Submit a Grant Proposal for Operating Support

Before Getting Started
A Letter of Inquiry is the required first step in submitting funding requests to be considered by the Community Foundation. The information provided below is intended only for those organizations that previously submitted a Letter of Inquiry and have been invited by the Community Foundation in writing to submit a full grant proposal. If you have not submitted a Letter of Inquiry or would like more information, please read our Community Impact Grants Program page.

Application Preparation and Deadline to Submit a Grant Proposal

The original and fifteen copies of the proposal must be received by the Foundation office located at 123 NW Fourth Street, Suite 220, Evansville, Indiana (second floor of the Court Building) no later than noon on Wednesday, September 30, 2009.  Use 8½ by 11 inch paper and stapled (no binders or folders please).

Please Note:  To hand deliver a funding request, the Vanderburgh Community Foundation is located on the second floor of the Court Building in Suite 220.  If no one is in the office at Suite 220, you may drop your documents in the mail chute in the door, or, if it will not fit, deliver them to the Community Foundation Alliance office on the third floor, Suite 322. 

Required Documents

Cover Sheet (see "Online Forms" below)

Narrative Addressing the Following (two to four pages). 

Mission and Strategy

When was your organization formed?

What is your organization's mission?

Does your organization have a strategic plan?  If yes, please state the date of implementation and the timeframe for completing the plan.  If no, why not?

Program Delivery and Impact 

Describe your organization's core programs and services and the needs they address.  Include a description of your organization's target population, geographic service area, the approximate number of people your organization serves annually, and key partnerships with individuals and/or organizations essential to your programs' success.

Describe the overall goal and expected impact of your programs and services.

What have been the tangible results of your organization's work to date and how does your organization measure its progress and impact?

Management and Leadership

List key staff and volunteers and describe the relevant skills and expertise each brings to the organization.

How does your organization typically raise funds?

List your organization's major sources of financial support and the percentage they represent in your organization's annual budget (do not identify specific individual, foundation, or corporate donors by name).

How many individuals serve on your organization's board?

What percentage of your organization's board of directors has made contributions to the organization in each of its last three fiscal years?

Funding Request 

Describe how the economic downturn has affected your organization.  Include in your description your organization's current financial situation and why you are requesting operating support.

What amount is requested from the Foundation?

How will requested funds impact your organizational and programmatic capacity?

If awarded, how will you assess the effectiveness of the grant?

Supporting Documents
The following documents are to be attached to the Cover Sheet and Narrative described above. It is important to provide ALL requested attachments and that they be labeled in the following manner:

Attachment 1: Current board roster with professional affiliations 

Attachment 2: Non-discrimination policy 

Attachment 3: Strategic plan executive summary (if available)

Attachment 4: Current annual operating budget

Attachment 5: Most recent monthly or quarterly financial statements (e.g. Statement of Financial Position/Balance Sheet and Statement of Activities/Profit & Loss Statement)

Attachment 6: Most recent audited financial statement or completed IRS Form 990

Online Forms
The Cover Sheet Form is provided below. This form is designed to be completed on-screen and then printed (it cannot be submitted on-line and it cannot be saved for retrieval at a later time). You must have Adobe Reader to access this file (Adobe Reader is free and can be downloaded at www.adobe.com/downloads).

Cover Sheet Form

Funding Minimum/Maximum Range
The Foundation will consider funding requests of at least $1,000 but not more than $10,000. Funding requests that do not fall within these limitations will not be considered.

Deliberation
The grants committee will make its recommendations on funding to the Foundation's Board of Trustees, which will make final funding recommendations to the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation Alliance (our governing body). No lobbying or soliciting of grants committee members or board members will be permitted.

Award Announcement
All organizations that have submitted grant proposals will be notified of the outcome of the grants committee's deliberation in writing no later than December 1.

Reporting Procedures
A six-month progress report and a final report at project completion are required by organizations whose proposals are approved for funding. Instructions and appropriate forms will be provided at the time the grant is awarded.