Grant Criteria

Purpose

Program Support Grants support new, innovative programs and sustain current and/or ongoing programs of non-profits that serve Linn County, Iowa.

Deadlines

The Program Support Grants deadlines for 2025 are Friday, March 7th and Friday, September 12th, both at 4:30 p.m. CST.

Organization Eligibility*

  • The Community Foundation accepts applications from nonprofit organizations with current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS, governmental organizations, and non-501(c)(3) organizations that have a fiscal sponsorship agreement with a 501(c)(3) organization.
  • Multiple organizations may submit a joint application for a collaborative project – contact Program Officer to discuss this further.
  • Organizations based outside of Linn County may only apply for the Linn County portion of program costs.

*A shorter application for Program Support Grants is available if the organization and request also meets the criteria below:

    • Must be headquartered in Linn County
    • Be a nonprofit with current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS or a non-501(c)(3) with a fiscal sponsorship agreement in place with a 501(c)(3) organization
    • Operating budget is less than $125,000
    • Request amount is $5,000 or less
    • One-year requests only

Ineligible Activities

  • Fundraising events and activities
  • Religious activities or efforts supporting an organization’s core religious mission – contact Program Officer for clarification. 
  • Scholarships for primary and secondary education and post-secondary degree programs 
  • Expenses that have occurred or will occur during the grant review process (which is approximately 10 weeks from the grant deadline)
  • Travel out of the region 
  • Re-granting awarded funds to other nonprofits
  • Capital infrastructure [bricks and mortar] projects
  • Organizations with an active Program Support Grant:
    • For example, if a one-year Program Support Grant is awarded in the fall of the previous year, organization may not apply again until fall of the current year. 
    • If a two-year Program Support Grant is awarded in the fall of the previous year, organization may not apply again until fall of next year. 
    • If a time extension was requested to complete a previous grant, please contact Program Officer to confirm eligibility.

Maximum Request Amount

  • For organizations with operating budgets greater than $125,000, the maximum request amount is $25,000 per year.
  • Organizations with operating budgets less than $125,000 may request an amount up to 20% of their operating budget per request (rounded up to the nearest $100).
    • The Community Foundation generally does not fund more than 20% of an organization’s operating budget between Program Support and Organization Support Grants per year.   
  • Organizations that are primarily volunteer-driven and/or have a very small operating budget should contact the program officer to discuss the eligible amount for their specific situation. 

Duration of Grants

12-24 months

Program Support Funding Limits

  • New initiatives are limited to a single year request. Contact the Program Officer if you have questions about this.

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 Templates and Forms

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 criteria for competitive grant applications available.

Questions? Contact Us.

Photo of Sanjana Raghavan

Sanjana Raghavan, MHA
Program Officer


  319.200.2279
  sanjana.raghavan@gcrcf.org

Visit the Nonprofit Giving Center and the Nonprofit Calendar to search for a nonprofit fund, organization, cause, or event to support.
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