Union County Community Foundation Grant Cycle

The Union County Community Foundation Grant Cycle aims to enhance community welfare in Union County, NC, by funding projects that meet local needs. Grants up to $7,500 are available for eligible organizations like 501(c)(3) charities and schools, with priority given to initiatives improving education, supporting individuals with disabilities, and addressing broad charitable purposes. Projects demonstrating measurable impact are favored, and applications are limited to one per cycle to streamline the review process.

The mission of the Union County Community Foundation is to inspire philanthropy and strengthen our community by supporting initiatives that address local needs and providing quality services to donors and constituents.
The Board of Advisors supports this mission through an annual competitive grantmaking program. The Foundation is an investor in the community and is interested in creating the highest possible levels of community gain, focused on improving the lives of citizens in Union County, North Carolina.
Priority will be given to requests for projects and programs that address the following investment areas:

• Broad charitable purposes
• Professional development for Union County public school teachers
• Support for individuals with mental or physical disabilities due to visual or hearing impairments

Projects and programs which clearly demonstrate their ability to attain measurable results will receive higher consideration. The Board will review each proposal's described evaluation metrics and expected results to decide how to invest the limited dollars of the Foundation.

Eligibility

The Foundation generally awards grants up to $7,500, but for exceptional applications that will be beneficial to residents of Union County, the Foundation will consider larger requests. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) publicly supported charities, churches, religious organizations, governmental agencies and educational institutions. Projects must serve the residents of Union County, NC. If the organization conducting the project is not an eligible organization, a grant can be applied for under the fiscal sponsorship of an eligible organization. Churches which do not have 501(c)(3) public charity status may still qualify as eligible charities. Eligibility of churches to receive FFTC grants is determined using the guidance provided in IRS Publication 1828.Because of the volume of requests, organizations may only submit one application/proposal per grant cycle.

Ineligibility

The following areas are typically not funded:Capital campaign requestsDebt retirement/deficit funding Direct support of individuals (e.g. scholarships, hardship)Duplication of existing programs or servicesEndowment fundsExpenses incurred prior to grant award decisionsGeneral operating supportTravel and conferencesPublication of booksProjects that are typically the funding responsibility of federal, state or local governmentSponsorships or fundraisersThe following areas are ineligible for funding:Projects that promote political or religious viewsPolitical or lobbying activities