COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM

Guidelines and Policies

In order to fulfill most effectively its philanthropic responsibilities within the limits of its resources, the Scott County Community Foundation’s Community Grant Program will emphasize focused and effective types of grants. These grant guidelines and policies apply only to the unrestricted and field of interest philanthropic funds of the Foundation and not to those funds for which the beneficiary or beneficiaries have been designated by the donor or for which the donor has restricted the use of a particular fund to a specific charitable purpose or geographic area. Those designated and restricted funds are administered separately in line with their respective donor agreements.

The Scott County Community Foundation currently has one grants cycle per year. Applications for our 2020 Community Grants Program are available online here.

Areas of Interest

The Scott County Community Foundation considers needs which generally fall into the following categories:

1. Community Service-to support programs related to community development, citizen involvement, leadership training, recreation, and general community programs and projects.
2. Social Service-to support human service organizations, programs for children, youth, family, and senior citizens.
3. Education-to support programs, projects, and scholarship in pre-school, secondary, post-secondary, and special education areas.
4. Health-to support hospital, health, and medical related programs, positive development of youth.
5. The Arts-to support programs and facilities that are designed to establish a diversified cultural program that offers widespread opportunities for participation and appreciation.
6. Environment-to support environmental education and activities to enhance and maintain a good environment.
7. Entrepreneurship-to support programs and training that have a positive impact on the community.

 Grant Guidelines

1. The broad purpose of the Scott County Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life of the residents of Scott County.
2. The foundation will strive to maintain both a proactive focus and an ability to respond to creative ideas from grant seekers.
3. Grant funding will focus on the encouragement of programs that enhance cooperating and collaboration among institutions within our community. Foundation funds ordinarily are not given to agencies for the purpose of meeting routine budgets.
4. Funding will seek to offer leverage funds through the use of “seed money,” match and challenge grants.
5. Funding will focus on effectiveness of special non-recurring projects which enrich health, education, cultural or recreational situations in Scott County.
6. Special consideration will be given to agencies that partner with other organizations to complete a unified project.
7. Although the Foundation does not typically fund the following, depending upon an organization’s particular needs compared to applications submitted by other organizations during the same cycle, the board, at their discretion, may allow some of the below listed items:
   • Ongoing operational expenses
   • Existing obligations
   • Services primarily supported by tax dollars or responsibility of a public agency
   • Multi-year grants or repeat funding
   • Religious or sectarian purposes
   • Loans or endowments
8. The Foundation does not make grants to Individuals or for the following:

• Advocacy or political purposes
• Travel expenses

 Grant Policies

1. Grants will be made only to organizations whose programs benefit the residents of Scott County.
2. Grants from the Scott County Community Foundation must meet legal and tax requirements as to the purpose and may be made only to charitable organizations and/or causes.
3. Grantees may be required to attend an interview by the Grants Committee.
4. Grantees must submit a final grant evaluation report. Future grants will not be awarded to an organization that does not submit a timely report. Grant money must be used for the specific purpose as stated in the line item budget provided in the grant application. Any changes in purpose must be requested in writing and approved by the Foundation prior to any changes being made. Any portion of the amount granted which is not used for the purpose of the grant will be repaid.
5. Grants will only be made to organizations, that as required by law make equal opportunities available to all persons without regard to race, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, citizenship status, or any other category protected under state or local law.
6. After evaluation, the Grants Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Directors, which makes all funding decisions.