Checklist and Guidelines
Before starting your application, please review the required documents and guidelines below. This checklist outlines the materials and approvals needed to submit a complete grant application, including financial statements, a detailed project budget, leadership verification, and, when applicable, supporting quotes or partnership agreements. These materials help provide a clear understanding of your organization’s financial health, project planning, and leadership support for the request. Preparing these items in advance will help ensure your application is complete, accurate, and ready for review, making the process smoother and more efficient for both your organization and the grant review committee. Applicants are encouraged to review these policies carefully before submitting a proposal to ensure their request aligns with the Foundation’s grantmaking criteria.
1. Eligibility Requirements:
Organizations applying for funding must meet the following criteria:
– Organizations must be a 501(c) nonprofit in good standing with the IRS. Applicants may be required to provide a copy of their IRS Determination Letter.
– If an organization’s 501(c) status is revoked during the application process, the application will not be accepted or reviewed. The organization may reapply within the same calendar year if an official IRS reinstatement letter is provided.
– Organizations with an open grant are not eligible to apply for additional funding until their previous grant is closed. Grants are considered closed once the High Five presentation has been completed.
2. Funding Parameters:
The Community Foundation follows specific guidelines when awarding grants:
– Grants may not be used to fund debt. Funds may only be used for project expenses incurred during the approved grant period.
– Grant requests must be a minimum of $2,500.
– Grants are awarded at the full amount requested; proposals are either fully funded or declined.
– Funding for organizational operations may be included if the proposal also supports a project or program. If requesting funds solely for operations, the organization must demonstrate that the related project or program is already fully funded.
– Grant applications must be submitted online through the Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) Dashboard.
3. Ineligible Requests:
The Community Foundation of Grant County does not fund and does not accept applications for:
– Specific political parties or candidates
– For-profit businesses or enterprises
– Programs that benefit a specific church or religion
– Individuals
4. Application Process & Deadlines:
– Grant applications are submitted online through the GLM Dashboard.
– Many questions can be answered simply by merging your application with information listed on your GuideStar Candid profile.
– Deadlines and application timelines can be found here.
5. Required Application Documents:
To submit a complete application, you must upload the following six documents through the online application in the GLM Dashboard:
☐ Project Budget clearly outlining revenues and expenses specific to the project for which funding is requested. Expenses must equal revenues and be itemized by category. Include financial commitments from your organization, board members, fundraising efforts, grants, and other revenue sources.
☐ Balance Sheet (Statement of Financial Position) reflecting current assets and liabilities for the organization.
☐ Income Statement showing recent revenues and expenses for the organization.
☐ Fiscal Year Budget: Based on your organization’s most recent 12-month fiscal period that your organization uses to report on its finances. This report should be based on the fiscal calendar that your organization uses to determine your budget.
☐ List of Board and Key Staff Members (with contact information): Board members serve as fiduciaries and are responsible for governance, ethical oversight, and financial stewardship.
☐ Letter of Approval signed by both Board President and Executive Director: The letter must confirm that organizational leadership and the Board have reviewed and approved submission of the grant application. It must be signed by both the Executive Director and Board President. If your organization is volunteer led, the letter should be signed by two executive Board members (e.g., President and Vice President).
All financial documents should reflect your most recent reporting period.
6. Additional Requirements (If Applicable):
☐ Three Quotes for Goods or Services: Required if your request includes equipment, supplies, or contracted services. One quote should be from a local vendor when possible. If items are only available online, three quotes are still required. Screenshots or links to product pages are acceptable.
☐ Partnership Agreement: Required if the proposed project involves providing services to or working jointly with another organization.
7. Application Review Process:
– All proposals are reviewed online by committee through an electronic scoring process.
– Applications that receive a cumulative score below 70% will be automatically declined.
– The CoFo Team may contact applicants by phone, email, or in person with questions during the review process. Timely response is important.
– Notification of grant decisions typically occurs approximately 3–4 weeks after the application deadline by email through the GLM Dashboard.
8. If Your Grant Is Awarded:
– Review grant expectations and payment procedures through the GLM Dashboard.
– Sign a Grant Agreement confirming acceptance of the grant terms through the GLM Dashboard.
– Complete a final grant report and High Five documents through the GLM Dashboard.
– Present the project results at a High Five presentation event, as outlined in the grant agreement.
All award details and documents will be found online within the GLM Dashboard.
9. Recommended Organizational Policies:
We strongly believe organizations entrusted with charitable funds should operate with transparency and strong governance practices. These policies help support ethical leadership, financial transparency, clear accountability, and protection for staff and board members. If your organization has the following policies in place, please upload them with your application. If not, we encourage you to consider adopting them in the near future, as strong governance practices strengthen both your organization and your grant application.
☐ Anti-Nepotism Policy: Helps prevent conflicts of interest by addressing situations where related individuals work within the same organization or department. These policies support fair supervision, workplace morale, and transparency.
☐ Conflict of Interest & Disclosure Policy: Protects the organization when entering into transactions or arrangements that could benefit an officer, director, or related party. This policy helps ensure transparency and ethical decision-making.
☐ Whistleblower Policy: Provides protection for individuals who report suspected illegal, dishonest, or unethical activities within the organization.
☐ Document Retention & Destruction Policy: Establishes guidelines for the proper retention, review, and disposal of organizational documents, while ensuring important records are preserved when legal, audit, or investigation needs arise.
☐ Gift Acceptance Policy: Helps manage donor expectations and provides guidance to board and staff when accepting charitable contributions.
☐ Board Term Policy: Encourages healthy board rotation, promotes new perspectives and leadership opportunities, and helps maintain an engaged and effective governing board.
10. Other Important Notes:
– Incomplete applications will prevent review.
– Financial documents should reflect the organization’s most recent reporting period.
– Clear documentation and strong governance strengthen your application.