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For Grant Seekers: Grant ApplicatioN

General Information For Applicants

The Community Foundation uses the Foundant online grant management system for all LOIs and applications. If it is your first time applying for a grant, you will be asked to create an account for your organization with up-to-date contact information. Select one person to act as the grant administrator for the organization. The grant administrator will have access to the grant portal to submit online applications, check the status of applications, review grant histories and submit final reports.
The system is secure, and this Applicant Tutorial is available to help. Please click here to create your online account and start your Letter of Inquiry.

If you are new to the grant application process, or if you have questions, we encourage you to talk to our staff who are glad to discuss proposals before you submit them.
All applicants must submit a letter of inquiry prior to submitting an application.

  • Letters of inquiry can be submitted through the online portal. The letter of inquiry must be completed and contain enough information to enable the Foundation to determine whether the program/project falls within the purview of its grants program. If you have any questions, contact Emerald Blankenship, Vice President of Programs, at (765) 454-7298 or (800) 964-0508.
  • Letters of Inquiry (LOI) are welcome year-round from groups engaged in charitable projects. LOIs should be submitted at least two weeks before the target grant deadline to allow adequate time to construct a full proposal. 
  • LOIs are reviewed as they are received, and applicants can expect to hear back about next steps within a week of submission. Staff approval of an LOI is not a guarantee of funding, as all requests must be reviewed by appropriate grants committees and approved by the Board of Directors of The Community Foundation. 

Grant applications may be submitted to the Foundation by the deadline for each grant cycle. Organizations must complete the online application form that will be reviewed by the Foundation’s Grantmaking Committee.
In the application, you will be asked to provide:

  • A project budget (click here for an example template)
  • Proof of 501(c)(3) designation status
  • List of current board members
  • Current financial statements (balance sheet, income statement)
  • Any quotes or estimates as they relate to the project

Please make sure you have access to this information before applying.
Upon completion of the application, the Foundation will confirm to the applicant organization that the application has been received, that the applicant organization may be contacted for additional information, an interview with the Grantmaking Committee, or a site visit if needed, and of the time period within which a grant decision will likely be made.
All requests for grants are reviewed by the Foundation's professional staff and the Grantmaking Committee, which reports to the Foundation's Board of Directors. The Grantmaking Committee discusses requests for funding according to the grant cycle. Each grant cycle, the committee considers requests for approximately twice the amount of money available to be granted at that time. Staff will encourage any applications beyond that amount to be submitted during the next cycle.
The timing of grants is also taken into consideration. Reviews and recommendations are then presented to the full Board of Directors at its regularly scheduled meetings at which all final grant decisions are made.
All grant applicants will be notified with respect to the grant decisions of the Foundation's Board of Directors. This communication will state whether a grant was made and will provide specific details for those grants which have been approved.
The Community Foundation will periodically review each grant award and will require a final grant evaluation report from each grantee.
 
If an application does not contain the requested information, it will not be considered by the Foundation. To facilitate the preparation of complete grant applications, applicant organizations are encouraged to utilize Community Foundation County staff assistance which is specifically made available for that purpose. It is the general policy of the Community Foundation to operate without discrimination as to age, race, religion, sex or national origin in the overall administration of the Foundation and in the consideration of grant requests from agencies and organizations.

See Grant Guidelines

See Grant Cycle

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