Good Deeds Grant

Good Deeds Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation of Wabash County
Amount: Up to US $5,000
Last Updated: January 05, 2026

Summary

The Good Deeds Grant, offered by the Community Foundation of Wabash County, provides small to mid-sized grants (up to $5,000) to nonprofit organizations addressing basic needs and enrichment for Wabash County citizens. Eligible organizations include those defined as tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) or those with charitable causes. Grants prioritize projects that meet human needs, create opportunities, and enhance organizational capacity for serving limited-resource communities.

Overview

NOTE: Organizations applying for a Good Deeds grant for the first time or organizations that have a new grant-writer must make an appointment for orientation with the Program Director at the Foundation before submitting an application. What are Good Deeds Grants? Good Deeds Grants are small to mid-sized grants (typically $5,000.00 or less) that help nonprofit organizations meet the basic needs of Wabash County citizens and provide enrichment experiences for those with limited resources and opportunities. Where do Good Deeds Grants come from? Good deeds grants are made available from Good Deeds endowments, which are unrestricted endowments created by contributions from Wabash County citizens and the Lilly Endowment, Inc. In their wisdom and generosity, these donors elected to provide for the changing needs of our county by not restricting the purpose of their endowed gifts. The Community Foundation named this collection the Good Deeds Endowments because as unrestricted funds, these endowments have the freedom and flexibility to support a variety of “good deeds” by responding to ever-changing needs. What can Good Deeds grants be used for? The Community Foundation will award competitive grants to support charitable activities in a number of areas such as the arts, recreation, health and human services, the environment, education, and civic and economic development. Grants with a priority for for activities that meet a basic human need, create opportunities for people who ordinarily do not have them, and/or increase the capability of a nonprofit organization to serve people who have limited resources and opportunities. As an example, we consider the arts to be a basic need for any society. Generally, however, we will give priority to those arts projects that make the arts accessible to people with the least opportunity for exposure to the arts or the least opportunity to practice the arts. Awards can be used to fund programs or projects, train staff or members, or improve an organization’s facilities if by doing so they increase their ability to serve the basic needs of people in Wabash County.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible organizations. The Community Foundation welcomes grant proposals from organizations serving Wabash County defined as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code or non-501(c)(3) organizations with charitable causes. Who may apply? Any nonprofit organization with a sustained and consistent presence in Wabash County or any organization doing charitable work that serves Wabash County may apply to the Community Foundation’s Good Deeds grant program. Those with the greatest chance of receiving a grant will have the financial and organizational capacity to carry out the proposed activity. Faith-based organizations may apply for program funding provided there are no requirements to participate in religious instruction and/or take part in religious activitiesGood standing. Only organizations in good standing with the Community Foundation may apply for grants. Good standing means that the organization has followed these guidelines, submitted acceptable final reports for previous grants in a timely manner, and has returned any unused portions of grants. Grants to religious organizations. Faith-based organizations may apply for program funding provided there are no requirements to participate in religious instruction and/or take part in religious activities..

Ineligibility

National organizations. National organizations (except for local chapters serving Wabash County) are not eligible for funding through the Foundation’s grant program. Fund raising. Proposals for grants to cover the costs of conducting annual fund campaigns or capital campaigns or to produce programs or products for profit do not qualify for Good Deeds Grants. However, sale of items to raise money for charitable activity is permissible. For example, Junior Achievement may use a grant to produce and sell a product if all sales are used to cover the organization’s costs of doing charitable work.