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Grants

Since 1984, area residents have been turning to the Community Foundation of Grant County, Indiana to make their philanthropic giving as impactful as possible. We are a public charity serving thousands of people who share a common concern—improving the quality of life in Grant County. To do this, individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create endowed charitable funds that help our area meet the challenges of changing times. The Foundation invests and administers these funds. We then use the distributions to award grants each year to the humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations in this remarkable county we call home.

Our Priorities

Giving is the heart of what we do here at the Community Foundation. Every year, we give over $1 million dollars to non-profits, community entities, and college-bound students here in Grant County. From swing sets and dog parks, to gardens and special events, we fund a variety of causes that promote sustainable impact towards the betterment of Grant County. Your project may be next! Although we expect to remain flexible in our grant-making decisions, the Community Foundation traditionally addresses needs that fall into the categories of Human Services, Health, Education, Community Development, and Scholarships.

Grant Timelines

The Community Foundation of Grant County offers four grantmaking cycles throughout the year.
Before applying, click on the tabs below for helpful grantwriting tips and to view the application checklist

January Grant Cycle

November 2017 –
January 3, 2018

Requests may not exceed
$10,000

Addressing needs in the
following categories:
Human Services,
Health, Education,
Community Development,
Field of Interest

Currently Closed

April Crowdgranting

February 2018 –
April 4, 2018

Requests may not exceed
$20,000

Crowdfunding is an
innovative yet simple
way for non‐profit groups
to generate public interest
and raise donations to make
local improvements.

Currently Closed

August Grant Cycle

May 2018 –
August 1, 2018

Requests may not exceed
$10,000

Addressing needs in the
following categories:
Human Services,
Health, Education,
Community Development,
Field of Interest

Currently Closed

Impact Grant Cycle

The Community Foundation
of Grant County has made
Downtown Marion its focus
with an opportunity for a
$100,000 to $150,000
impact grant for downtown
revitalization. These dollars
will be made available to a
collaborative group of 10
organizations, all of which
have a common mission to
revitalize the Downtown Marion
area. The group will be challenged
to use these funds to seek
matching grant opportunities
at the state and/or federal level.

Grant Request Examples
Health
  • Community Health Services
  • Mental Health Services
  • Health Services Coordination
Education
  • Community Education on Relevant Issues
  • Educational Opportunities for Local Charities
  • Collaborative School Projects/Programs
  • Youth Philanthropy Programs
Community Development
  • Arts and Cultural Development
  • Community Parks
  • Community Beautification
  • Improvement/Enhancement Projects
  • Economic Development Efforts
  • Neighborhood Associations
Human Services
  • Elderly Services
  • Children and Youth Services
  • Youth Advancement
  • Human Services Coordination
Field of Interest
  • Education Grants: $10,000 or less
  • Domestic Violence Prevention: $10,000 or less
  • Underprivileged Youth Playing Sports: $6,800 or less
  • Children Suffering with Life Threatening Illnesses: 2,965 or less
  • Law Enforcement Safety Projects/Programs: $1,000 or less
  • Programs or Projects that Support Education in the Art of Sewing: $700 or less
  • AED Devices: $230 or less
  • Junior Golf
  • Art-Related Organizations
  • Aid to Leukemia Victims
  • Children with Life-Threatening Illnesses
  • Domestic Violence Prevention
  • Abused/Neglected Women and Children And/or Programs for The Same
  • Young Women’s Causes
  • Sports Programs for Disadvantaged Youth
  • Youth Music Opportunities
  • Programs for Children/Elderly
Grant Writing Tips

Accountability

Does the NPO have the ability and willingness to measure and report outcomes of this investment to the Community Foundation and to the community at large? What is the number of persons and who are the persons positively impacted by this grant opportunity? Does this organization provide you with a clear understanding of what communities (towns/cities) within Grant County will be impacted?

Partnership

Is there another NPO doing similar work? Would it be beneficial to you and the NPO to partner together on a specific project? Would it be beneficial to Grant County if you and the NPO partnered together on a specific project?

Stakeholder Support

Do the NPO’s donors support this project/program through their own giving? and/or volunteerism? Do they include information on fundraisers planned? Does this grant involve multiple NPO’s working together to solve a particular issue? Is it clear, this organization is familiar with other organizations in the community providing similar work?

