Community Impact Grants - Environment & Animal Welfare / Community Development / Arts, Culture, & Historic Preservation

The Community Foundation for Monterey County offers Community Impact Grants to support nonprofits and public agencies addressing critical community issues in areas such as the environment, animal welfare, community development, arts, culture, and historic preservation. With an average grant award of $25,000, these funds aim to enhance community well-being, promote engagement, and foster cultural expression. Applicants must demonstrate effectiveness and a commitment to serving Monterey County residents.

The Community Foundation for Monterey County’s strategic plan embraces a countywide vision of Healthy, Safe and Vibrant Communities. Community Impact Grants address critical issues and opportunities in five program areas that advance this vision.
These grants typically fund programs larger in scope and scale. Successful applicants will demonstrate a track record of effectiveness and the capacity to articulate and measure impact. The CFMC expects to fund larger Community Impact grants with the average grant award of $45,000. These applications are reviewed by grant committees that carefully review proposals and recommend a slate of grants to the CFMC board, which has final authority in all grant decisions.
We support strategies to enhance community environments so that all residents have safe, welcoming and accessible places and spaces to live, work and play; and we invest in activities that increase opportunities for the economic security and advancement of young adults and low-income residents.
Funding Interests and Priorities:
Priority will be given to organizations with positive, stable Impact grant history with CFMC, demonstrating effectiveness resulting in tangible and measurable impact. We invite proposals exemplifying the following (more information is available at cfmco.org/ data-center).
✓ Effective strategies addressing the greatest needs in Monterey County resulting in demonstrable impact.
✓ Incorporating local data and resident voices to advance opportunities for everyone to reach their full potential and thrive.
Types of Support
Capital support will be considered for predevelopment expenses and/or for construction costs after the agency has raised at least half of the goal.
Operating Support: We may provide unrestricted operating grants to organizations that have a proven track record of community benefit in Monterey County. Organizations must have a base of operations in Monterey County and a positive and stable history.
Program: The CFMC considers all expense needs associated with implementing services to produce meaningful results and in carrying out a nonprofit’s mission. Applications requesting program support estimate how grant funds would be used in a program budget. Funding is provided for ongoing and expanded programs that show the promise of efficacy and sustainability. Strong applications include Evaluation Plans with a few measurable goals which will demonstrate progress towards the program’s broader outcomes.

Eligibility

Community Impact grants are open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and occasionally other public agencies serving Monterey County residentsUnincorporated groups working with a nonprofit fiscal sponsor are asked to review CFMC's suggestions regarding applying for a grant with a fiscal sponsor.All requested funding must directly benefit residents of Monterey County.All organizations applying for a grant must be current on reporting obligations for past CFMC grants.Only one Community Impact grant per organization will be awarded annually, unless the grant is for a multi-organization collaborative project.Organizations or collaborative projects that are not legally incorporated may partner with a tax-exempt, 501(c)3 organization which will serve as the fiscal sponsor for the proposed grant. The fiscal sponsor must agree to be accountable to the CFMC for the programmatic and financial outcomes of the grant and have a signed agreement with the sponsored group verifying the terms of the arrangement.

Ineligibility

Grant funds cannot be used for the following types of activities:Activities that are non-secular or promote a religious doctrine; Academic research;Funding to K-12 schools and public agencies that would supplant tax-supported, mandated services or for the acquisition or renovation of equipment and facilities;Fundraising campaigns or fundraising events;Creation of, or addition to, an endowment fund;Payment of debt or legal settlements;Political or partisan purposes; orExpenses incurred prior to the grant award date.The CFMC does not support organizations that discriminate in their employment practices, volunteer opportunities, or delivery of programs and services on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by law.