African American Community Fund Grant

The African American Community Fund Grant aims to enhance the quality of life for African Americans in Lorain County by supporting organizations that promote self-sufficiency, education, public safety, and community development. With a focus on the most disadvantaged residents, the Fund encourages innovative programs and collaborative efforts, while prioritizing projects that address pressing community needs. Grants cover specific purposes for a year and are awarded to tax-exempt organizations within Lorain County and, occasionally, outside it.

Purpose
A volunteer Advisory Board encourages giving to establish new and grow existing endowment funds to support annual grants and scholarships that fulfill the mission.
The African American Community Fund awards grants to improve the quality of life of African Americans of Lorain County.
Grant Process
The African American Community Fund awards grants for definite purposes and normally covering a one year period of time.
Applicants are encouraged to discuss their project with the Community Foundation’s program staff prior to submitting a formal proposal.
Priority Funding Areas
Grants are made to organizations which develop programs that are focused on collaborative problem solutions or on new approaches in dealing with continuing needs. The African American Community Fund will direct its efforts to the following priority areas:
Development within the African American community with emphasis on neighborhood revitalization;Building the capacity of non-profit organizations that serve or benefit African Americans;Elementary or Secondary Education;Public safety, education and prevention of crime and violence within the African American community.
Programming Interests
The African American Community Fund receives many more worthy requests than it can support and must make judgments on relative need and potential impact. In making these decisions, the Fund will weigh the extent to  which proposals address the following preferences:
Does the program involve collaborative problem solving among several service providers?Does the program strengthen the capacity of organizations through local leadership or by helping non-profit organizations manage more effectively?Does the program demonstrate potential for systemic change, reform, or long-range impact?Does the program reflect a community-wide effort or focus?
Other Requests
The African American Community Fund will also review proposals that are outside the four priority funding areas if the projects clearly address the African American Community Fund’s programmatic interests

Eligibility

The African American Community Fund awards grants to improve the quality of life of African Americans of Lorain County. The Fund has a special interest in affecting the most disadvantaged in the community. The African American Community Fund supports tax-exempt, organizations and public agencies within Lorain County, Ohio, or in some cases, organizations outside the county whose projects directly impact African American Lorain County residents.

Ineligibility

In general, the African American Community Fund does not make grants for:Medical research;Membership fees;Ticket sales for charitable fund raising events;Religious purposes;Grants to individuals, except Scholarships;Services commonly regarded as the responsibility of government;Public or non-public school services required by state law;Capital support, including buildings, construction, or land purchase;Equipment, unless it is a minor part of an innovative or otherwise fundable program;Ongoing operating support and other expenses of an existing program or project;Capital debt reduction