Sustainability

Is there a sustainability plan for this project or program once the grant has been exhausted? Is this organization financially stable and able to support this project or program long-term? Is there a plan in place to support this project or program long-term?

Transformative

Does this request for funding offer a “hand-up” or a “hand-out”? Does this project/program provide an opportunity to be a catalyst for transformative change? Does the organization provide a clear understanding of how this project or program would positively change the community? Will this grant make a long-term impact on Grant County?

Reading Through our Helpful Tips

  1. Carefully read through the Foundation’s priorities and respective grant guidelines.
  2. Know what your “like” organizations are in the community and the work they do.
  3. Make sure your organization’s budget is up-to-date.
  4. Be clear about your expected outcomes.
  5. Be concise (we encourage brevity); check your spelling and punctuation (twice!).
Application Checklist

To complete your grant application, you will be required to submit the 6 documents listed below.
Cover Letter ∙ Project Budget ∙ Balance Sheet ∙ Income Statement ∙ Fiscal Year Budget ∙ List of Board Members

You Cover Letter will act as a Letter of Intent. Use this letter to tell us about your organization and the program/project your are seeking funding for. Your letter should include an introduction, organizational description, statement of need, methodology (How will you solve the need? Describe the project and include major activities and objectives.), describe other funding sources, and conclude with a summary.

Your Project Budget should describe revenues and expenses for the project/program concerning areas covered by the grant you are requesting. Include examples of commitment from your organization, board members, fundraising efforts, grants, and other sources of revenues. Expenses should equal revenues and be itemized based on project/program expense categories.

Your organization’s Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet) should describe your organization’s assets and liabilities.

Your organization’s Income Statement will describe in more detail your organization’s revenues and expenses for a recent time period.

Your organization’s Fiscal Year Budget will show financials based on your most recent fiscal year (12-month period that your organization uses to report it’s finances). This report should be based on the fiscal calendar that your organization uses to determine your budget.

Your Board Members are an important part of your organization. Board members are the fiduciaries who steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the nonprofit has adequate resources to advance its mission. Please include your Board Member names and their contact information.

We believe that organizations conducting charitable activities with both public and private donations should establish basic policies that govern the organization and provide for optimal transparency. If you have and abide by the following policies, please attach them. If not, we recommend that you strengthen your organization by adopting them in the near future.

Anti-nepotism policies prevent related individuals from working in the same company or department. The policy is intended to ensure effective supervision, internal discipline, security, safety, and positive morale in the workplace. It also seeks to avoid the perception of favoritism, conflicts in loyalty, discrimination, the appearance of impropriety, and conflicts of interest.

The purpose of a conflict of interest policy is to protect an organization’s interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of one of its officers or directors, or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction. This policy is intended to supplement, but not replace, any applicable state and federal laws governing conflicts of interest.

Whistleblower policies are critical tools for protecting individuals who report activities believed to be illegal, dishonest, unethical, or otherwise improper.

A document retention/disposal policy makes it a crime to alter, cover up, falsify, or destroy any document with the intent of impeding or obstructing any official proceeding, this policy provides for the systematic review, retention and destruction of documents received or created by your organization. The purpose of this policy is to provide instruction for the preservation of pertinent documentation due to threatened, pending or otherwise reasonably foreseeable litigation, audits, government investigations or similar proceedings.

A written gift acceptance policy can help manage the expectations of donors, (while treating them with respect) and also serve as guidance for board and staff members who are either on the asking, or receiving, end of contributions.

Regular turnover among board members encourages the board to pay attention to its composition, helps to avoid stagnation, offers the opportunity to expand the board’s circle of contacts and influence, and provides a respectful and efficient method for removing unproductive members. Seventy-one percent of nonprofit boards have term limits for board members, and the most common are two consecutive three-year terms. Term limits do not prevent valuable members from remaining in the service of the organization or the board in another capacity.

