Good Deeds Grants

Good Deeds Grants

Overview: Small to mid-sized grants that help nonprofit organizations respond to and meet the basic needs of Wabash County citizens and provide enrichment experiences for those with limited resources and opportunities.

Funding Source

Good Deeds Grants are made available through Good Deeds endowments, which are unrestricted endowments created by contributions from Wabash County citizens and Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Eligible Uses

The Community Foundation will award competitive grants to support charitable activities in:
• Arts
• Recreation
• Health and human services
• Environment
• Education
• Civic and economic development

Grants with priority for activities that:

Meet a basic human need

Create opportunities for people who ordinarily do not have them

Increase the capability of a nonprofit organization to serve people who have limited resources and opportunities

Awards can be used to:

Fund programs or projects

Train staff or members

Improve an organization's facilities if by doing so they increase their ability to serve the basic needs of people in Wabash County

Eligibility

• Geographic Scope: Wabash County, Indiana
• Organization Type: Nonprofit organizations with a sustained and consistent presence in Wabash County or any organization doing charitable work that serves Wabash County citizens
• Tax Status: 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
• Financial Capacity: Applicants 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 activities
• Orientation Requirement: 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 Sam McFadden at the Foundation before submitting an application. Experienced grant-writers may submit without an appointment.
• Good Standing: Only organizations in good standing with the Community Foundation may apply for grants. Good standing means that the organization has followed guidelines, submitted acceptable final reports for previous grants in a timely manner, and has returned any unused portions of grants.

Grant Policies and Restrictions

What Good Deeds Grants Will Fund:

Proposals that serve the people of Wabash County

Proposals that affect the most people

Proposals that fill a gap in service

Proposals that meet an urgent need

Proposals that enable an organization to better serve the people of Wabash County

Proposals whose outcomes can be measured

Proposals that, when possible, demonstrate cooperation with other organizations doing similar work for greater impact

Proposals that typically, but not exclusively, can be accomplished with amounts less than $5,000

What Good Deeds Grants Will NOT Fund:

Proposals that do not affect people locally

Proposals that do not provide opportunities

Proposals that show little urgency

"Third party" projects (e.g., someone who wants to bring a performance to area schools but has not received an invitation from school administrators or teachers)

Proposals whose effectiveness can't be measured or for which there is no evidence of need

Proposals from individuals or designed to support a named individual

Proposals from organizations not in good standing with the CFWC

Proposals for projects that are not core to the mission of the applicant's organization

Proposals from organizations located in foreign countries

Salaries and the normal cost of doing business

Proposals for fundraising to cover the costs of conducting annual fund campaigns or capital campaigns or to produce programs or products for profit (however, sale of items to raise money for charitable activity is permissible)

National organizations (except for local chapters serving Wabash County)

Unused Grant Money: Unspent money in an amount equal to or greater than 5% of the total grant must be returned to the Community Foundation. Grant recipients can spend a lesser amount of unused grant money for purposes consistent with the grant with permission from the Foundation staff. Grant recipients must account for expenses in the financial section of the final report.

Grant Limitations:

The Community Foundation makes grants with the understanding it has no obligation or commitment to provide additional support to grant recipients

All grants are awarded for a one-year period

Approved grants must be used within the grant period or funds will be forfeited

Organizations will not be awarded Good Deeds Grants more than once during a calendar year (e.g., if an organization is awarded a Good Deeds Grant in the spring cycle, the organization should wait until the following spring to apply again)

The Foundation asks grant recipients to recognize the Community Foundation of Wabash County in grant-related publicity materials (programs, press releases, electronic communications, etc.)

Award Criteria

The proposals that are awarded:
• Will provide opportunities for people with limited resources and limited access
• Are based on evidence of need and include a method for measuring progress toward the stated goals
• Demonstrate a high probability of having local impact
• Demonstrate a high probability of meeting a basic need in Wabash County

Non-Discrimination

The Community Foundation of Wabash County operates without discrimination as to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, or disability in its overall administration and in the consideration of the grant request.

Contact Information

Sam McFadden
• Phone: 260-982-4824
• Email: sam@cfwabash.org

Address: 220 East Main Street, North Manchester, IN 46962