Competitive & Foundation-Initiated Grant Programs

The Competitive & Foundation-Initiated Grant Programs by the Sonora Area Foundation focus on enhancing quality of life in Tuolumne County. They fund projects in various sectors, including human services, education, and health. Eligible applicants include non-profits and public entities serving the community. The Foundation encourages innovative projects, sustainability, and collaboration with community organizations, aiming to address local challenges effectively. Emergency grants are also available for urgent needs, ensuring timely support for impactful initiatives.

NOTE: The Sonora Area Foundation Board of Directors reviews grant applications at their scheduled Board meetings (usually the fourth Tuesday) in February, April, June, August, October and December. Applications are due at the Foundation office by the first day of the month in which grant-review board meetings are held.
Sonora Area Foundation
The Foundation provides funding in these primary interest areas: human services; education; arts/culture/humanities; health; public/society benefit; and environment/animals.

• Projects that respond to challenges facing county residents and propose realistic and significant impact;
• Applicants who propose ways to sustain future program efforts, and reflect this in their funding proposals.
• Applicants who work in collaboration with other community organizations;
• Projects that include funds from other sources to be used in conjunction with those proposed from the Foundation; and

Organizations that give strong evidence of community support for what they propose (this might be reflected by involvement of program participants, volunteers willing to support the effort, endorsement by community leaders, participation by other organizations, or favorable media coverage of the applicant organization, etc.).
Competitive Grants
Sonora Area Foundation considers several types of competitive grant requests. They share a common focus on the quality of life in Tuolumne County.
Pilot or Demonstration Project
Intended to promote creativity, such a project is based on the concept of setting up, testing and evaluating a model approach to dealing with challenges found in the community. A proposal must include a carefully developed evaluation plan, as well as the means by which to disseminate the results and lessons learned.
New or Expanded Program
Proposed programs should be based on challenges or needs within Tuolumne County. Proposals should describe solutions and such means to accomplish them. Foundation representatives will look for evidence of participation by those for whom the proposed program is intended to benefit.
Capacity Building
Proposals of this type must concentrate on strengthening an applicant organization’s ability to achieve its mission or purposes. This might involve upgrading board or staff skills, including those used to develop strategic planning, human and financial resource development, and increasing organizational movement toward financial independence. Such a proposal should include evidence of the applicant’s work to build capacity prior to approaching the Foundation for funding.
Foundation-Initiated Grants
Sonora Area Foundation uses several strategies to undertake proactive grant making in addition to responding to proposals submitted from eligible applicants.
Emergency/Rapid Response
A limited budget exists to respond immediately to requests for emergency grants not to exceed $5,000. Emergencies are defined as unforeseeable events that adversely impact an organization’s ability to fulfill its mission.
Donor-Advised Grants
Foundation assets include funds from a variety of sources. At times, donors are actively involved in the grant making process, and Foundation representatives work to facilitate their suggestions for grants.
Board-Initiated Grants
The Foundation’s board periodically initiates grants based on members’ awareness of community needs.
Elaine Symons Baker Annual Award for Community Impact
The Foundation makes this grant for support of organizations with exceptional programs.
Irving J. Symons Annual Award
The Foundation makes this grant for support of exceptional programs and services.

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding consideration, an applicant must be:
A non-profit organization with tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service, and not classified as a private foundation. Such an organization must be primarily serving Tuolumne County residents, or;A public sector entity or unit of government primarily serving Tuolumne County residents, and;
Non discriminatory in the hiring of staff or provision of services on the basis of race, national origin, gender, marital status, age, religious beliefs, or disability.If an informal association, community group or collaborative seeks funding, it must do so through an eligible lead organization with which it has a working relationship and/or memo of understanding; that is, a “fiscal sponsor.”

Ineligibility

Unless so designated by a donor in the instrument of gift to the Foundation, and approved by the Board, the Foundation will generally not consider grants for the following:Annual fund-raising campaigns;Creation or additions to endowments;Existing financial obligations, or replenishing resources to pay such debt;Private foundations;Political purposes;Sectarian purposes; orPrograms primarily serving persons not residing in Tuolumne County