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COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS

COMMUNITY GRANTS - APPLICATION QUESTIONS – SPRING 2016

TAB 1: QUICK TIPS

  • This document contains all the questions for CFNIL’s Spring 2016 Community Grants Application. All applications must be submitted online at: CFNIL is making this document available so applicants can work on their proposals when they do not have internet access. No paper copies of the application will be accepted.
  • For application guidelines, instructions, deadlines and grant program information visit
  • CFNIL will not accept proposals submitted after the deadline.
  • Highlighted text indicates non-required questions.

TAB 2: SUMMARY

  1. Organization Name:
  2. [Your answers go here. We highly recommend using a different color font throughout.]
  3. Organization Mission/Goal Statement:[1000 character limit]
  4. This proposal is for: [Choose one of the options below. For definitions of program, project, and events, see CFNIL’s Grant Guidelines for the Spring 2016 Grant Cycle]
  5. Program
  6. Project
  7. Event
  8. Please indicate your proposal’s area of focus: [Choose one]
  9. Arts & Humanities
  10. Education
  11. Health
  12. Human Services
  13. Other
  14. Sustainable Development
  15. Youth & Families
  16. Proposal Title:
  17. Brief Proposal Summary: [100 word limit. In no more than two sentences, explain how the funds will be used and what will improve as a result of the charitable activity. Be as precise and economical as possible in your answer. It will be used for reports and other communication pieces.)
  18. What is the amount requested for the first year of the proposal?
  19. What is the total amount requested from CFNIL in this proposal? [Unless you are applying for multi-year funding, the answer for #8 will be the same as #7.)
  20. YES/NO Is this request for a multi-year grant?
  21. [If NO] Proceed to question #10.
  22. [If YES]What is the amount requested for the second year?
  23. [If YES] What is the amount requested for the third year?
  24. What is the total cost for the project/program/event? (Including those items that will not be funded by CFNIL?)

