FACES Grants - Montgomery County

The FACES Grants program supports small, community-focused projects in Montgomery County, MD, and Sussex County, DE. Designed for nonprofit organizations with operating budgets under $750,000, it aims to fund overlooked initiatives that address local needs. Grants are intended for short-term projects, with reports due six months post-funding. This initiative encourages previous winners to reapply, ensuring ongoing support for impactful community efforts.

The FACES (Freeman Assists Communities with Extra Support) program is designed to find and fund the smaller, overlooked projects in our neighborhoods – and our grants are limited to nonprofit organizations with operating budgets of $500,000 or less in Sussex County, DE, or $750,000 or less in Montgomery County, MD.
Our belief is that too often, it is the major nonprofit organizations with visibility and ample support that win donors' attention. The FACES program is designed to find and fund the smaller, overlooked projects in our neighborhoods and utilize a volunteer advisory board composed of community leaders who evaluate grant applications and recommend funding choices. The FACES advisory board provides a unique insight into community needs and priorities, and allows us to support projects that are most important to the community.
Funding
There are no strict rules on this, but our intention is for a FACES grant to be applied to a program or project being undertaken in the short-term. Remember that a grant report will be due six months after the monies are received. An extension can be granted (a few months) for programs that have not been completed by the six-month deadline.

Eligibility

Beneficiaries must be an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization or public agency specifically serving the residents of our funding areas.
Organizations applying in Montgomery County must have an operating budget of $750,000 or less.In Montgomery County, organizations must be based in the county to be eligible for funding.Previous grant winners at all levels are encouraged to apply.

Ineligibility

Organizations that would disperse the funding to others
Organizations that discriminate by race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability or national originReligious organizations for direct religious work are prohibited from receiving grants.