Mercer County Commission
Funding Request Application for
Matching Grant Program
Revised March 2017
LETTER OF INTENT
The Mercer County Commission accepts and reviews funding requests on a quarterly basis. All organizations planning to submit a request for Matching Grant Programfunding to the Mercer County Commission mustsubmit a one-page Letter of Intent (LOI) and complete the Funding Request Application (FRA) no later than the close of business (5:00 p.m.) of the last day of the quarter. (March, June, September, December). Applications can be mailed or submitted in person to the County Commission office located at 1501 West Main Street, Suite 210, Princeton, WV 24740 or emailed to the Commission at .
When submitting a proposal, the submitted packet should include (1) an official letter of intent (detailing an overview of the request),(2) a cover sheet, as well as (3) the completed application to document the applicant‘s interest in receiving funds from the Mercer County Commission. Each will be reviewed at the next regularly scheduled County Commission meeting, and applicants must be in attendance to answer any questions that may arise about the request.
REQUIREMENTS
All applicants must be able to provide proof of 501(c)(3) status and possess a valid West Virginia business license. If the applicant is not already registered as a vendor in the State of West Virginia, this must either be completed by the award notification date, or the vendor must demonstrate proof of such application.
The applicant is solely responsible for all work performed under the agreement, and shall assume all responsibility for services offered and products to be delivered under the terms of the award. The Commission shall consider the designated applicant to be the sole point of contact with regard to all contractual matters. The applicant may, with the prior written consent of the Commission, enter into written sub agreements for performance of work; however, the applicant shall be responsible for payment of all sub awards.
If awarded, once the event or process is completed, the applicant must submit a simple one-page summary as to how the funds were spent, any additional paperwork or receipts requested by the Commission, and photos or additional documentation (such as media or feedback) that the applicant can share to showcase how the funds benefitted Mercer County.
A disclaimer statement must be added to any outreach materials that simply reads… “Partially funded in partnership with the Mercer County Commission”.
RATIONALLE
The Mercer County Commission established the Matching Grant Program to expand the reach and impact of its funds by leveraging new dollars from other sources to improve the development and support of community based efforts in Mercer County. Funds allocated under the Matching Grant Program will be provided for projects and initiatives that demonstrate a commitment of funding from a public or private source external to their organization in an amount equal to or exceeding that which is being requested from the Commission. Release of funds is contingent upon receipt of a written funding commitment from the other source.
Awards are made available contingent upon the availability of sufficient funds in the County budget. Tourism related requests need to show the impact of how the requested funds will promote our area beyond our borders to draw additional funds to our area in the ways of hotel/motel tax, restaurant capacity, and traffic count at the event/festival. (A copy must also be provided to the Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau.)
Funds granted through the Matching Grant Program may not be used to supplant or replace funding from state or county general funds. Please plan for a minimum of 90 days between the date of submitting an application and the completion of a contract approving the start of project activities.
ELIGIBILITY
Matching Grant Program Applications will be accepted from:
- Non-profit or public organizations
- Community groups working under the umbrella of a public or private corporation
Please Note: Returning applicants must provide an increased level of evaluated evidence of project outcomes with each successive application for renewed funding.
Funding Considerations, Requirements and Restrictions
In making funding decisions, the Commission will weigh favorably on proposals that:
Address how the project is a good financial decision for the County;
Address how the project aligns with the overall goals to promote Mercer County in a positive manner;
Demonstrate organizational capacity (resources and skills, previous successful implementation of a project with similar magnitude and scope);
Demonstrate impacts that go deep and have magnitude (timing, visibility, quality and quantity produced);
Demonstrate and promote collaboration;
Leverage other funding and/or resources (including and beyond matching funds) and
Communicate clear objectives and methods for assessing progress and continuous program improvement;
Develop strong sustainability plans for continuing services beyond Mercer County funding.
Build capacity and model sustainable success (e.g., benefits continue over time, activities are replicable and can serve as models);
Provide services to children and families;
Provide culturally diverse services and programs
Grantees will be expected to provide a final report to the Mercer County Commission and to coordinate with Commission staff, consultants, and other partners, as requested.
Matching Grant dollars may not be used for individual stipends or scholarships.
Funding Priorities
Funding is being offered for evidence-based and promising programs designed to meet one or more of the Priority Outcomes:
Priority Outcomes
Community awareness and engagement.
Increase the availability of high quality, accessible heathyopportunities for children and youth.
