Funding focuses on serving the next generation of Elkhart County citizens. Consideration areas are early childhood services, educational quality, mentoring, after-school programs/summer school programs, parental support and youth programming.
Grants
We support nonprofits serving Elkhart County with competitive funding made possible through the Fund for Elkhart County. The Fund for Elkhart County is an unrestricted fund made up of hundreds of donations from the people who support a thriving community in which to work, live and play. As this fund grows, so does our ability to make transformative changes in our community.
Our unrestricted granting dollars from the Fund for Elkhart County are prioritized to support nonprofit organizations that produce progressive, collaborative ideas to foster dynamic kids, encourage thriving families and build a flourishing community.
Impacting.
Youth Development.
Impacting.
VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
Funding focuses on enhancing the living experience in Elkhart County. Consideration areas are entertainment and the arts, downtowns, blighted neighborhoods, cultural opportunities, transportation, environment, parks and other recreational assets.
Impacting.
QUALITY OF LIFE.
Funding focuses on social service related issues in Elkhart County. Consideration areas are hunger, homelessness, care for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, health and wellness, adult education, care for animals, rehabilitation, recidivism and pathways to success for ex-offenders.
There are five types of granting processes offered through the Fund for Elkhart County. Each grant type allows us an avenue to respond to the varying programs and needs requested by nonprofit organizations serving Elkhart County.
Available on
as-needed basis
Addressing emergency/urgent needs
Email Application Process
$ 1,000 – $ 10,000
Available
monthly
Addressing Youth Development, Vibrant Community or Quality of Life Issues
General Online Application Form Process
$ 1,000 – $ 10,000
Available
bi-annually
Addressing Youth Development, Vibrant Community or Quality of Life Issues
Letter of Intent and Application Process
$ 10,000 +
Available on a case-by-case basis
Addressing Education, Development and Capacity Building needs
Phone call/Email Application Process
$ 1,000 – $ 10,000
Available
monthly
Addressing underwriting support for community and fundraising events
NEW! Apply through Good Neighbor Grant online application
$ 1,000 – $ 10,000
| Rapid Response Grant | |
|---|---|
| Available | Open all year-round |
| Good Neighbor Grant | |
|---|---|
| First Day of each Month | Application Available |
| Last Day of each Month | Application Closes at 5:00pm |
| *Applications are available January – December, excluding the month of May. | |
| Community Investment Grant | |
|---|---|
| April 1 | Online Letter of Intent Available |
| May 1 | Letter of Intent Closes – 5:00pm |
| October 1 | Online Letter of Intent Available |
| November 1 | Letter of Intent Closes – 5:00pm |
| Organizational Effectiveness Grant | |
|---|---|
| Available | Open all year-round |
| Sponsorships | |
|---|---|
| Available | Open all year-round |
When applying for a grant through the Community Foundation, a grantee should address four core criteria in their request.
Core Criteria
- Accountability
- Stakeholder Support
- Sustainability
- Transformative
How do you calculate the Fund’s total amount available to spend each year?
The amount available to spend each year is a standard calculation that many community foundations and private foundations use. The amount available to spend is 5% of the balance of the Fund looking back over 16 quarters (4 years).
Which communities are included in the Elkhart County area?
Bristol, Elkhart, Goshen, Middlebury, Millersburg, Nappanee, New Paris, and Wakarusa.
What types of programs are not considered for support?
The Community Foundation does not fund: individuals, budget deficits / debt reduction, expenses incurred prior to grant proposal period, church buildings and grounds (exceptions may be given for daycare ministries), requests to support proselytizing (*), political party activities, scholarships for post-secondary education, policy/lobbying, food requests. (**)
(*) Organizations with religious affiliation are not excluded from making grant applications but the project or program must be nonsectarian. (**) There are more than 35 food pantries and hot meal sites in Elkhart County. As such, the Community Foundation responds to food requests by a voluntary means to our local food bank and food pantries as critical needs arise. If a food pantry or a hot meal site has a request that is a non-food related request, it is welcome to contact the Community Foundation about the submission.
Can an organization reapply if its grant request has been denied?
The Community Foundation does not typically reconsider an application for a project that has been denied funding. We do encourage organizations to re-apply for funding for a different project or program that better aligns with the mission of the foundation. Organizations are encouraged to contact our office if their request is denied and they have questions.
Does the Community Foundation award full, partial and/or multi-year grants?
Yes. We will entertain requests for full, partial and/or multi-year requests. Most requests are typically funded for one year projects; however multi-year requests are supported where the need is evident. We may also edit a request and make an offer of partial or matching funding at our discretion.
Is it possible to speak to someone before submitting an application?
Yes, after reviewing all supplemental materials such as the guidelines, timelines and FAQ’s, if you still have questions, please contact the Community Foundation’s program office, 574-295-8761.
Can organizations personally present proposals to the decision makers?