Recent Grants

March 2018

Quilters Hall of Fame – Maintenance attention of the exterior of The Marie Webster House; $750 for capacity building training; $5,250
– Grant from the Community Foundation: $4,500
– Raised from the community: $5,500
– Total amount to organization: $10,000

Marion High School Alumni Association – Marion Giants marching band uniforms; $20,000
– Grant from the Community Foundation: $20,000
– Raised from the community: $20,725
– Total amount to the organization: $40,725

City of Gas City – Veterans Monument in downtown Gas City; $15,000
– Grant from the Community Foundation: $15,000
– Raised from the community: $54,407
– Total amount to the organization: $69,407

The Amara House – Proactive Grant for capacity building ; $1,500

March 2018

Quilters Hall of Fame – Maintenance attention of the exterior of The Marie Webster House & $750 for capacity building training; $5,250
Marion High School Alumni Association – Marion Giants marching band uniforms; $20,000
City of Gas City – Veterans Monument in downtown Gas City; $15,000
The Amara House – Proactive Grant for capacity building ; $1,500

January 2018

Upland Area Greenways Association – Pave the first mile of pedestrian and bicycle trails in Upland; $10,000
Grant County Rescue Mission – Renovate the women’s shelter; $10,000
Hostess House – Purchase and install a security system and smoke detectors; $6,447
Hoosier Shakes, Inc.– Funding for another season of Shakespeare; $2,500
The United Way – Marketing material for Early Childhood Coalition to inform parents about Kindergarten readiness and On My Way Pre-K; $5,025
The Training Center – Chrome notebooks and charging unit; $3,500
On My Way Pre-K – 5% match for the $211,174.39 state grant for 100 students countywide; $10,558.72
Capacity Building Training – Partnership with Harris International for additional Leadership Development for local non-profit orgs; $5,000

October 2017

King’s Academy, Mississinewa, Oak Hill, and St. Paul – Youth Grants; $6,000 ($1,500 for each corporation)
White’s Residential & Family Services – Program materials for the Strengthening Fatherhood program; $1,490
Marion Design Co. – Second phase of the development and launch of the City of Marion’s website; $6,000
Family Services Society – Marketing for the System of Care (SOC) program; $3,860
JA Serving Grant County – Funding to support new financial literacy elementary programs within Grant County; $9,860
Sheriff Department – Deputy vests; $18,700
Thriving Families, Thriving Grant County – Beautify the corner of 5th and Washington Street; $10,000
Marion Youth Judo and Jujitsu – Fund entry fees and mats for children to participate in classes; $10,000

July 2017

Storm Lifeline, Inc.– Start-up costs of the organization; $5,000
St. Martin Community Center– Provide training in basic computational thinking skills to the children who visit St. Martin Community Center; $4,041

May 2017

Marion Community Gardens Association – Installation of an irrigation system in the Curfman Community Garden; $4,000
Cancer Services of Grant County – Breast Education Screen Survival (BESS) Program; $5,000
Science Central – Science4U, Science Central’s school outreach program (Grant County Elementary and Middle Schools); $5,000

March 2017

Grant County Rescue Mission – Renovate third floor of the Grant County Rescue Mission’s main shelter; $10,000
Gas City Concerts in the Park – Indiana Artist Series; $10,000
Upland Parks Advisory Board – Upland Park Renovations; $3,209

January 2017

Gilead Ministries – Upgrade online giving platform, Network For Good; $4,200
White’s Residential & Family Services – Growing Teens for Life: initiative which seeks to equip adolescents with skills to maintain future employment; $1,000
Grace House for Transition and Recovery – Better-Equipped: initiative to support maintenance projects using skillsets of the men in Grace House; $5,000
Hoosier Shakes – Launch Hoosier Shakes, Inc. by bringing Shakespeare to Marion and Grant County; $5,000

December 2016

Jefferson Monroe Helping Hands – Roof repair for Helping Hands pantry; $10,000
Carey Services – My25; $4,716
Lift – Employment Growth; $10,000
Family Service Society, Inc. – Therapeutic supplies and resources; $6,100

September 2016

Bridges to Health – Medical instruments for examination rooms and laptops for exam notes; $10,000
CSA – 2016-2017 Student Performance Series; $10,000
Upland Parks Advisory Committee – Upland Park Renovations; $3,200
Marion High School HOOAH Parents Booster Club – JROTC educational trip and Nationals; $5,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do You Fund?

