Guidelines for Applying for Grants

Introduction

While grants should not be thought of as a primary source of funding, they can provide income for affiliated fund and community projects. If your affiliated fund is considering applying for a grant, there are some things you should know and some guidelines you must follow to increase your chances of success and minimize risk to your fund and the Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF).

Sources of Grants

There is a common misconception among novice fundraisers that millions of dollars are available through grants; they just need to write an application. Foundations do have millions of dollars, but only for projects that fit their specific guidelines and purpose, and competition for grants is fierce. Grants can certainly give your affiliated fund a boost in meeting your final fundraising goal, but it is important to keep the role of grants in perspective.

There may be local, regional or national sources of grant money available to your affiliated fund. The most common sources of grant funding are private foundations and the government. Private foundations typically focus their grants in a specific geographic area (e.g., the hometown of a family foundation or communities in which a business operates) or field of interest (e.g., education, health, the environment). Government grants typically come with significant restrictions and reporting requirements, and in many situations are made only to local governmental entities.

Resources for identifying potential grants include the following:

• The Foundation Center has a directory of private philanthropic and grant making foundations on the Internet at http://www.foundationcenter.org
• Other nonprofit organizations in your area may share information about grants they have received from local, regional or national sources.
• The NCF Development staff can give you examples of grants received by other NCF affiliated funds that are similar to what you are seeking.

Steps to Apply for a Grant

1. Raise Local Contributions
• Grants are a secondary source of funding for your project. The primary source in your fundraising campaign is local donors.
2. Identify Potential Grants
• Determine the project for which you are seeking a grant.
• Ensure that your project and its charitable purpose meet the grantor’s requirements. Note that grantors rarely fund general operations or endowments.
• Carefully review the grant application and other information provided by the grantor to learn the restrictions on the types of projects that will be funded. If your project does not fit the grantor’s purpose, your project won’t qualify.
• Contact NCF once you have identified a potential grant source. NCF must review grant requirements to verify that your affiliated fund is eligible to apply.
• Consider making an inquiry before you complete the grant application. Send a letter or have a conversation with a representative of the grant maker. Ask if they would be interested in accepting a formal grant application.
3. Complete the Grant Application
• Your affiliated fund must write its own grant application. NCF does not provide grant writing services.
• If you are unsure of anything during the grant application process, call your NCF Development representative.
• Be prepared before you start writing:

• Finalize your budget.
• Have your case statement ready.
• Get approval from your FAC to apply for the grant and keep them informed.
• Raise money and pledges locally to demonstrate local support for your project.
• If you are thinking about hiring a grant writer, contact NCF first.

• Use the Nebraska Community Foundation’s name and address as the applicant on the grant application and correspondence. Private foundations generally must grant only to 501(c)(3) public charities; NCF is the legal entity that meets this requirement. Your affiliated fund does not have independent legal status.
• Be sure that the application and correspondence reference your affiliated fund (i.e. the Nebraska Community Foundation for the benefit of Hometown Community Fund). Provide contact information for both NCF and a member of your Fund Advisory Committee.
• NCF must review and approve your application before it is submitted. We will verify that the application is complete and meets the grant criteria and can offer suggestions to improve your chances of success.
• The application must be signed by an officer of NCF and a representative of your Fund Advisory Committee.
4. Submit the Application
• Applications may not be submitted until NCF has reviewed them. Allow at least a week before the application deadline for this review.
• Be sure that the application is complete and all required attachments are included. Some grants require the applicant to provide its tax identification number, IRS determination letter, a copy of financial statements, or other information. NCF can assist you in gathering this information as needed for the application.
• Make a copy of the complete, signed application to be kept on file at the NCF offices. This is required so that we can document compliance with the requirements of all grants.
• NCF can submit the application for your affiliated fund or return the original to you for your submission.
• Submitting Online applications:

• Complete the online application and save your draft.
• Contact NCF with your login information so we can review the application.
• Once you have received NCF approval, you may submit the application.
• Provide NCF with a copy of your submitted application.

5. Follow Up
• Some grantmakers send a grant award letter that sets forth conditions that must be met by the grant recipient. Make sure that your affiliated fund can meet the requirements, then forward the letter to NCF for review and signature.
• Most grants require recipients to submit written progress reports related to the grant. Your affiliated fund is responsible for preparing these reports. Submit any grant reports to NCF for review prior to sending them to the grantor.
• Failure to complete required reports may make NCF and all of its affiliated funds ineligible for future funding from that grantmaker.

Please contact your NCF Development Staff member if you have questions about applying for grants.
 
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