Community Assistance Grants

Geographic Scope: Hillsborough County, Florida

Program Description: The Junior League of Tampa offers a streamlined Community Assistance application for nonprofit organizations seeking financial support, volunteer support, or both. This unified application combines the former Community Grants and Volunteers at Large programs.

Focus Areas

The Junior League of Tampa focuses on education and child welfare but may support projects that meet urgent community needs outside these areas.

Eligible Support Types

Eligible nonprofits may request:

• Grant funding up to $3,000
• Volunteer support for single initiative projects
• Both funding and volunteers for short-term projects ("Done in a Day"–style events)

Eligibility Requirements

Organizations must:

• Hold 501(c)(3) nonprofit status
• Have operated in Hillsborough County for at least two years
• Use all awarded funds within Hillsborough County
• Not have received a Community Grant from The Junior League of Tampa in the previous fiscal year

Funding Restrictions

Community Assistance funds cannot be used for:

• Travel and Transportation Expenses (gas cards, bus tickets, airline tickets, car rental, taxi fare, charter bus expense, hotel expenses)
• Gift Cards
• Salaries of regular part-time or full-time employees
• Insurance
• Capital Campaigns
• Fundraising Campaigns or Materials
• School Tuition
• Religious Instruction
• Personal projects (e.g., Boy Scout projects)
• Government functions/programs
• Marketing Materials

Application Windows

Fall Window (For spring initiatives/projects):

• Application Open: August 5 – October 31
• Application Review, Site Visits, Selection: November–December
• Notification: December–January

Spring Window (For fall initiatives/projects):

• Application Open: January 15 – March 31
• Application Review, Site Visits, Selection: April–May
• Notification: May–June

Fund Utilization

• Projects requesting funding and volunteers ("Done in a Day") must use funds and complete the project within five months of selection
• Projects receiving only financial assistance must use awarded funds within one year of the award date
• Community Grants may not be awarded to the same organization in consecutive years

Contact Information

• General questions about Community Assistance: communitygrants@jltampa.org
• Questions about volunteer support only: atlargevolunteer@jltampa.org
• Address: 87 Columbia Drive, Tampa, FL 33606

Application Process

Step 1: Determine which application window applies to your project timeline:

• Fall Window (August 5 – October 31): For spring initiatives
• Spring Window (January 15 – March 31): For fall initiatives

Step 2: Submit the Community Assistance application during the open window

Step 3: Organization may be selected for site visits during review period

Step 4: Await notification of selection or declination

Required Information

The application requires nonprofit organizations to provide information about:

• Organization details (501(c)(3) status, years operating in Hillsborough County)
• Project/initiative description
• Type of support requested (funding only, volunteers only, or both)
• Project timeline and completion date
• How funds will be used (if requesting funding)
• How volunteers will support the project (if requesting volunteer support)

Submission Format

Applications are submitted through the online portal at: Apply Now link on the grants page

For Questions

Contact the Community Grants Chair at: communitygrants@jltampa.org