Greater Carlisle Community Foundation
Grant Application Instructions
Dear Nonprofit Colleague,
We are pleased to announce the availability of the Greater Carlisle Community Foundation Grant Application. This form was developed to make the grant seeking process simpler and more efficient for nonprofits.
~ The Grant Committee
The Greater Carlisle Community Foundation was formed in 2005to coordinate and provide philanthropic support for community betterment projects in the greater Carlisle area, including the communities of Palmyra, Easter Lake, Avon, Carlisle and Hartford. The mission of the Greater Carlisle Community Foundation is to promote philanthropy throughout these P.E.A.C.H. communities. The Foundation is made up of community minded individuals who have the ability to assess community needs, implement asset development, evaluate area grant applications, and encourage partnerships and initiate activities to enhance the quality of life.
Each year our Foundation makes grant awards to worthwhile projects located in the greater Carlisle area that are identified through a community grants application process. Our Foundation’s areas of emphasis include:
Arts, Culture & HumanitiesEducationEnvironment & Animals
Health Human ServicesPublic & Society Benefit
The Greater Carlisle Community Foundation makes grants to IRS section 501(c)(3) ‘tax exempt’ organizations and IRS section 170(b) ‘unit of government’ organizations to assist in fulfilling the foundation’s mission to foster private giving, strengthen service providers and improve the conditions of the communities in Greater Carlisle Area. The foundation promotes endowment building, community grant making, organizational collaboration, and public leadership for the benefit of the Greater Carlisle Area.
The total amount of funds available for grants is dependent upon the allocation of endowment funds plus interest income generated by the Foundation each fiscal year and are limited to non-profit groups located in and projects serving the Greater Carlisle Area. The average size of grant awarded in the past has been $250.00; however, more may be requested. Awards will not be made for debt relief or ongoing operations subsidies, fundraising expenses, endowments, politically sensitive purposes, or religious purposes.
Handwritten forms will not be accepted. All information requested must be provided with the application or it will be disqualified. Submit a signed original and 8 copiesof the application are to be submitted any of the following ways:
- mail to the Greater Carlisle Community Foundation at P.O. Box 430, Carlisle, IA 50047;
- Hand delivers to the CarlisleCity Hall at 195 N. 1st Street in Carlisle.
If you have questions, please contact:Pat Brehse,Grant making Committee Chairperson (515) 419-2383 (515) 989-4104 or
Grant Application Instructions
Grants will be deemed ineligible and will not be scored if:
- Proof of nonprofit status is not provided
- A letter of support is not provided when using a fiscal sponsor
- Required information is not provided
- A signed original and 8 copies of the application are not submitted
- The application is hand written
- The project or program is politically sensitive
- Monies are requested for religious programs
- The budget is not complete with appropriate supporting documentation
Do not use binders, plastic covers or folders.
Do not insert supporting documentation into the application.
All supporting documentation should be placed behind the application.
Grant awards are intended to be finishing money, rather than seed money.
Organization Information
- Use legal organizational name filed with the IRS.
- Provide the organization’s address, the name of the contact person, and the contact person’s title, telephone number and e-mail address.
- List the federal tax identification number (“EIN” number”) of the applicant organization. If the organization is not a section 501(c)(3) or section 170(b) unit of government, the organization must have a fiscal sponsor. The fiscal sponsor is responsible for the grant funds.
- A capital-based request refers to the building of or the physical improvement of something. A program based request refers to activity or general programmatic support.
- Select the focus area that has direct impact from the project.
Arts/Culture/Humanities – Museums, Historic Preservation, Exhibits, etc.
Education – Schools (all ages), Adult Learning Programs, etc.
Environment/Animals – Environmental Protection, Beautification, Animal Related Issues
Health – General, Rehabilitative, Mental, etc.
Human Services – Public Protection/Safety, Recreation, Youth Development, Social Support, General Human Services
Public/Society Benefit – Community Improvement/Development, Philanthropy/Volunteerism, Capacity Building, Civil Rights, etc.
- If no is checked the organization is required to have a fiscal sponsor, provide the fiscal sponsor’s address, the name and title of the contact person for the fiscal sponsor and the contact person’s telephone number. A letter of support must be provided from the fiscal sponsor.
