Community Foundation of Fort Dodge and United Way: Special Project Grants

The Community Foundation of Fort Dodge and United Way offer Special Project Grants aimed at enhancing community life through charitable projects. Focused on economic growth, education, and well-being, these grants support 501(c)(3) organizations dedicated to public service. Priority areas include youth development, health, and community betterment. By investing in local nonprofits, the foundation aims to uplift the Fort Dodge area, ensuring a vibrant and sustainable community for all residents.

The Fort Dodge Community Foundation is committed to building strong and vibrant communities in our region and making the greater Fort Dodge community a great place to live, work, play and raise our families. We are also committed to the nonprofits that greatly contribute to quality of life in our communities.
The Fort Dodge Community Foundation makes grant awards to charitable organizations that are able to demonstrate projects planned with respect to the community’s opportunities and needs. Our grants are dedicated to providing funding and support for projects, programs and organizations that will help achieve our mission and are responsive to the needs of the organizations and the communities we serve.
Special project grants support projects and programs that are charitable in nature and serve a public purpose. These grants may be generated through “pass-through” funds that are designed to support charitable, community projects.
Priorities
Building and sustaining a strong and vibrant community requires a holistic approach by engaged citizens willing to give back to their community by philanthropically investing in its future. As a vehicle for community-based philanthropy, the Foundation is dedicated to using its chartable resources in the most efficient and effective ways by making grants back to our community and county that address four key principles:

• Enriching the quality of life of all citizens, family and youth;Supporting the common good;Enhancing economic vitality;Advancing community betterment.
• To address these four principles, the Foundation's grantmaking priorities include:
• Economic growth and development
• Recreation and leisure
• Human services
• Well-being of families
• Education and life-long learning
• Youth reading and literacy
• Early childhood development
• Positive youth development
• Health and healthy lifestyles
• Public safety
• Social and cultural advancement
• Historical preservation
• Fine arts
• Community/special events
• Parks, trails and green spaces
• Environment and beautification
• Emergency needs
• Women/children emergency support
• Supporting the underprivileged
• Community capacity building

Eligibility

Qualified charities generally include organizations described in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code which are identified as 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organizations.
To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes, and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual.
Charitable organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, churches, hospitals, schools, governmental agencies.These organizations serve a public purpose for the benefit of the community.The Foundation is committed to the principles of good grant-making and due diligence that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Grants are only made for charitable purposes.

Grants are only made to organizations that are in good financial health and well managed, and grants are only made for projects that are well conceived and likely to be successful.
No benefits shall acrue from any grant to any staff member or staff member's family.
Further, no benefit from any grant shall acrue any advisor, volunteer or donor who is involved in the grant review or recommendation of a grant.
Grants are used by each grantee for the appropriate purposes as approved by the Foundation's Board of Directors.

Ineligibility

The Foundation will not consider grants to entities that are not qualified as charitable organizations or projects.
The Foundation will not consider grants to individuals.
The Foundation will not consider grants to organizations if any of the funds are used for a political campaign, or to support attempts to influence legislation of any governmental body other than through making available the results of non-partisan analysis, study and research.