Competitive Grant Application Requirements
Please read the requirements carefully to ensure that your application is in compliance and complete before submitting through the Foundation’s on-line application system. Be specific and concise in your answers.
Applications are only accepted through the on-line system via the Waco Foundation website (www.wacofoundation.org).
Please submit your application according to our directions.
Formatting
· Please respond to ALL questions in the order presented in the number of pages indicated.
· Please label each question/answer accordingly – restate the Section Number and Question Number and question(s) asked (i.e. I.1 - Briefly describe the history of the organization (including the year it was established) and the organization’s goals; II.1 - Describe the project/program to be funded, including a needs statement). If a question is not applicable, list it and answer it with N/A.
· Note that if your proposal exceeds the page number limits listed, the subsequent pages will not be reviewed and your application will be considered incomplete and thereby eliminated from the grant cycle for consideration.
· Use 8.5 x 11 page size, Times New Roman font in 12-point type size, and have at least ½” margins on all sides.
· Insert a footer on each page as follows: “Organization Name Grant Application” and page number.
· Please follow the exact outline provided and do not include information not asked for.
· Please do not include a cover letter.
· Please follow these instructions precisely, carefully and completely.
Deadlines
Competitive grant application deadlines are as follows:
· Spring applications are due on April 1st by midnight.
· Fall applications are due on September 1st by midnight.
Funding Decisions
Competitive grant application funding decisions and awards are made at the following times:
· Spring decisions are awarded at the end of May.
· Fall decisions are awarded at the end of October.
Reimbursement Requirements
Funds are dispersed on a reimbursement system upon submission of a Waco Foundation Check Request Form. The Form must be accompanied by supporting documentation, which includes:
· invoices (note purchase orders are not acceptable unless there is a copy of the payment check attached to it)
· payment checks or credit card receipts (you must include proof of payment already made – checks are issued only on a reimbursement system)
· accounting software printouts indicating payment amount and date payment was made
· payroll records and/or timesheets with a copy of the payment check
All reimbursement requests should be submitted electronically to . Please allow the Foundation an approximate 10-day turn around for all check requests.
Reporting Requirement
Evaluation & Close-Out Reports
· Six (6) months after the grant award date, award recipients will submit the Interim Evaluation Report with all questions answered completely and candidly.
· Upon the final check reimbursement request, award recipients will submit the Grant Close-Out Report with all questions answered completely and candidly.
All reports should be submitted electronically to .
Questions?
Please contact Nicole Wynter, Director of Grants & Capacity Building at 254-754-3404 or via email at .
Granting Guidelines
1. Organizations applying for funds must be classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity under the Internal Revenue Code. Individuals are not qualified applicants.
2. Organizations must provide services directly to Waco and McLennan County.
3. Organizations that have been previously funded cannot apply again until 12 months have passed.
4. Organizations that have been previously funded must submit an Interim Evaluation Form (due 6 months after the grant is awarded) and a Close-Out Report (due with the final check request for the grant) before applying for a subsequent grant. It is the responsibility of the grantee organization to have these submitted on time.
5. The Foundation will fund specific projects and programs that have measurable results (evidence of productivity, change in number, etc.).
6. The Foundation appreciates and encourages collaborative agency grant requests.
7. The Foundation has two (2) grant cycles per year.
8. Oral presentations and site visits are not required; however, the board reserves the right to request one.
Waco Foundation generally will not consider:
1. Religious activities or programs that serve, or appear to serve specific religious groups or denominations. However, projects that will serve a broad segment of the population will be considered on the same basis as proposals from other agencies.
2. Political lobbying or legislative activities.
3. Endowment funds.
4. National, state, or local fundraising activities, i.e., annual fund drives, benefit tickets, and telephone solicitations.
5. Umbrella funding organizations that intend to distribute grant funds at their own discretion.
6. The use of and payment for services of a fiscal agent.
7. Tax supported entities, i.e. cities and schools.
8. Individuals.
9. Late requests.
10. Requests for programs or projects already completed.
11. Refunding projects, programs or items purchased before the grant is approved or awarded.
Competitive Grant Application Outline
Please read each statement carefully to ensure that you are complying with the submission requirements. You are allotted a maximum of 10 pages to answer the following questions.