If yes is checked for 501(c)(3),a copy of latest Federal IRS tax exempt status must be attached.
- Clearly describe the charitable purpose, program activities related to the request, and the population that will be directly impacted by activities related to the request.
Request Summary -
8.Provide name of project.
9. Information provided in the request summary should pertain only to the project for which grant funds are being requested.
10. After providing the detailed description provide a 3 to 5 sentence summary of the project.
11. Only list the population served directly.
12. The total project cost needs to pertain to the grant project only, not to an organizational
Budget.
13. Matching funds are funds raised by the organization. Do not include in-kind contributions.
In-kind contributions should be listed on the budget page. Other grant funds may be used
As matching funds.
14. Indicate the total amount requested from the Foundation.
15. Calculate the percentage of matching funds using formula on application.
16. Identify specifically how grant funds being requested will be used. Identify partners. If funding is secured by partners, a letter of support must be provided. Explain the number of volunteers you anticipate and how the volunteers will be used.
17. Identify how the project will impact the community and how the impact will be evaluated and measured. One of the goals of the GCCF grant process is to create an awareness of the GCCF throughout the area. Describe how the GCCF contribution will be recognized and how the organization plans to disseminate information about the project.
18. Outline the timeline for the project. All projects must be completed within one year of
grant award date.
The application may exceed the space provided on the form.
19. Project Budget -
The project budget should only include information that pertains to the project funds that are being requested. Complete budget information is required. Grant applications withincomplete budgets will not be scored.
A. Budgets must be itemized with calculations. Indicate if each expense is an estimate or actual expense. Additional documentation of expenditures must be provided (work estimates, quotes, catalog prices, etc.). If estimates are from websites, the unit price and total price must be clearly marked and/or highlighted.
If awarded a grant, the organization must produce receipts for all expenditures. Grant funds may not be used for items or services purchased before the grant was awarded. Grant funds may ONLY be used for items listed in the budget.
B.In-kind contributions may consist of material donations, equipment, building space, but may not include volunteer hours.
C. Unsecured funding should not be listed here. Secured funding must have letter (s) of commitment.
D. Please note Section A=Sections B+C+D
Attach an organizational budget. If the organization serves more than Greater Carlisle, a breakdown budget for Greater Carlisle is required.
1
January 2015
20. In Order to be considered for funding, your application MUST include ALL the following
Items.
Attachments & Checklist –
1.Attach all documents to the end of the grant application.
2.Complete the checklist to ensure all required documentation is provided.
Additional Attachments - Include copies of the attachments with the original application and the 8 copies.
- Provide a copy of the organization’s most recent Federal IRS Tax-Exempt Status Letter. Government entities do not need to provide a Federal IRS Tax-exempt Status Letter.
- Include a list of the Board of Directors and their affiliations – The list should include any positions currently held in the organization by a director and what his/her expertise is, this is usually the person’s job title or where he/she works.
- Organizational Budget – An organizational budget is the budget for the whole organization or department within the organization. A project budget is the budget for the project for which funding is requested that the organization or department is doing. Include a project budget in the body of the application. See the Project Budget section of the application. Include the organizational budget with additional attachments.
- Signed ‘Letter of Intent’ to act as a fiscal sponsor – A fiscal sponsor is an organization or party who is receiving the money on behalf of the grant applicant and is responsible for disbursing the money for the project and maintaining appropriate documentation (receipts, etc.). The entity serving as the fiscal sponsor must be a section 501(c)(3) or section 170(b) unit of government.
- Signed Applicant Boarded Approval Agreement (see below)
- Estimate (s) Quote (s)/Quote(s) for materials or services
- All additional documentations should be placed behind page 6 of the grant application
- Original signed applications plus 8 copies
1
January 2015
Greater Carlisle Community Foundation
Grant Scoring Matrix
(8-10 points per box) / Good, Strong, or Adequate
(6-7 points per box) / Poor, Weak, or Inadequate
(1-5 points per box)
Project Description / Project Description / Project Description
A. Need for Project:
- Strong evidence of community support.
- Goals are clearly stated.
- Very evident how this project will enhance the community.
- Some evidence of community support.
- Goals are adequately stated.
