Erie Community Foundation: Community Impact (CI) Sponsorships Grant

The Erie Community Foundation offers Community Impact (CI) Sponsorships aimed at supporting free community events that benefit marginalized groups. With a focus on education and multicultural values, these sponsorships typically do not exceed $2,500. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted, with specific review dates throughout the year. Organizations must have a DEI strategy and be located in or serve Erie County, PA to be eligible.

Note: CI Sponsorship applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funds have been exhausted. Applications accepted as funds are available and reviewed on the following dates: March 26, April 30, May 28, June 17, July 30, August 26 and September 24.
Community Impact Sponsorships
Community Impact (CI) sponsorships support free and open community events, especially those intended to benefit underserved or marginalized communities. CI sponsorships focus on community education, celebrate diversity, and intentionally advance multicultural values.
Typically, sponsorship awards do not exceed $2,500. While there have been a few cases where higher amounts were awarded, the goal of this program is to support as many events as possible with a very limited budget.

Eligibility

The event must be free, open to the public, and prioritize marginalized or underserved communitiesIdeally, the event will be in an accessible space and located along public transportation routes.The event must have an articulated DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) strategyThe event should include education and introspection opportunities and not simply for entertainment purposes.All requests must be submitted online.Who is eligible to apply?501(c)3 tax-exempt designation from the Internal Revenue Service (if your nonprofit does not meet this requirement, see information here regarding fiscal sponsorship).Must be located or serve a sizable population in Erie County, PAIs there a limit on how much I can request for a sponsorship?Typically, sponsorship grants do not exceed $2,500. In rare cases, awards have been made for higher amounts for events that align on the highest levels with the Foundation’s funding priorities.

Ineligibility

Must not have already received a Community Impact or Marketing Sponsorship during the current yearWho is not eligible to applyIndividualsFor-profit businessesEvents requiring ticket purchases or registration fees to attendRequests sent via email or mail will not be considered.Can my organization apply for both types of sponsorships in the same year?While there is no restriction on how many times an organization can apply for sponsorship, it would be highly unlikely for an organization to receive multiple event sponsorships in one year because of the limited availability of sponsorship dollars.