Cave Conservancy of the Virginias General Grant Program

Application Process and Requirements

Submission Deadlines:

Spring Meeting: February 15 at 12:00 noon (US Eastern Time)

Fall Meeting: August 15 at 12:00 noon (US Eastern Time)

Proposals received after a submission deadline will not be considered without exception

Submission Format:

Submit as a single PDF file via email

Send to: Grants and Awards Committee Chair (blaineschubert@gmail.com)

Email subject line: "CCV Grant Proposal – Project Leader's Last Name"

Acknowledgment of receipt will be sent within three days

Formatting Requirements:

Double-spaced, left-justified text (not fully justified)

Common font (Times New Roman or Arial) at 12-point size

Header on each page (starting from item C): Project leader's last name and shortened proposal title

Footer on each page: Page number

No page limit, but word limits apply to summary and description sections

All content must be in one single PDF file

Required Proposal Components (in order):

A. Cover Letter

• Dated and signed
• On institutional letterhead
• Addressed to: Blaine Schubert, Grants Committee Chair, Cave Conservancy of the Virginias, 13131 Overhill Lake Lane, Glen Allen, VA 23059

B. Cover Page (Required Information)

1. Title of proposal 2. Names of project leader and co-leaders with: - Job title - Organization affiliation - Mailing address - Email address - Daytime phone number 3. Project timeline in format "January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024" 4. Total amount of funding requested 5. Submitting tax-exempt organization details: - Full name (e.g., "The Nature Conservancy" not "TNC") - Mailing address - Website URL (if applicable) - Federal Tax Identification Number (Tax ID) or Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) 6. Name, title, email address, and daytime phone number of person responsible for administering funds at the organization - May include mailing address if different from organization address - Usually treasurer, grants administrator, or sponsored project administrator 7. Statement on whether project leader or co-leaders have received CCV grant support within the previous five years - If yes, include final report (if completed) or progress report (if ongoing) as appendix 8. Suggestion of minimum 2 potential external reviewers with: - Affiliation - Contact information

C. Non-Technical Summary

• Word limit: 1,000 words or less
• Content: Summary of proposed work
• Clarity: Written for general audience unfamiliar with specialized jargon
• Mission Alignment: Clearly state relevance to CCV mission

D. Project Description

• Word limit: 7,500 words or less (plus tables and figures if needed)
• Required Sections:
1. General background and specific aims of the proposed project 2. Project work plan with timeline 3. Significance to the area of focus and relevance to CCV mission 4. Anticipated outcomes or products (or both) with timeline 5. List of background references or literature cited

E. Budget

• Detailed, itemized budget
• Justification for each line item
• List of other funding sources:
- Where proposal has already been submitted - Where proposal will be submitted within three months - Include dates of submission and expected dates of decision - State "none" if not applicable
• Note: CCV will not fund overhead charges or indirect costs

F. Qualifications

• Brief biography of project leader and each co-leader (2-page maximum)
• For each person, include explicit paragraph summarizing their qualifications to perform specific tasks detailed in project description

G. Appendix (as needed)

• Final report or progress report of any previous CCV-funded project by project leader or co-leaders (from previous 5 years)
• Other supporting material as appropriate
• May be submitted as separate PDF file via email if makes entire proposal too large to transmit easily

Proposal Review Process:
1. Initial check for eligibility, completeness, and relevance to CCV mission
2. Complete proposals reviewed by Grants Committee (CCV Board members plus external reviewers)
3. Reviewer identities remain anonymous to project leader and co-leaders
4. Grants Committee presents summary and recommendation to full CCV Board
5. CCV Board makes final funding decision

Notification:

Project leader notified by Grants Committee Chair within 14 days of Board meeting

Notification indicates complete funding, partial funding, or denial

Post-Award Requirements:
1. Progress Report (if project duration is 2+ years):
- Submit at mid-point of project
- PDF format via email to Grants Committee Chair
- Not required for projects under 2 years

2. Final Report (all projects):
- Submit within 60 days of project end date
- PDF format via email to Grants Committee Chair
- Required for projects of any duration
- Time extensions may be granted by written request

3. Acknowledgment:
- Acknowledge "Cave Conservancy of the Virginias" (not just "CCV") in all project products
- Include in: fliers, publications, agency reports, conference presentations, posters
- Provide PDF copy of any such product to Grants Committee Chair

4. Future Participation:
- CCV may request project leader or co-leaders to serve as external reviewers for future proposals
- On-time receipt of reports is requirement for eligibility to submit future grant requests