I. BACKGROUND/ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION
1. Briefly describe the history of the organization (including year established), its mission, goals, objectives and programs.
2. Provide a list of some of your most recent past successes/accomplishments as an organization.
3. List relevant networks/coalitions your nonprofit participates in and briefly describe how your organization is collaborating with these organizations.
4. List all previous Waco Foundation grants (competitive cycle grants only – not donor advised grants). Include the date of the award, the amount, the project name and purpose and whether the program is still operating.
5. Has your organization registered its services/programs with the local 211 office? If not, why?
II. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE
1. Using local data (census, ACS statistics, or similar information), describe the need being addressed by your project/program, when and how you last assessed the need for services, and how the local community will benefit from your efforts. Be sure to include the number of people and zip codes impacted by your efforts.
2. List the goals and objectives of the project/program and provide a narrative of the proposed effort. Be sure to describe how it relates to the mission of the organization and explain why you are choosing to implement the project at this time.
3. Provide an overview of your action plan. Be sure to describe your methodology and include your proposed time table for implementation.
4. List all executive staff members and all staff related to the project/program, their titles and salaries.
5. What is the cost of the project (provide estimated total cost as well as the cost per person/unit to be served by the effort). What is the amount of your request for funding?
6. Independent of Waco Foundation funding, what other fundraising activities are you undertaking to make progress towards achieving your goal for this project/program?
7. List any known or anticipated challenges (not including fundraising issues) and specify your suggestions/plans to overcome them.
8. What are your long term sources/strategies for sustaining the project/program at the end of the grant period?
9. List other local organizations that address the same/similar issues and describe how you are interacting with them to address the issue in question (information sharing, network, collaboration, partnership, other).
III. EVALUATION NARRATIVE
1. Is this program/project addressing the root cause(s) of a problem or is it serving an immediate need in response to a problem? If this effort addresses root causes, please describe how it is doing so. If this effort serves an immediate need, are you involved in any other efforts to identify and address root causes?
2. List the outputs and anticipated outcomes that will result from this project/program. (Be specific)
3. Describe what successful implementation of this project will look like. Be sure to detail your strategy for evaluating your efforts and adjusting your plan of action through the term of this grant and beyond, if needed.
4. Why should the Waco Foundation provide funding to your organization for this project/program?
5. Describe how your organization will recognize the Waco Foundation’s support.
IV. ATTACHMENTS
1. List of organization’s board members, their professions, terms and attendance rates for the last year.
2. Detailed budget for project/program – including all anticipated income streams and expenses.
3. Organization budget for current fiscal year.
4. Previous Fiscal Year- to-date Income Statement/Statement of Activities (income/revenue and expenses). Provide actual vs. budgeted revenues and expenses dating from the previous fiscal year end to the present (provide only the information requested –cut & paste from any financial spreadsheets as necessary).
5. Previous Fiscal Year-to-date Balance sheet/Statement of Financial Position (assets and liabilities). Provide only the information requested –cut & paste from any financial spreadsheets as necessary.
6. Fiscal-year-end-to-date profit and loss statement (actual vs. budget) – from previous fiscal year end to present (provide only the information requested –cut & paste from any financial spreadsheets as necessary).
7. Year-to-date balance sheet (provide only the information requested –cut & paste from any financial spreadsheets as necessary).
8. Organization actual vs. budget comparison for previous fiscal year (provide only the information requested –cut & paste from any financial spreadsheets as necessary).
9. Most recent filed Form 990 (required of all organizations with over $300, 000 in receipts).
10. Most recent audited financial statements.
11. Letter on Internal Control (a/k/a Management Letter). If one was not issued by your auditors please include a letter from your auditor indicating one was not issued.
12. Board/Organizational Chart (optional –).
13. Fundraising Plan (optional).
14. Strategic Plan (optional).
Competitive Grant Application Requirements & Outline pg. 1