Organizations may speak to a member of our program staff regarding their project or program. However proposals must be submitted online for review and consideration.
May we request funding for a capital campaign?
Organizations interested in funding for capital campaign projects should apply for funding through our Community Investment Grants.
If we request funding for a construction project, do you require vendor quotes?
Yes, if you are submitting a request for funding for projects such as… roofing, computers, carpeting, furnace, A/C, etc., you must submit no less than two vendor quotes. Applications missing these quotes will not be considered for funding.
Our organization is too small for an audit; can we still apply for funding?
Yes, however we still require financial information from you which includes a current operating budget for your organization and a project budget.
What common problems have you noticed in grant applications submitted to the Community Foundation?
- Requests that do not correspond with the Community Foundation’s mission, guidelines, priorities and restrictions.
- Project requests do not include a minimum of two vendor quotes.
- Overly ambitious monetary requests that far exceed our availability.
- Failure to complete a progress report after completion of the project or 1 year, whichever comes first.
- For organizations that have a home office outside the county, but provide services to Elkhart County residents the Board of Director’s listing does not include a representative from the community of Elkhart County.
Can I apply for funding from the Community Foundation for personal needs? To start up my own business?
The Community Foundation is prohibited from making grants or loans to individuals, unless the applicant is a student applying for scholarship funding for post-secondary education. Learn more about our scholarship opportunities.
How do I apply?
Visit Types of Grants and click learn more about the grant for which you are applying.
Does the Foundation offer grant-writing assistance?
The Community Foundation does not currently provide grant-writing assistance.
Will we be able to save the application before submitting?
Yes. The online application process allows organizations to safely log out and return to the application as needed.
Does the Foundation provide feedback once the funding decisions are made?
Yes. The Community Foundation will send an email to inform the organization of the status of their grant application.
How will we know if the Community Foundation received our application?
You will receive an email shortly after you have submitted your online application.
Why do you need an applicant’s Financial Summary in order to consider a grant?
The board and staff of the Community Foundation serve as stewards of our generous donors’ funds and, therefore, must have confidence that the investments we make in an organization are sound. The Financial Statements (Budgets) are reviewed to determine the financial stability of each organization.
The Community Foundation desires to play an active role in providing our nonprofit community with leadership development and continuous improvement programs through our innovative Organizational Effectiveness Resource Center (OERC). Our goal is to elevate a whole community of nonprofit organizations into well-managed, collaborative agencies by providing resources and development opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations, thus helping them realize – and sustain – their missions.
2017 Opportunities
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- From February – April, we will be offering the leadership training program, Building Powerful Teams. Justin Maust will be facilitating 7 weekly sessions focused on improving communication, driving organizational clarity, increasing leadership capacity and helping you achieve meaningful organizational goals.
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- The University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business will be hosting their 5th annual Nonprofit Breakfast Series beginning February 28 – May 30.
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- On April 26-27, we will be hosting our annual Nonprofit Leadership Retreat. The retreat will be held at Oakwood Resort in Syracuse, Indiana. The new location will provide great space for the interactive workshops, networking opportunities and free time for leaders to simply recharge.
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- On Tuesday, May 16, Ruby Payne will share from her book Bridges Out of Poverty and from her expertise on the mindsets of economic classes and how to work toward healthy, sustainable communities. This event is free to the community.
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- The Community Foundation is offering a deeply discounted rate to nonprofit organizations serving Elkhart County interested in attending Lead USA on Friday, May 19, 2017. For the first 50 nonprofit staff, the cost will only be $25 per person (a $104 savings)! Limited to five registrants per organization.
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- Mark your calendars! On June 15, Aly Sterling Philanthropy will being facilitating a 1 day deep-dive into board development, retention and engagement. More details coming soon.
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- Throughout the year we offer our CEO Roundtables. This monthly, peer-to-peer networking opportunity focuses on sharing experiences instead of giving advice. The customized discussions address current, tangible issues including board relations, organizational sustainability, fundraising, human resources, and much more.
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- Organizational Effectiveness Grants are available year-round through the funding of the OERC. Click here to download a grant request form
For more information on the OERC, please contact Justine Lightfoot, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 574.295.8761 or via email at Justine@InspiringGood.org.
Contact Us
Shannon Oakes
Senior Program Officer
Vibrant Community and Quality of Life
Vibrant Community and Quality of Life
Shannon@InspiringGood.org
574.295.8761
Karla Copenhaver
Program Associate
Vibrant Community and Quality of Life
Vibrant Community and Quality of Life
Karla@InspiringGood.org
574.295.8761
Amanda Jamison
Program Officer
Youth Development and Scholarships
Youth Development and Scholarships
Amanda@InspiringGood.org
574.295.8761
Samantha Crooks
Program Associate
Youth Development and Scholarships
Samantha@InspiringGood.org
574.295.8761