Although we expect to remain flexible in our grantmaking decisions, the Community Foundation traditionally addresses needs that fall into the categories of Health, Education, Human Services, Community Development, and Fields of Interest.

Grant Proposals written in collaboration with community partners are both encouraged and appreciated.

What types of programs are ineligible for funding?

  • Political activity
  • Profit making enterprises
  • Projects/programs that benefit a specific church
  • We do not grant to individuals
  • Any organization with an outstanding grant report due to the Community Foundation from a previous grant

Can I Print Off The Grant Application And Turn It In At Your Office?

All of our grant applications are completed online and must be turned in via AwardSpring (our grant application platform).

What questions are on the application?

  1. What program/project will this grant money fund?
  2. How will this program/project benefit Grant County?
  3. Explain how sustainable this program/project is? (Sustainability is the ability for something to last or continue for a long time.)
  4. Explain the long-term impact (the power to bring about results) this grant will have on your organization, the targeted beneficiaries you serve, and the Grant County community as a whole.
  5. Please state your organization’s mission statement?
  6. How does this program/project help you to meet your mission?
  7. How does this program/project meet the mission of the Community Foundation? CF Mission: The Community Foundation connects people, resources, and causes to promote sustainable impact towards the betterment of Grant County.
  8. The Community Foundation will accept grant requests for no more than $10,000 for our grant cycles. Below, please list 2 amounts: the amount requested from CF and the total cost of the project.
  9. Approximately how many individuals will be served with this program/project based on your request?
  10. Is this grant for a particular age group, gender, race, economic group, or individuals with disabilities?
  11. What Community Foundation field of interest does this program/project fall under? (Please choose from the following: Community Development, Education, Health, Human Services, Other)
  12. Who is the Executive Director or primary contact for your organization?

Also be prepared to upload the documents listed in the next tab.

Which Documents Are Required To Complete An Application?

You will be required to attach these documents:

  1. Cover Letter
  2. Program Budget
  3. Full Organization Balance Sheet
  4. Full Organization Income Statement
  5. Entire Organization Current Fiscal Year Budget,
  6. List of Board Members

Find Samples of these documents above under Application Checklist.

How Many Cycles Do You Have Throughout The Year?

We have 4 grant cycles throughout the year – 2 regular (Jan and Aug; requests of $10,000 or less), crowdgranting (April; requests of up to $20,000), and BIG Idea (Oct; requests ranging from $10,001 to +/- $150,000).

What happens if my project is awarded a grant?

If you are awarded a grant, a representative from your organization will be required to join us for a Give Me Five celebration. Details will be included in your award letter.

A representative from your organization will be required to join us for a High-Five celebration at a later date to tell us about all the good things your organization accomplished with your grant. Details will be included in your award letter.

How will I know if my grant was awarded and what happens next?

  • If accepted, you will be notified by mail and asked to sign a formal grant agreement accepting all terms of the grant prior to release of funds.
  • You will be asked to attend a special celebration at the Foundation office where you will receive a check for your project.
  • At the celebration, you will be given a Publicity Kit to help inform the Grant County community of your exciting news and your upcoming project.
  • Immediately following the expenditure of the grant money, a final report and evaluation summarizing the results of your project/program must be submitted along with receipts and photos of the completed project.
  • All public announcements concerning your project/program should indicate the Foundation’s participation in the program funding. (The Publicity Kit we provide will help with this!)
  • Failure to comply with these requirements will jeopardize future funding requests.

What is a High-Five presentation?

Your High-Five presentation will allow you to show us the impact of the grant you received in just 5 short slides. Tell us what the headline would be if the media wrote a story about your grant. What would you like to say to the donor that provided the fund for your grant? Tell us specifically how you invested these grant dollars and the outcome of your program/project. Finally, we want to give you the chance to tell us how you would like us to promote your grant on social media…give us a picture and the story we should share with our followers. What would you like for us to say about your organization and this grant?

Find a copy of the High-Five slideshow here.

Should I write a press release?

Absolutely! You’ve worked so hard to receive this grant and to steward the funds for your project. Shout it from the rooftops! Tell all the people about the good things your organization is doing in our community. To help, here is a sample press release.

Contact Us

Meagan McCracken

Grants Manager

Meagan@GiveToGrant.org
765-662-0065