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.
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.
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
| What’s The BIG Idea |
August 2018 –
October 4, 2018
Requests between
$10,001 to +/- $150,000
The BIG Idea Grant is an
opportunity to work with us
as a grant partner involved
in all stages of completion
of the BIG Idea and not simply
as the grantee/funder.
Currently Closed
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| Education |
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| Human Services |
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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
- Carefully read through the Foundation’s priorities and respective grant guidelines.
- Be clear about why this project/program is important.
- Know what your “like” organizations are in the community and the work they do.
- When appropriate, collaborate with other nonprofits that serve the population you serve.
- Make sure your organization’s budget is up-to-date.
- Be specific on how grant monies will be spent.
- Be clear about your expected outcomes.
- Be concise (we encourage brevity); check your spelling and punctuation (twice!).
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
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.
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
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?
- What program/project will this grant money fund?
- How will this program/project benefit Grant County?
- Explain how sustainable this program/project is? (Sustainability is the ability for something to last or continue for a long time.)
- 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.
- Please state your organization’s mission statement?
- How does this program/project help you to meet your mission?
- 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.
- 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.
- Approximately how many individuals will be served with this program/project based on your request?
- Is this grant for a particular age group, gender, race, economic group, or individuals with disabilities?
- What Community Foundation field of interest does this program/project fall under? (Please choose from the following: Community Development, Education, Health, Human Services, Other)
- 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:
- Cover Letter
- Program Budget
- Full Organization Balance Sheet
- Full Organization Income Statement
- Entire Organization Current Fiscal Year Budget,
- 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.
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