
Civic Affairs -- to include support of programs related to criminal justice, community development, employment, citizen involvement, leadership training, and other general community activities;
Community Beautification -- to include the support of projects that advocate, stimulate and support community vitality, beautification/environmental preservation and adornment.
Small Grants – Our communities and nonprofits may face unexpected, short-term crises or opportunities.Small grants will be available between our grant cycles. These are to be used for specific, one-time opportunities or unexpected, short-term crises. An organization may receive one small grant in a calendar year but may not receive a small grant the following calendar year. These grants are not for recurring costs or for general operations. We will continue accepting applications on a rolling cycle. Small grant guidelines:
Grant Designation Determination
The good news? We will help you decide which program best fits your idea for making a difference. You can submit a letter of inquiry at any time, and we will respond within two weeks with the next steps for strategic or general grants, or with a decision on a mini or rapid response grant.
Grant Guidelines, Policies & Evaluation Criteria
The Community Foundation follows these grantmaking values, guidelines, and policies for our unrestricted community endowment philanthropic funds. These funds support the community’s changing challenges and needs. When they established these funds, donors entrusted the Foundation with the selection of the most needed programs to receive grant funding based on a competitive process. Donors may establish other types of funds with different criteria.
Grantmaking Values
Whenever possible, we hope our grantmaking reflects these values:
Being change-oriented and problem-solving in nature with emphasis on "seed" money or pilot project support rather than for ongoing general operating support; Coordination with other sources of funding, including using matching or challenge grants; and Building the effectiveness and efficiency of nonprofits and collaboratives.
Grant Policies
Grant applications may be considered outside of the annual published grant application cycles in special circumstances wherein the applicant can demonstrate that:
a) An emergency condition exists whereby delay in consideration of the grant could lead to the endangerment of life, property or continuation of services provided, or
b) A time sensitive opportunity to leverage Foundation funds which will expire prior to the conclusion of a published grant cycle.
All out-of-cycle grants remain subject to all application submission requirements, including submission of a letter of inquiry, which should specify the applicant’s desire for out-of-cycle grant consideration and justification for such consideration. Applicants may be asked to document that the circumstances which have led to the submission of an out-of-cycle request materialized after the conclusion of the most recently concluded grant cycle, and do not exist due to the delay of the applicant in submitting a timely application for consideration during the previous grant cycle.