TAB 3: ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

  1. Type of organization: [Choose one]
  2. 501(c)3 Non-Profit
  3. Public University/College
  4. Religious Organization
  5. Unit of Government
  6. EIN of applying organization (The tax ID of the organization. Do not include dashes.)
  7. Please upload a high quality version of your logo. (JPG or PNG format required. 5 MB maximum file size.)
  8. Organization Street Address: (This is the address to which CFNIL will send correspondence.)
  9. Organization City:
  10. Organization State:
  11. Organization Zip Code:
  12. Organization County: [Choose one]
  13. Boone
  14. Ogle
  15. Stephenson
  16. Winnebago
  17. Other
  18. Organization Phone Number:
  19. Organization Website:
  20. [Link]
  21. Organization Facebook:
  22. [Link]
  23. Organization Twitter:
  24. [Link]
  25. Please attach a list of your organization’s Board of Directors and identify officers.[PDF format required. 5 MB maximum file size.]
  26. [Upload]
  27. Enter information below regarding the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the applying organization. (Official correspondence will be sent to this individual’s attention, including proposal status letters and grant payments.)
  28. CEOPrefix:
  29. CEOFirst Name:
  30. CEOLast Name:
  31. CEOTitle:
  32. CEOE-mail:
  33. CEODirect Business Phone Number:
  34. CEOPhone Extension:
  35. Enter information below regarding the Primary Contact (PC) for questions regarding this application.
  36. PC Prefix:
  37. PC First Name:
  38. PC Last Name:
  39. PC Title:
  40. PC Preferred Phone Number:
  41. PC Phone Extension:
  42. PC Email:
  43. PC Street Address:
  44. PC City:
  45. PC State:
  46. PC Zip Code:
  47. In which year was your organization founded?
  48. Briefly summarize your organization's history. [1000 character limit.]
  49. State your organization's mission statement.[1000 character limit.]
  50. Describe your organization's current programs and activities. [2000 character limit.]
  51. Describe your organization's recent accomplishments. [2000 character limit.]
  52. List the total number of staff, given in full-time equivalent (FTE) units. (For FTE Calculator, visit
  53. List names, job titles, and roles of staff/volunteers responsible for achieving proposal’s goals. [2000 characters]
  54. How does your organization collaborate with other organizations apart from this charitable activity? [2000 character limit]
  55. Use this space to clarify anything about your organization that you feel needs further explanation. [2000 character limit]
  56. Attach your organization’s year-to-date income statement compared to budget. (PDF format required. 5 MB maximum file size.)
  57. [Upload]
  58. YES/NO: Is this request for more than $15,000 or for multiple years?
  59. [If YES] Please include your organization's two most recently completed, audited financial statements.
  60. Upload first financial statement:(PDF format required. 5 MB maximum file size.)
  61. Upload second financial statement:(PDF format required. 5 MB maximum file size.)
  62. FINANCIAL INFORMATION: For the convenience of 501(c)(3) applicants, we have indicated the corresponding field on the 990 form for the questions below. For tax-supported organizations, nonprofit organizations that file the 990-EZ or 990-N, or subsidiary or affiliate organizations, provide the equivalent information from your financial statements.
  63. Date of your most recent 990 or your most recent financial statement?
  64. Choose the document from which you are reporting: [Choose one]
  65. 990
  66. 990-N
  67. 990-EZ
  68. Your financial statement
  69. [If you selected “Your financial statement”:] YES/NO: Were the statementsfrom which you’re reporting independently audited?
  70. Balance Sheet
  71. Assets
  72. Cash and Current Assets (Total Lines 1 thru 5, Column B, Part X):
  73. Other Assets (Total Lines 6 thru 15, Column B, Part X):
  74. Total Assets (Line 16, Column B, Part X):
  75. Liabilities
  76. Current Liabilities (Total Lines 17 thru 19, Column B, Part X):
  77. Other Liabilities (Total Lines 20 thru 25, Column B, Part X):
  78. Total Liabilities (Line 26, Column B, Part X):
  79. Total Net Assets
  80. Total Net Assets (Line 33, Column B, Part X):
  81. [If you are requesting more than $15,000 or multi-year funding, answer the following:] What percentage of net assets are unrestricted?
  82. Income Statement
  83. Revenue
  84. YES/NO: Is your organization requesting more than $15,000 or requesting multi-year funding?
  85. If NO, proceed to question 49-a-ii
  86. If YES, answer the following questions:
  87. Contributions, Gifts, and Grants (Line 1h, Column A, Part VIII):
  88. Programs Service Revenue (Line 2g, Column A, Part VIII):
  89. Other Revenue (Total Lines 3, 4, 5, 6d, 7d, 8c, 9c, and 10c - Column A, Part VIII):
  90. Miscellaneous Revenue (Line 11e, Column A, Part VIII):
  91. Total Revenue (Line 12, Column A, Part VIII):
  92. Expenses
  93. YES/NO: Is your organization requesting more than $15,000 or requesting multi-year funding?
  94. If NO, proceed to question 49-b-ii
  95. If YES, answer the following questions:
  96. Total Program Service Expenses (Line 25, Column B, Part IX):
  97. Total Management and General Expenses (Line 25, Column C, Part IX):
  98. Total Fundraising Expenses (Line 25, Column D, Part IX):
  99. Total Expenses (Line 25, Column A, Part IX):
  100. Please use this space to clarify anything about your organization’s finances. (2000 characters)

TAB 4: COMMUNITY NEED

  1. What community need or opportunity is your proposal addressing? [2000 character limit.]
  2. How does your proposal align with the criteria of the focus area you selected? [2000 character limit.]
  3. Describe the target population your proposal will serve. [1000 character limit]
  4. Total number of unduplicated people this proposal will serve: (This includes any client who will receive services for the project. If this is a multi-year request, enter the number of people served during the first year.)
  5. How many people will be served by each activity/component of this proposal? (Example: 75 fifth-grade students at ABC school will participate in one-hour reading discussion groups. 25 fifth-grade studentsat ABC School will receive one-on-one tutoring.) [2,000 character limit]
  6. [Answer the following question if you are requesting funding for a multi-year request:] Total number of unduplicated people this proposal will serve in Year Two. (This includes any client who will receive services for the project in Year Two.)
  7. [Answer the following question if you are requesting funding for a three-year request:] Total number of unduplicated people this proposal will serve in Year Three. (This includes any client who will receive services for the project in Year Three.)
  8. DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: For each category below, enter the approximate number of individual clients served during the first year. Enter the number, not the percent. Each section total must equal Total Number of Unduplicated Clients stated above. If project demographic data does not exactly match the categories listed, please use your best estimate to divide the data into matchingcategories. Enter 0 if none.
  9. Residents of these counties:
  10. Boone:
  11. Ogle:
  12. Stephenson:
  13. Winnebago:
  14. Other:
  15. Race/Ethnicity:
  16. American Indian or Alaska Native:
  17. Asian:
  18. Black or African American:
  19. Hispanic or Latino:
  20. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander:
  21. Other:
  22. Unspecified:
  23. White:
  24. Two or More Races:
  25. Ages:
  26. Children (0 to 11)
  27. Youth (12 to 18)
  28. Adults (19 to 64)
  29. Seniors (65 and up)
  1. Genders:
  2. Male
  3. Female
  4. Other

