Story County Community Foundation: Major Grant

The Story County Community Foundation (SCCF) offers a Major Grant aimed at enhancing community life in Story County. This initiative seeks projects that address significant community needs, promote innovative solutions, and foster collaboration among residents. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. Grants are intended to support diverse areas such as education, health, and cultural initiatives, ensuring sustainable impact and community involvement in planning and execution.

Through its grantmaking, the Story County Community Foundation (SCCF) is committed to allocating resources to significantly improve or affect the lives of people living in Story County communities. Applicants should speak to the Community Betterment Objectives outlined below.
Community Betterment Objectives
Grant proposals that address one or more of the following objectives are accepted:

• Address community needs in the areas of art/culture/humanities, education, health, human services, environment or community/public/society benefit.
• Strengthen the nonprofit sector by supporting nonprofit organizations, promoting philanthropy, and encouraging civic involvement.
• Encourage residents of Story County communities to be inclusive, welcoming, and understanding of diverse cultures.
• Support strong, stable families and provide solid beginnings for children and youth.
• Serve as a catalyst in collaborative efforts for the betterment of communities in Story County.
• Serve as seed money for a new program or project.
• Address other identified community needs with identified solutions.
• Major Grant
• In addition to our Community Betterment Objectives, in the Major Grant we are looking for a project which:
• addresses significant community issues
• presents an innovative, creative, and practical proposal that builds on community strengths
• presents a clear work plan that shows the ability to achieve the project's goals
• encourages cooperation, creates efficiencies and reduces duplication of services
• develops the leadership potential of the community
• involves the people served in the planning and implementation of the project
• demonstrates quality, vision, collaboration and good management
• provides a plan for sustainability beyond the funding period

Eligibility

Grants are made only to nonprofit organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt, nonprofit, public charities under section 501(c)(3) or as a "unit of government" under Section 170(c)(1)- agencies that conduct activities to benefit the public at large. These include public schools, state universities, public libraries and volunteer fire departments. If your agency does not have the IRS status, it may be possible for another agency to serve as a fiscal sponsor.

Ineligibility

Nonprofit organizations that have a current extension on a previously funded grant or that haven't submitted a final report for a previously funded grant are not eligible to submit an application for any of our grants.The Foundation generally will not consider funding requests for:Annual or capital fund-raising campaigns (not to be confused with capital building projects, which are accepted). A capital fundraising campaign is a time-limited effort by a nonprofit organization to raise significant dollars for a specific project. This includes funds for telephone solicitation, fundraising events, or professional fundraiser fees.
Endowments - a fund made up of gifts and bequests that are subject to a requirement that the principal be maintained intact and invested to create a source of income for an organization.
Staff salaries, office rental, utilities, and office supplies
Individuals - only non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, governmental agencies with charitable projects or the 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsors for an agency are eligible.
Grants or scholarships to individuals, including subsidies to agencies to cover individual activities or participation fees.
Programs covering a budget deficit or easing budget deficiencies.
Programs requiring participation in a religious activity or promotion of religious ideology.
Projects not serving residents of Story County; Projects may be multi-county but the SCCF funded portion must benefit Story County residents.
Festivals and one-time special events or annual events.
Political causes and activities, candidates or legislative lobbying efforts.
Private foundations.