The Community Trust Grant Cycle: Request for Concept Letters
Deadline: 5 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008

Introduction to The Community Trust
The Community Trust is the most responsive fund of The Community Foundation and provides grants to Boulder County nonprofit organizations, through a competitive proposal process driven by community input and guided by staff expertise. A gift to the Community Trust is a visionary gift, because it is a gift impacting current and future needs of Boulder County and a statement of confidence in current and future residents to look after the community’s needs. Gifts are needed to build this important endowment, and community volunteers are needed to serve on grant committees.

How a Proposal Becomes a Grant
The Community Foundation often describes itself as a Foundation created by the community for the community. Nothing better illustrates this spirit than our Community Trust Grants selection process.

Every fall approximately sixty county residents volunteer across eight committees to review grant requests from Boulder County non-profit organizations. Community Foundation staff facilitate the committee meetings, coordinate site visits for committee members to visit potential grantee organizations, and present The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees with the committees’ grant recommendations.

“I believe that being a member of the Boulder community requires a personal commitment to participation in the workings of that community,” said Art Polner, Community Trust Grant Committee volunteer. “Reviewing grant proposals at the Community Foundation allows me to participate twice.  First, reviewing the proposals and second, watching the grant being put to work!”

Eligibility and Application Process

The Community Foundation accepts proposals for specific projects as well as for unrestricted expenses, capital campaigns, start-ups endowments and technical assistance. Our five primary funding areas include: the Arts, Civic Engagement, Education, the Environment, and Health and Human Services.

Non-profit, governmental or other public groups interested in applying for grants from The Community Foundation are invited to submit a concept paper describing the proposed project. The Community Foundation's Grant Committees will review the concept letters and, as necessary, ask for additional information from applicants.

• Organizations that received a grant in last year's grant cycle must return their Grant Report Form BY SEPT. 1, 2008. Failure to respond will have a negative impact on our consideration of your proposal.
  
• We only fund organizations that have received 501(c)(3) or other nonprofit status from the IRS.
  
• We primarily fund activities or projects in Boulder County.
  
• The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County does not make grants to organizations where grant money from our unrestricted or field of interest funds would be used to further a particular political or religious doctrine.

Application Components, Deadlines, and Instructions for Submission

The Community Foundation will accept both the old and new versions for the Community Trust Grant Cycle (deadline September 30, 2008). As of January 1, 2009, only the new version will be accepted.

The Colorado Common Grant Application (CGA) consists of the following components, which should be submitted in the order listed below.  Please see the checked items below as requirements for applying for funding from The Community Foundation. Unchecked items maybe submitted but will be considered supplemental.
Additional information can be found on the Colorado Common Grant Application (CGA) website.

  Section I: Cover Letter (one page)
Include the purpose of the grant request and a brief description of how the request fits with the The Community Foundation’s mission and grantmaking priorities.

  Section II: Summary Sheet Form
Use the 2-page Colorado Common Grant Application template.
Download the Colorado Common Grant Application template.

  Section III: Narrative

  Formatting: Use 12-point font with 1-inch margins and include the HEADING provided for each question. It is not necessary to repeat the text of the questions. 

  Page Limit:
General Operating Requests: 4-page limit; answer questions 1–3 and 5–11.
Program or Capital Requests: 5-page limit; answer all the questions.

Narrative Questions

  1.  Organization Background
  2.  Goals
  3.  Current Programs
  4.  Program and Capital Requests Only
  5.  Evaluation
  6.  Collaboration
  7.  Inclusiveness
  8.  Board/Governance
  9.  Volunteers
  10. Planning
  11. Optional

  Section IV: Attachments
Note: The checked items are required for proposal submission. Unchecked items maybe submitted but will be considered supplemental.

Financial Attachments

  1(a).  Organization budget
  1(b).  Program or capital budget, if applicable
  2.  Current (year-to-date) financial statements
  3.  Year-end financial statements, audit and
        Sources of Income Table
  4.  Major contributors
  5.  In-kind contributions
  6.  Explanation of items in financial attachments, if applicable

Other Attachments

  7.  Board of directors list
  8.  Proof of IRS federal tax-exempt status, dated within the last five years
  9.  Anti-discrimination statement adopted by the board of directors
  10.  Key staff
  11. Annual report, if available
  12. Evaluation results (optional): Provide the organization’s most recent evaluation results, relevant to this request. 

