Community Foundation Mini Grant - Helping Today, Shaping Tomorrow

Application Opens: September 1, 2022 

Submission Deadline: September 30, 2022

Recipient Notification: November 10, 2022

Grant Application Guidelines
The Community Foundation of North Florida’s (CFNF) mission is to enhance the quality of life in the North Florida community through the promotion and support of charitable giving. Our vision is to serve as an illuminator of community needs while connecting donors to charitable causes they care most to support.

To further our mission and vision, CFNF is launching Helping Today, Shaping Tomorrow (HTST), a small grant program to benefit nonprofit organizations in the Big Bend region. This grant opportunity is designed to provide immediate support to nonprofit organizations that are addressing community needs with programs or services that have the potential for long-term community impact. Nonprofits located in our geographic service area of Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla counties are eligible to apply.

This year, the small grant program will provide ten $5,000 grants and place priority on proposals from nonprofits providing programs or services in the areas of Education and Social & Human Services (specifically, Basic Needs). These two funding priority areas were selected by the Community Foundation Board of Directors after reviewing the results of a community needs assessment survey. CFNF asked survey respondents to rank the community’s most pressing needs in seven areas historically supported by its donors. Those areas are Animal Welfare, Arts & Culture, Civic Engagement, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health & Wellness, and Social & Human Services. Survey respondents included donors, nonprofits in our 11-county footprint who have received a grant from CFNF within the past 25 years, and community stakeholders who participated in our strategic planning process.

Like most small grant programs, HTST will feature a streamlined application and reporting process. However, there are eligibility requirements that must be met before a nonprofit is able to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

• Provide direct services to residents in one or more of the counties listed above.
• Have at least two years of operating history in one or more of these counties.
• Have active programs or services that are designed to address community needs in the priority areas of Education and Social & Human Services (specifically, Basic Needs).
• Have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or have a fiscal sponsor with tax exempt status, or are a 509(a)(1) or(2) organization with a letter of determination.

Priority Consideration

Nonprofits able to demonstrate the following:

• Programs or services that can be scaled or replicated.
• Collaborative partnerships with other nonprofits to provide more efficient approaches to addressing community needs in the funding priority areas.
• How this grant can help build capacity.
• Clear benchmark(s) for measuring success.
• Currently providing programs or services that are easily accessible in the communities being served.
• Ability to demonstrate how the grant may be leveraged to obtain or build upon other funding.

Grant Exclusions

Grant funds cannot be used to support the following:

• Capital infrastructure projects (e.g., bricks and mortar).
• Ongoing annual operating expenses (rent, utilities, etc.).
• Fundraising campaigns or fundraising events.
• Grants to individuals, for memberships, annual campaigns, endowments or memorials.
• Expenses incurred prior to the grant date.
• Organizations that discriminate against a person or group based on, religious belief, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, race, disability, gender, and/or age.

Grant Reporting 

• The grant will cover a 12-month period, beginning with the selection notification date.
• CFNF is to receive a final summary report upon completion of the program/project for which the grant funding was awarded.
• The final summary report submission is not to exceed 13-months from the initial award notification date.

Please note, the Community Foundation reserves the right to extend or postpone provided dates and will give notice of any such change via the CFNF website.