TAB 5: PROPOSAL PLAN

  1. When are CFNIL funds needed?(Please provide a target date.)
  2. When will CFNIL funds be expended? (Please provide a target date.)
  3. In detail, describe the major activities that make up this proposal. Include information such as frequency, location, duration, and sequence of these activities that will successfully address the community need. [5000 character limit.]
  4. YES OR NO: Does this proposal provide direct services to clients? (E.g., tutoring, counseling, case management, etc.)
  5. If NO, go to question 5.
  6. If YES: What is the average number of hours provided to each client? (If multiple people are providing service, multiply by number of people providing service.)
  7. If YES: What is the total number of hours provided to clients? (Average number multiplied by number of clients.)
  8. Total number of staff hours that your organization will invest in this charitable activity.
  9. How did you calculate this number? (Example: 2 hours per day x 4 days per week x 52 weeks).
  10. Total number of volunteer hours provided to this charitable activity.
  11. How did you calculate this number? (Example: 2 hours per day x 4 days per week x 52 weeks).
  12. YES OR NO: Will this grant assist your organization in seeking or securing other funding sources?
  13. If NO, go to question 10.
  14. If YES, how much and from whom? [2000 characters]
  15. How does this proposal align with your organization’s mission and current activities?[5000 character limit.]
  16. [Only answer the following if your proposed charitable activity is a performance-based event, such as a concert, play, or sporting event. If not, skip to question 12.]Please provide total of anticipated audience members for this event:
  17. [Only answer the following if your proposed charitable activity is a program.]Describe your plan to sustain this program beyond the timeline of the proposal. [2000 character limit.]
  18. Provide any external reportsthat support your proposal.(5 MB maximum file size.)
  19. Report One: [Upload]
  20. Report Two: [Upload]
  21. Provide any external links to websites or media files that support your proposal.
  22. [Link]
  23. Please use 15 a – e to provide up to five photos in PNG or JPG format. 5 MB maximum file size.
  24. [Upload Photo 1]
  25. [Upload Photo 2]
  26. [Upload Photo 3]
  27. [Upload Photo 4]
  28. [Upload Photo 5]
  29. If you supplied photos in question 15, please use this space to provide a caption, including the names of the individuals in the photograph (if appropriate), the photographer’s name, and a description of what is going on in each photo.
  30. Use this space to clarify any part of the project that you feel needs further explanation. [2,000 character limit]
  31. COLLABORATION: **When appropriate, CFNIL promotes collaborative efforts between non-profits, businesses, institutions, and other entities. Collaboration creates efficiency and reduces duplication of services. CFNIL uses the Collective Impact model to assess collaboration, which you can read about here:
  32. YES or NO: Is this proposal a collaborative effort or part of a collaborative effort?
  33. If NO, skip to question 20.
  34. If Yes, answer the following questions:
  35. Please provide a contact name and phone number for each organization, including a detailed description of the role(s) each organization will play and the resources each will contribute. Identify the leading organization of the collaboration. [4000 character limit] (Resources include funds, equipment, personnel, facilities, etc.)
  36. What is the shared goal of the collaboration? [2000 character limit]
  37. How are the collaborators’ activities mutually reinforcing? [2000 character limit]
  38. Why is it better for this effort to be collaborative? [2000 character limit]
  39. What data will each organization collect and measure for evaluation? [2000 character limit]
  40. How will they share data and best practices within the collaboration? [2000 character limit]
  41. How and when will the collaboration report to the public? [4000 character limit]
  42. YES or NO: Is this request for more than $15,000, OR for a multi-year grant? (Answer “Yes” if your request is more than $15,000 or for multiple years. Answer “No” if your request is for a single year and $15,000 or less.)
  43. If NO, skip to question 20.
  44. If Yes, please upload a letter of support from each of your partner organizations in the project. (If more than one letter, combine and upload as one document. PDF format required. 5 MB maximum file size.)
  45. YES or NO: For the charitable purpose described in this grant, are you providing services primarily to K-12 students?
  46. If NO, skip to Tab 6: Evaluation Plan.
  47. If Yes, answer the following YES or NO question: Are you part of or partnering with a local school districtto provide these services?
  48. If NO: Please explain why a partnership with the school district(s) in your service area is undesirable. [500 character limit]
  49. If YES:Since you are part of or partnering with a school district, you are required to upload a School Pre-Authorization form. You can download the form at Upload School Pre-Authorization form here: (PDF format required; 5 MB maximum file size).
  50. [UPLOAD SCHOOL PRE-AUTHORIZATION FORM]

TAB 6: OUTCOMES

**Whereas applicants requesting $15,000 or less only need to state one outcome, applicants requesting more than $15,000 need to state at least two outcomes.