Increase educational opportunities and support for youth and their parents/guardians
Review and Selection Process
Matching Grant Program applications are reviewed by County Commissioners quarterly during a special meeting. On occasion, independent reviewers with subject matter expertise may be invited to assist in the evaluation of some proposals. Potential contractors or persons affiliated with applicant organizations are not eligible to serve as reviewers. The Commission may not respond and may not assist others in responding to this RFP. All funding decisions made by the Commission are final and not subject to appeal. Likewise, it may be necessary to ask questions about the proposals, so these meetings will be open to the public for comment.
Criteria for Funding Requests
When looking at the full impact of the Matching Grant Program, criteria must be established to determine the maximum match amount that can be distributed. Each fiscal year, the County is willing to set aside $40,000 per year ($10,000 per quarter with remaining unspent funds rolled over to the next available quarter) for this program. Organizations that wish to apply for these funds should use this scale to show the impact on how their program benefits the community.
For example…
A standard Community or Family Services Program that serves a select, isolated, or specific population may ask up to $1000 in matching support.
Other community based not-for-profit organizations that are bringing in additional funds to our hotels/motels, restaurants, retail establishments, or facilities for larger scale, ONE TIME, events may ask up to $2500. (Based on attendance of 5,000 – 10,000 persons.)
Non-Profit organizations that provide MULTIPLE events during the year that exceed 10,000 persons in attendance, and can prove that patrons utilized the local hotels/motels, restaurants, retail establishments, or other community facilities, may ask for up to $5000.
NOTE: The Commission grants each 501(c)(3) organization moniesonly once every fiscal year.
Application and Submission Instructions
Interested applicants to the Matching Grant Program should complete the application provided here as Attachment B. In order to be considered for funding, applications must include the following completed documents:
Sample Letter of Intent
Cover Sheet
Signed certification of application
Application
- Project narrative
- Evaluation plan
- Organizational history and capacity
- Scope of work
- Budget and budget narrative
Letter of commitment or other valid documentation of matching funds
Evaluated evidence of project outcomes if applying for renewed funding
Please submit one (1) signed original copy of the application, two (2) additional copies for review and one (1) electronic copy with all associated documents on a Compact Disc or Flash Drive in a Portable Document Format (.pdf) or Microsoft Word Document (.doc) format.
Matching grant applications are accepted no later than 3:00 PM on July 15, October 15, January 15, and April 15 of each year (July 1 through June 30) based on the availability of funds.
SAMPLE LETTER OF INTENT
DATE
Mercer County Commission
1501 West Main Street, Suite 201
Princeton, WV 24740
Re: Letter of Intent PROJECT
Dear Mercer County Commission –
We are writing to request funding for … PROJECT DESCRIPTION HERE
Our goal is to… PROJECT OUTLINE HERE
The result will be to … PROJECT GOALS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED HERE
Thanks for your consideration of this proposal, please let us know if there is anything we can provide to help in the review process.
Sincerely,
APPLICANT NAME
COVER SHEET
Please use the template provided, and submit any additional documentation or description of need in a separate attachment.
ProjectName: ______
Organization Name: ______
Contact Person: ______
Address: ______
City/State/Zip: ______
Telephone: ( )______Fax: ( ) ______
Email: ______
How many partnering organizations or agencies are involved? ______
______
Amount of funds requesting from Mercer County Commission: $ ______
Mercer County Commission typically receives more requests than they can fund.
Would you be willing to accept an amount less than your request? YES or NO
If yes what is the lowest amount you can accept? ______
If the Commission cannot fund your project, may we ask for funding from other
sources? YES or NO
Who your organization serves: ______
Estimated number of citizens that will benefit from your project? ______
Estimated number of volunteers involved in this project? ______
Estimated volunteer hours counted towards a project match? ______
Calculation… (volunteers X number of hours worked =)
Estimated funds from all sources that will be used to complete this project.
Funding Source / Amount / Est. Hours of Volunteer Match / Est. Value of Donated Materials? / Other Support?TOTAL
-1-
Project Summary
Use additional pages if necessary
Summarize your project: ______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
Estimate date when project will start: ______
Estimate project completion date: ______
Reminder… Please provide 501(C)(3) notification letter and any other promotional or informational attachments.
I, the undersigned, understand the requestmade within this application, and will comply with the rules set forth by the Mercer County Commission. Upon completion, a final report will be prepared and presented to the commission within 30 days after the completion of the project. This will include any additional documentation such as receipts, photos or news articles.
______
Project Sponsor Signature Date
For questions contact:
Mercer County Commission
1501 West Main Street, Suite 201, Princeton, WV 24740
Ph: (304) 487-8306 – Email (304)
-1-