When an organization has a good idea, one of the biggest hurdles is often finding the money to bring it to life.
Your Community Foundation is once again inviting local agencies to take that next step as its annual grant funding cycle opens, offering thousands of dollars to support projects designed to benefit Allen County communities.
This year’s grant cycle will focus on promoting health and education efforts through a total of $18,000 in funding. The maximum individual grant will be capped at $5,000.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, municipalities and churches.
“We want to fund projects that are helping the community,” said YCF Executive Director Elaina Stiffler.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 1.
Organizations can complete an application by downloading the form from Your Community Foundation’s website (www.givingmakesadifference.org) and mailing it with all necessary attachments to Your Community Foundation, PO Box 44, Iola, KS 66749 or emailing it to [email protected].
SINCE LAUNCHING its annual grant program, Your Community Foundation has awarded $124,340 through the funding cycle.
While the grant application period is now underway, Stiffler also encourages organizations to begin thinking ahead to the foundation’s annual matching campaign, which begins in November with a few significant changes.
One of the biggest changes involves the amount that must be raised to unlock the full available matching funds. In previous years, the campaign needed to raise $100,000 to receive the full available $100,000 in matching funds from the Patterson Family Foundation.
Now, “we have to raise twice as much money to get the same amount of match money as previous years,” Stiffler said. “So, we have to raise $200,000 to receive that $100,000 match.”
ANOTHER CHANGE gives participating nonprofits greater flexibility in how they use donations raised during the campaign.
Previously, all donations and matching dollars were directed into the organization’s endowed funds to build long-term financial stability.
Beginning this year, participating nonprofits may choose to place half of the donations and half of the matching funds into their endowed funds while using the remaining 50% for immediate operational or program needs.
Last year’s matching campaign raised $205,871.28 for 16 charitable funds, which Stiffler noted demonstrates continued community support for local nonprofit organizations.
She added that the number of charitable funds to be awarded in this year’s campaign has yet to be determined and will depend on how many organizations choose to apply.
