Organizations should help themselves to organize. Whether you have a development department, one person, or just development needs doing a write up on the foundations you will be applying to or even might consider at some point will be helpful to your organization. By keeping a record of who a foundation is, your contact person, their priorities, what is and what is not eligible for funding, the process to apply, and even items as simple as the website for the foundation you will save a significant amount of time when you are ready to write the grant proposal. Below is an example of a foundation overview sheet.
Contact Information:
Contact Information:
The Community
Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes
307B East Water Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Sara E. Palmer, Program Officer (receives initial proposals)
Telephone: (607) 734-6412
Fax: (607) 734-7335
Email: sep@communityfund.org
Website: http://www.communityfund.org
Brief History:
A tax-exempt public organization, The Community
Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc. enables people with
philanthropic interests to easily and effectively support the issues they care
about in their community, either immediately or through their estates. With the social and economic health of the
Chemung Valley and surrounding Finger Lakes Region as their focus, they
maintain an in-depth, holistic knowledge of their community and where the most
urgent needs lie. They address these
needs through grants and technical assistance to non-profit organizations, as
well as through scholarships to individuals.
One of only 700 community foundations in the US, the
Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc. was
established in 1993 through the merger of the Chemung County Community Foundation
(est. 1977) and the Corning Community Foundation (est. 1972). The organization is governed by a volunteer
board of directors.
During the 2007-2008 Grant Cycles the largest gift
was for $150,000 to the YWCA of Elmira and the Twin Tiers. The smallest gift was to Reading to Roos for
$100. Most gifts were for between $3,000
and $8,000 and 117 requests (excluding scholarships) were granted. Individual scholarships ranged from $200 to
$18,550.
Funding
Priorities:
Eligible
The Community Foundation is a public charity that
encourages funding requests from non-profit organizations in the Twin Tiers whose
programs:
·
Offer
creative responses to the community’s most pressing needs and concerns
·
Are
preventative and farsighted rather than remedial
·
Maximize
the impact of relatively modest grants
·
Increase
access and opportunities for people from low-income or underserved segments of
the community
·
Involve
cooperation or collaboration among program providers
Applicants must be
registered 501(c)(3) organizations located in and serving the citizens of
Chemung and/or Southeastern Steuben counties, New York.
Proposals from
faith-based organizations will only be considered if: (1) service benefits all,
regardless of religion; (2) service provided is not religious in nature; and
(3) there is no proselytizing associated with the service.
Not Eligible
Organizations may not
submit more than one application
for funding at a time.
The Community
Foundation generally does not make grants from unrestricted funds for the
following:
•
Annual
campaigns, special event fundraisers or sponsorships
•
Religious
purposes
•
Political
or partisan purposes
•
Activities
taking place before grant decisions are made
•
Trips
for schools or clubs
•
Deficit
funding or debt retirement
•
Individuals
(except through scholarships for education)
Process and
Timeline:
The Foundation
accepts applications twice per year. Organizations submitting a proposal for $5,000
or more in funding must submit a letter explaining the program to be funded and
the amount requested – a letter of intent – four weeks before the application
deadline. An electronic letter of intent form is available on their website; www.communityfund.org.
Letters and
applications must be postmarked by the following dates to be considered:
Letter of Intent
Deadlines Application
Deadlines Notification
March 2, 2009 April 1, 2009 mid-June 2009
August 3, 2009 September 1, 2009 mid-November 2009
All applications must
include the following sections. They appreciate clarity and brevity in your
responses.
1. Data Intake
Sheet
•
Available
on their website
•
Completed
in blue or black ink or type; scanning
or reproducing
2. Project
/Program Description
Using no more than 4
single-sided pages, describe the funding need.
The following items
must be addressed:
•
A
description of the activity or service and how it relates to the organization’s
mission. For technology support, describe how the technology will improve
program delivery for your organization.
•
The
process and timeframe for developing the project/program or purchasing the
equipment.
•
A
list of the key staff, board members, consultants, and service providers
involved in the project. Briefly describe their roles.
•
Identify
external support from the community. Include any in-kind support related to
this application.
•
If
applicable, identify target audiences and special populations to be served.
•
A
description of how the project/program will be announced to the community.
•
Evidence
that the program/project or technology purchase will be evaluated and
measurable outcomes will be set.
3. Project Budget
•
Must
be completed in their format, provided on website
•
Completed
in blue or black ink or type; scanning or reproducing
4. Support
Materials
•
Names
of current board of directors and their occupations
•
If
filed, latest copy of the organization’s IRS 990 form
•
3
References – please include name, title, relationship to the organization, and
contact information
•
Detailed
copy of the latest annual operating budget
•
Resumes
of key project personnel and contractors
•
Other
support materials, such as brochures, VHS tapes, etc.
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