- Some evidence of how this project will enhance the community.
- Little evidence of community support.
- Goals poorly stated.
- Little evidence of how this project will enhance the community.
B. Population Served:
- Project serves a broad based population.
- Project impacts a large population and sector of the community.
- Project serves a small sector of population.
- Project impacts a small population and sector of the community.
- Project serves a very limited sector of population.
- Project impacts a very limited population and sector of the community.
C. Partnerships and Visibility
- Strong evidence of community partners.
- Project provides high visibility to the GCCF.
- Some evidence of community partners.
- Project provides some visibility to the GCCF.
- No evidence of community partners.
- Project provides minimal/no visibility to the GCCF.
D. Impact Indicators:
- Desired impact is clearly stated.
- Impact measures are clearly stated.
- A method to evaluate the results of the project is clearly stated.
- Desired impact is adequately stated.
- Impact measures are adequately stated.
- A method to evaluate the results of the project is adequately stated.
- Desired impact is poorly stated.
- Impact measures are poorly stated.
- There is no method to evaluate the results of the project.
Budget / Budget / Budget
A. Project is highly leveraged with matching funds. Greater than 50% / A. Project is moderately leveraged with matching funds. Up to 50% / A. Project is not leveraged with matching funds.
B. Other resources and partners are committed to the project. / B. Some resources and partners identified for the project. / B. Very limited/no resources and partners have not been identified for the project.
C. Complete organizational and project budget information is provided. / C. Partially completed organizational and project budget information is provided. / C. Unsatisfactory organizational and project budget information is provided.
D. Strong evidence project cannot continue or take place without our funding. / D. Some evidence project cannot continue or would be difficult to take place without grant. / D. Grant funding has little to no impact on the organization or project.
1
January 2015
Greater Carlisle Community Foundation
Grant Scoring Matrix
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Will this project qualify for a grant?
The project will be considered if the following criteria are met:
- Organization is a section 501(c)(3) or a section 170(b) unit of government.
- Project is in Greater Carlisle Area or serves Greater Carlisle residents.
- Application contains all required elements.
What projects do not qualify?
- Politically sensitive projects
- Religious programs
Can we still apply if we do not have matching funds?
Yes, included with the application is a scoring matrix. Although, your application may not score very well in the budget area, it may score very well in other areas and can still be competitive.
What types of projects have you funded in the past?
Building repairs, equipment, new organizational programs and projects, county promotion materials, and youth leadership. Please refer to the Grant Making Fact Sheet.
How much money is available per project?
The average size of grant awarded in the past has been $250.00; however, more may be requested.
When the application be accepted if postmarked by the due date?
The application MUST be postmarked or delivered to Carlisle City Hall by 5:00 P.M. on the due date.
What is the difference between an organizational budget and a project budget?
An organizational budget is the budget for the entire organization or department within the organization. A project budget is the budget for the project for which funding is requested.
What are the criteria for matching funds? What can be used?
Sources of matching funds include other grants, money donated, and money raised.
In-kind labor and materials may not be used as matching funds. While in-kind labor and materials may not be used as matching funds, in-kind labor and materials should be indicated on the budget sheet.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
What is a section 170(b) unit of government? Where does a public school fit?
Section 170(b) units of government include:
- Counties
- Cities
- Schools
What is a fiscal sponsor?
A fiscal sponsor is an organization or party who is receiving the money on behalf of the grant applicant and who is responsible for disbursing the money for the project and maintaining appropriate documentation (receipts, etc.). The fiscal sponsor must be a section 501(c)(3) or section 170(b) unit of government. .
The additional attachment section of the application requires a list of directors and their affiliations. What does affiliation mean?
The list should include any positions currently held in the organization by a director and what his/her expertise is. This is usually the person’s profession (examples - accountant, doctor, architect), job title (examples – bank president, insurance agent, restaurant manager), or where he/she works.
FORMATTING/STYLE QUESTIONS
Can you email me an application that will allow me to fill in the blanks on the form?
Please download from the website:
Can I add additional pages to the application or enlarge the current space provided on the application?
Yes, no limits have been put on the number of pages submitted. The application has been designed to expand to fit size needs. If adding additional pages, please maintain at least 1-inch margins and use 12-point text.
1