Additional Attachments for Organizations Using a Fiscal Agent/Fiscal Sponsor

  1. The memorandum of understanding or the contract between the organization and the fiscal agent/fiscal sponsor.
  2. Proof of IRS federal tax-exempt status for the fiscal agent/fiscal sponsor, dated within the last five years.

  Section V: Community Foundation Additional Attachments
  Diversity Chart Assessment (Required)
Each organization applying for funding through any grant cycles of The Community Foundation will be required to submit a Diversity Chart as part of its funding application. This information will be used to track changes in demographics within Boulder County organizations. Only aggregate information will be available to the public; individual organization reporting will be kept internal at The Community Foundation.

The Diversity Chart is available as a Microsoft Excel (.xls) file. You should download it, fill it in on your computer, and submit it (online as an attachment to your e-mailed concept letter or in printed form) along with your concept letter. Click here to download the Diversity Chart

Community Foundation Awards
The Community Foundation is changing the nomination process for our NOVA, Pat on the Back and Stan Black Awards. Starting in September 2008 nominations for all three awards will be accepted at the same time as Community Trust Grant proposals. 2009 award recipients will be chosen and kept “top secret” until 2009. Awards will be presented at the 2009 Community Stars event.

NOVA Award Nomination (Optional)

The NOVA Awards honor innovation in programming or operational excellence within Boulder County non-profit organizations. Organizations demonstrating entrepreneurial spirit, distinctive resourcefulness, unique approaches to service, and sustainable vision that has resulted in increased or improved services (i.e., transformational work and leadership) in Boulder County are encouraged to apply. The NOVA Awards were established by The Community Foundation in 1997 and are presented annually at Community Stars, The Community Foundation’s annual event. One NOVA Award is awarded in each of the following categories, reflecting the main funding areas of The Community Foundation: Arts, Education, Environment, Health & Human Services, and Civic Engagement. Partnerships between businesses and non-profit organizations are often innovative collaborations and are welcome to apply in any of the above categories. Non-profit organizations may nominate themselves. No organization may receive an award two consecutive years. The winning organization will receive a cash award and a plaque.
Additional information and nomination instructions

Pat on the Back Award Nomination (Optional)

The Pat on the Back Award is named to honor Pat Shoemaker and to recognize other individuals who have given extraordinary, but often unsung volunteer time in caring for the community.  Potential nominees should embody Pat’s dedication and caring.  A $1,000 award will be presented to the honoree to be directed to the nonprofit of his or her choice.
Additional information and nomination instructions

Stan Black Award Nomination (Optional)
The Stan Black Award honors an individual who has shown a lifetime commitment to offering his or her volunteer time, treasure, and talent in serving non-profit organizations within Boulder County and around the world. The primary criteria for selection are the length of involvement with charitable organizations in Boulder County, the breadth of that involvement among various organizations, and the involvement with more than money (time, talent and treasure).  The focus is on “charitable” involvement, which can sometimes (but not always) be distinguished from “political” involvement.  A $1,000 award is presented to the honoree, to be directed to the non-profit organization of his or her choice.
Additional information and nomination instructions 

Thank you for your time and effort in completing this application.

Go to the Colorado Common Grant Application website for additional information and to view the forms.

Timeline

• September 30, 2008 - Concept Letters Due
• September 30, 2008 - Community Trust Grants Concept Letters due
• September 30, 2008 - 2009 NOVA, Pat on the Back, and Stan Black Award Nominations due (submit with Community Trust Grant Concept Letter or individually if not submitting a grant proposal)
• January - March 2009 - NOVA, Pat on the Back, and Stan Black Award finalists announced
• January 2009 - Grants awarded.

Send ONE copy of your concept letter and accompanying materials to
You will receive a return e-mail confirming that your materials have been received.

If you have proof of tax exempt status only in paper form, you can still e-mail your other materials and mail us a paper copy of your tax exempt document.

Instructions for Submitting Paper Copies of Applications

Please do not bind proposals.

Mail or bring ONE copy of each document listed below by 5 p.m. Sept. 30, 2008, to:

The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County
1123 Spruce Street
Boulder, CO 80302

The Community Foundation
1123 Spruce Street
Boulder, CO 80302

Sorry, we cannot accept faxes.

For more information, please contact Carly Hare at The Community Foundation, 303-442-0436
or email

Requirements after receiving a grant

Grantees must complete a Grant Report Form which is due one year after the grant start date.

1. The grantee is currently recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as an entity described in Section 501(c)(3) or 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 ("the Code").
2. There is no substantial return benefit to the donor from payment of membership, tickets or tables for fund raising events.
3. No goods or services were received in exchange for this grant.