Grants

SOUTH MADISON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, INC. GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS

Programs and policies of The South Madison Community Foundation, Inc. will be evaluated on an on-going basis and revised as needed to maintain adequate flexibility to meet donor and community needs. However, all policies will be in keeping with governing regulations/laws to ensure the Foundation maintains its 501 (c) (3) status.

The Board of Directors of the South Madison Community Foundation, Inc. has developed a procedure for submission and evaluation of grant proposals. Because of time constraints, all proposals must be submitted in writing – no personal presentations are accepted. The Grants Committee makes its recommendation to the Board of Directors who must give final approval for the funding. Applicants are notified within one month of the submission deadline of approval or denial of their request for funding.

Application deadlines:

*Cycle One: February 1st
Cycle Two: June 1st
Cycle Three: October 1st

If this day falls on a weekend or federal holiday, requests will be accepted through 5:00 pm the next business day.

*Please note that Cycle One is administered by the South Madison Youth Commission. The budget for this grant cycle is smaller than the other cycles. We suggest keeping your requests limited to $1,000.00 or less.

PLEASE EMAIL THE OFFICE TO REQUEST A GRANT APPLICATION.

smcfpd@verizon.net

Funding Priorities

HIGH

With the limited unrestricted funds available, it is necessary to determine which grants can best be awarded to have the greatest impact on the needs and growth of the South Madison Community. Historically, the Board has approved grants ranging from $150 to $10,000. The priorities of the South Madison Community Foundation, Inc. are:

• To focus on the prevention of problems rather than the symptoms
• To maintain both a proactive focus and an ability to respond to creative ideas from grant seekers
• To assist grant seekers to better respond to the changing needs of the community
• To encourage programs that enhance cooperation and collaboration among institutions within our community
• To leverage funds through the use of “match” and “challenge” grants
• To fund projects that will make a significant improvement in our community

LOW

While the Community Foundation remains flexible in attempting to meet community needs, the following items generally will not be funded:

• Operational expenses of existing programs
• Endowments or deficit funding
• Funds for redistribution by the grantee
• Conferences, publication, films, television and radio programs unless integral to the project for which the grant is sought.
• Religious or political purposes
• Travel for individuals or groups such as bands, sports teams and classes
• Annual appeals and membership contributions
• Major Capital Improvements

TIPS FOR SUBMITTING EFFECTIVE PROPOSALS

Is there a clear problem in the South Madison Community that you are trying to solve? Do you demonstrate or document the need in some way? In the proposal you should include the local information specific to the identified need.

To what degree would the proposed project address or solve the identified South Madison Community need? When we review your program goals and activities, we will look for a direct connection to the needs you’ve described. Your program should clearly reduce this need or improve the situation in some notable way.

In the proposal, do you describe how you will measure the results and success of your project? Do you know what tools or resources you will use to evaluate your program, to ascertain whether the project “worked”?

We want to see that your agency has the capacity to successfully conduct and sustain the program this year and in the future – by looking at financial information, the project budget, and the human resources (staff and volunteers).

In the project budget – we want to see that it reflects the narrative description of your proposed project, and that it is a realistic budget to get the job done. To determine your ability to sustain the program beyond the life of the grant from the community foundation, we examine your other funding sources and financial history. We hope to see income growth over the life of the agency, diverse funding sources, and programs that you have maintained over time.

In the end, we want to fund local programs that meet clearly defined needs of residents in the South Madison Community, and have thoughtfully documented plans. If questions arise as you complete your grant application, please call the Foundation at 765-778-8444.