CFMJC: Competitive Grants

CFMJC: Competitive Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County
Last Updated: March 27, 2026

Summary

The Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County (CFMJC) supports grant-making to organizations that benefit Jefferson County residents. Since 1991, it has funded diverse causes such as education, health, and welfare. CFMJC prioritizes projects that demonstrate preventative measures and collaboration among organizations while ensuring legal compliance. Grants are not available for political activities or sectarian purposes. This initiative encourages impactful contributions from generous donors to enhance community well-being.

Overview

Responding to the Needs of Jefferson County There are two sides to philanthropy: generous donors who care about their communities and the organizations and people they are trying to help. The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and Grants Committee oversee all grant-making activity to ensure the funds entrusted to us are fulfilling the donor’s wishes and being used for the betterment of the community. Funding the Future Since 1991, the Community Foundation has been able to make a significant impact on programs and projects in Jefferson County, Indiana. Thanks to the generosity of donors, grants of all sizes have benefitted a variety of causes including animal welfare, health & safety, education, youth development, veterans services, basic living needs, historic preservation, and senior citizen welfare, just to name a few. Competitive Cycle These grants utilize the Foundation’s Flexible Community Funds and Field of Interest Funds.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Competitive grants will be made only to organizations whose programs benefit the residents of Jefferson County, Indiana Grants from the Community Foundation of Madison & Jefferson County (CFMJC) must meet legal and tax requirements as to purpose and may be made only to nonprofit organizations and government agencies, specifically 501(c)3 charities and 509(a) agencies

Ineligibility

No grants will be made to support political parties or political campaigns No grants will be made specifically for sectarian religious purposes, but can be made to religious organizations for general community programs No grants will be made exclusively for endowment creation or debt reduction of the recipient organizations Generally grants will not be made for programs and/or equipment that were committed to prior to the grant application being submittedAll requirements for past grants must be current in order to be eligible for another grant If grant applicants are turned down for a specific grant application request, they may not re-apply for the same, or similar, request in the next grant cycle unless suggested by CFMJC Lower Priority (in no particular order):New or routine maintenance construction projects (except renovations of existing facilities that enable the organization to provide a better quality of service to Jefferson County, Indiana) Normal operating expenses (except start-up expenses) Computer hardware and software equipment Funding to organizations that have received a CFMJC grant in the previous year Organizations having an existing tax-base of supportAbsolutely not funded (in no particular order):General group or individual travel expenses Annual giving/membership campaigns Individuals Political purposes Promotion of the teachings of a particular church, denomination, or religion Debt – new or existing