  1. Outcome #1 (What change or improvement would you like to see in participants/community by the end of the project/program? Example:Students at ABC School will improve their reading skills.)
  2. Indicators of Success #1(What data will be tracked to indicate your level of success? Multiple indicators are encouraged when appropriate. Example #1:Number of students who demonstrate reading comprehension at the 6th grade level. Example #2:Number of students who demonstrate reading vocabulary at the 6th grade level.)
  3. Targets(What is the target value for each of the indicators listed? Use specific percentages or numbers. Example #1:85% of students will demonstrate reading comprehension at the 6th grade level. Example 2) Twenty four participants will demonstrate reading vocabulary at the 6th grade level.)
  4. Measures: (How will you collect data on the indicators mentioned above? E.g. Standardized testing, participant surveys, pre-tests and post-tests, observation, etc. Example #1:Students will be tested using the General Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Test.)
  5. Benchmarks: (What are you comparing your results against? This can be current levels of your target population’s performance or national/regional levels of performance.Example #1: Currently, 30% of ABC School 6th graders read at the 6th grade level or nationally, 85% of 6th graders read at the 6th grade level at the end of the year.)
  6. YES or NO: Do you anticipate a second outcome?
  7. If NO, skip to question 8.
  8. If YES, answer the following: Outcome #2:
  9. Indicators of Success:
  10. Targets:
  11. Measures:
  12. Benchmarks:
  13. Do you anticipate a third outcome?
  14. If NO, skip to question 8.
  15. If YES, answer the following: Outcome #2:
  16. Indicators of Success:
  17. Targets:
  18. Measures:
  19. Benchmarks:
  20. [If your proposed charitable activity is an event, skip to the Proposal Budget tab. If your proposed charitable activity is a project or program, answer the following question.] Is the charitable activity an existing or new activity for your organization? (Choose one.)
  21. Existing
  22. If you chose Existing, skip to question 9.
  23. New
  24. If you chose New, skip to the Proposal Budget tab.
  25. How long has this charitable activity been in operation? (Expressed numerically in years.)
  26. How many people have you served over the lifetime of this charitable activity?
  27. What have been the outcomes of this charitable activity to date? [2,000 character limit]
  28. YES or NO: Do you have any testimonials from past participants in this charitable activity that you feel support this request?
  29. If NO, skip to question 13.
  30. Testimonial 1 (PDF format required. 5 MB maximum file size)
  31. Testimonial 2 (PDF format required. 5 MB maximum file size)
  32. Please add any additional information you would like us to consider here. [2000 characters]

TAB 7: PROPOSAL BUDGET

  1. Upload your proposal budget. Your proposal budget must use CFNIL’s Proposal Budget format found at
  2. [Upload Budget Here]
  3. Budget Narrative: Explain how each expense relates to the proposal's goals. For non-staffing expenses exceeding $5000, include two quotes. See for more information, including a sample narrative.
  4. Do you have non-staffing, single item expenses exceeding $5,000?
  5. If NO, skip to Tab 8: Grant Agreement.
  6. If YES, Please submit two quotes for each item.
  7. [File Attachment] (Consolidate all quotes into one document to upload.)

TAB 8: GRANT AGREEMENT

By clicking below, I agree to the following terms and conditions of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (hereafter “FOUNDATION”) on behalf of my organization (hereafter “GRANTEE”). Additionally, I certify that I am authorized to agree to these terms and conditions.

1.To use the funds only for the tax-exempt purpose1 as described in the grant application and subsequent grant notification letter and not for any other purpose without the FOUNDATION’s prior written approval.

2.To not expend any grant funds for any political or lobbying activity or for any purpose other than one specified in section 170(c)(2)(b) of the Code.

3.Tonotify the FOUNDATION immediately of any change in (a) GRANTEE’S legal or tax status, (b) GRANTEE’S executive or key staff responsible for achieving the grant purposes, (c) GRANTEE’S ability to expend the grant for the intended purpose, and (d) any expenditure from this grant for any purpose other than those for which the grant was intended.

4.To maintain books and records adequate to demonstrate that it maintained thegrant funds in a separate fund dedicated to the purpose for which the grant is made, and to maintain records of expenditures adequate to identify the purposes for which, and manner in which, grant funds have been expended.