CFNCM Grants and Scholarships

CFNCM 2011-2012 GRANT GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

To download the following guidelines in Word, please click here

The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts (Foundation) is accepting applications for grant making from its General Endowment Fund. In the past, the Foundation has been able to award up to 10 grants, ranging in amounts between $4,000 and $20,000.

Funding consideration will be given to, but not limited to, proposals requesting general support for programs/projects pertaining to community development, environment, animal welfare, arts and culture, as well as health and human services. The grant making committee will give greater consideration to those proposals that are strategic, innovative and sustainable.

Funding awards are made on a year to year basis with no multi-year commitments.

Funding requests that will generally not be considered include loans, attempts to influence legislation, and support where the Foundation may become the predominant long term source of revenue. Proposals for grants that do not directly benefit the geographic service area of the Foundation will not be considered - a listing of towns at end of this document.

Procedures

The Foundation’s application process has two steps and all submissions are to be done electronically, using Associated Grant Makers’ (AGM) Common Proposal Forms – which can be accessed by visiting http://agmconnect.org/cpf/ .

1. The first step is the submission of the Concept Paper and Cover Sheet. The completion of the concept paper should follow the guidelines of AGM. The completion of the concept paper should follow the guidelines of AGM and include a statement showing how the program/project will benefit specific towns in our geographic region (listed at end of this document)

Additionally, - in the text of your concept paper, please add a section that identifies the intended outcomes that will be produced as a result of the funding - (keeping the Concept Paper submission to two (2) pages). Also, the following is required -

a. Proof of IRS Tax Exempt Status must be attached

b. Submission will contain a maximum of 4 pages, which consist of – Cover Sheet, two-page narrative (according to AGM guidelines – with identified outcomes), and Proof of IRS Tax Exempt Status. Submissions not adhering to these restrictions will not be considered.

c. Deadline for the submission of the Concept Paper and Cover Sheet is JANUARY 27, 2011 @ 4:00 p.m. – via email. Late submissions WILL NOT be considered.

d. All concept papers and proposals and attachments must be submitted electronically to csnyder@cfncm.org

e. Questions regarding this process may be directed to Courtney Snyder, Administrative Assistant at csnyder@cfncm.org or 978-345-8383 x17. Concept Papers will then be reviewed by the Foundation’s staff and the Grant Committee of the Board of Trustees.

2. In the second step, upon review of concept papers, a limited number of applicants will then be invited to submit a full RFP with a due date of March 31, 2011 @ 4:00 p.m., via email. Late submissions WILL NOT be considered. All full RFP submissions should use AGM full proposal guidelines – and include identified outcomes within the narrative. All submissions should minimally include the following –

a. Cover Sheet

b. Full Proposal

c. Budget

d. Most recent financial statements as required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

e. IRS Form 990/990EZ

f. Certificate of Non- Discrimination

g. Disclosure of any current or prior legal action(s) involving the organization is required.

h. All proposals must be electronically submitted.

Subsequent to the two-step process, the following applies:

3. Once full proposals have been received, staff interviews may take place depending on the appropriateness of the Full Proposal or the need for additional information. The Committee will then present recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

4. Grant notification, along with an agreement form will be sent to grant recipients in early June. All grantees will be notified via email and post mail. NO phone calls please. Payment of grant will be made immediately following receipt of the signed agreement.

5. Submission of programmatic and financial progress reports will be required on JANUARY 15 and JULY 15, 2012.

6. Funds awarded are restricted for use to the proposal submitted and so are required to be identified as such in the subsequent annual financial statements.

7. A copy of the subsequent financial statement is the final reporting requirement of the Foundation.

Thank you for your inquiry into our grants process. We currently have an open RFP once a year in the Springtime. Announcements for the RFP are made at the end of the year and defines the process, which consists of two steps -

1. Concept papers may be submitted by the date identified in the proposal announcement.
2. A limited number will then be invited to submit a full proposal, which would then be reviewed and evaluated before recommendations are made to the Board of Trustees in late May/early June.

Following Board approval, grant announcements go out by the end of June.

If you are interested in receiving the RFP announcement, please send us your contact information – email and mailing address - and we will include you in that mailing.

Every year the Foundation seeks grants proposals from nonprofits who serve our service territory. This year, we were able to fund 12 programs. In the past, some donors have expressed an interest in learning more about some of the excellent proposals we were unable to fund. Please click on this link to learn more about these programs. If you have any interest in learning more or possibly funding any of these programs, please call Kathy Heintz at 978-345-8383 or kathy@cfncm.org.

Community Foundation’s Service Territory:

The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, with nearly $20 million in charitable assets, was created in 2001 to serve the charitable interests of donors in to provide a means for donors to permanently endow charitable gifts, to increase and stabilize available funding to meet needs and improve the quality of life in Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Barre, Bolton, Clinton, Devens, Erving, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Littleton, Lunenburg, New Salem, Orange, Pepperell, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Shirley, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Warwick, Wendell, Westminster and Winchendon.