Grant Criteria
Purpose
Program Support Grants support new, innovative programs and sustain current and/or ongoing programs that demonstrate impact on the quality of life in Linn County, Iowa.
This grant program is intended to target the programmatic work of an organization and is not intended to assist with capital infrastructure projects (bricks and mortar) projects.
Organization Eligibility
The Community Foundation accepts applications from nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) status, governmental organizations, and non-501(c)(3) organizations that have completed arrangements to obtain a fiscal sponsor. Multiple organizations may submit a joint application for a collaborative project – contact a program officer to discuss.
Ineligible Activities
- Fundraising events and activities
- Religious activities or efforts supporting an organization’s core religious mission
- Scholarships for primary and secondary education and post-secondary degree programs
- Expenses for projects and programs that have already occurred or will occur during the grant review process
- Travel out of the region
- Regranting funds to other nonprofits
Maximum Request Amount
New initiatives are limited to a single-year request.
| Organizational Budget | Request Amount | Grant Term |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$100K | $1,000-$15,000* | 12 months |
| $100K-$750K | $1,000-$20,000 per year | 12-24 months |
| $750K | $1,000-$25,000 per year | 12-24 months |
*The Community Foundation generally does not fund more than 20% of an organization’s budget.
Duration of Grants
12-24 months
Frequency of Application and Funding Limits
- Organizations have four application opportunities between Program Supports Grants (PSG) and Organization Support Grants (OSG) in the calendar year with the following exception: a current active grant removes the application opportunity for that grant program. Contact the Program Officer for clarification if needed.
- Organizations with operating budgets of less than $250,000 are generally limited to up to 20% of their operating budget in total from these two grant programs during the calendar year.
- Organizations with operating budgets of $250,000 or higher are limited to $50,000 total from these two grant programs during the calendar year.
Program Support Grant Funding Limits
- New initiatives are limited to a single year request.
- Two-year grant requests may not exceed $50,000. For example, a two-year request is limited to $25,000/year.
Grantmaking Equity Statement
The Community Foundation is committed to ensuring equity in our grantmaking strategy. Review the Grantmaking Equity Statement adopted by the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors here.
Application and Forms
- Download 2023 Program Support Grants Application and Scoring Criteria
- Download Organization Demographics Form
- Download Project/Program Budget Form
- Download Budget Explanation Key
Questions? Contact
Sanjana Raghavan, Program Officer at sanjana.raghavan@gcrcf.org or at 319.200.2279.
NOTE: The Community Foundation maintains strict standards to uphold the integrity of the grantmaking process. Our conflict of interest policy applies to grant committees, board and staff requiring recusals in cases of conflict of interest. The Community Foundation review processes are methodical and transparent, with scoring tools for competitive grant applications available in the online applications.
Questions? Contact Us.
 Sanjana Raghavan, MHA |