Grants

Competitive Grants-Brevard Guidelines

The Community Foundation for Brevard uses a competitive grant process to award grants from its Field of Interest and Unrestricted Funds. 

The 2023 cycle runs from May-August. The application opens on May 2 and the deadline is May 23. Grant awards will be announced no later than August 25.

Information and guidelines are outlined below. If you have any questions, please contact Donna Sewell, Philanthropy Manager.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Eligible Organizations

  • Nonprofit organizations serving Brevard County, legally chartered and registered in the State of Florida and in possession of a determination letter from the IRS declaring the organization a public charity, exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3).
        • Organization must have a minimum two-years operating history after the date of receipt of its 501(c)(3) classification
  • Organizations must be in compliance with or exempt from registration requirements of Chapter 496, Florida Statutes, the Solicitation of Contributions Act.

Ineligible Organizations

  • Nonprofit organizations that do not directly benefit Brevard County residents
  • Nonprofit organizations that have been operating as a recognized 501(c)3 for less than two (2) years from the date of grant application.
  • Private non-operating foundations
  • Re-granting organizations

Grantmaking Fields-of-Interest
The Community Foundation welcomes and encourages grant applications that address one or more of the following broad categories:

  • ANIMALS: We value healthy bio-diverse life and ecosystems, and address the ethical treatment of animals, threatened species, habitat conservation and connectivity, invasive species management, among other programs.
  • ARTS & CULTURE: Art, music, and everything that makes our lives more vibrant and rich. We support symphonies, exhibitions, theater, human connection and appreciation of diverse cultures and art forms, and deepen community-based arts education for children and adults.
  • COMMUNITY CAPACITY: The social good sector keeps our community healthy and whole. We help nonprofits with strategic planning, board development, financial management, outcome evaluation, fundraising, marketing, and organizational restructuring and mergers/, purchase of office equipment and software programs so they can thrive.
  • EDUCATION: Promote social, emotional and cognitive development of young children, including programs that support and educate parents and efforts that engage volunteers, expand academic support; mentoring and recreational programs for children and youth, particularly to close the achievement gap; broaden workplace, career and postsecondary experiences and opportunities for youth; improve adult literacy, skill development, education and workforce training
  • ENVIRONMENT: Support stewardship, appreciation, and protection of outdoor spaces and wildlife – on land and in water.
  • OPPORTUNITY & EMPOWERMENT:
      • Meeting basic human needs, including food, shelter and access to health care. Improve residents’ ability to meet local affordability challenges by helping them secure affordable, stable housing, recover from financial crisis, and/or increase earning potential.
      • Programs reaching vulnerable communities.
      • Activities that maximize the functioning of special needs populations in mainstream society; that protect the public (crime and delinquency prevention, legal administration, legal services); firefighting and police activities, and programs of community centers.
  • HEALTH & WELLNESS: Improve community-based health and wellness; activities that improve and promote health outcomes; general and rehabilitative health services; mental health; crisis intervention; associations or services associated with specific diseases, disorders, and medical disciplines.

While the Community Foundation remains flexible in trying to meet community needs, in general, competitive grants are not made for the following:

  • Endowments or debt reduction
  • Capital campaigns or fundraising events
  • Event sponsorships and advertising
  • Religious activities of faith-based organizations
  • Clubs, sports teams, cemeteries, or other services limited to a select membership
  • Political activities
  • Purposes or services outside of Brevard County
  • Public agencies for mandated services
  • Research
  • Scholarships or individual grants or awards

Applicants should be aware that grants for the cost of trips and/or conference attendance are not typically viewed as a committee priority.

If funded, the organization agrees to submit a final report and project financial summary within the amount of time specified in the award letter. Organizations with outstanding final reports will not be considered (excludes current grants with reports not yet due).

 

Scope of Funding

  • Grant requests must be a minimum of $1,000 and a recommended maximum of $10,000.
  • The Community Foundation recognizes the goals and outcomes discussed are likely to be initial or intermediate in nature and the long-term goals may be beyond the scope of a one-year grant.

 

GENERAL CRITERIA FOR SUBMITTING A REQUEST

All applications must be complete to be further reviewed by the Grant Committee and its review teams.  A complete application consists of:

  • One (1) completed online application (to download the questions list click here) including all required uploaded documents, submitted to the online grant portal on or before the deadline of 5 p.m. on May 23, 2023. Late and incomplete applications will be disqualified from further consideration. If technical support is needed, please contact our office.
        • Only one (1) grant application will be accepted by an organization. If your organization is a chapter/affiliate of a broader organization, you may submit one application per chapter/affiliate.  Financials for each chapter/affiliate will be required.

The Community Foundation will check to ensure that final reports have been submitted for grants awarded in the previous calendar year.

Attachments to upload with your proposal:

  1. CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART: Include tenure for top-level management.
  2. CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS/OFFICERS: Include tenure on board, place of employment and professional title (if in workforce), and position on board.
      • If your organization is a local office, chapter, etc. of a larger entity (i.e. university, umbrella organization, governmental agency, etc.), you will be required to ALSO attach a list of local (Brevard County) board and/or advisory members
  3. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR: Include (1) Statement of financial position (balance sheet) (2) Statement of activities (income statement) (3) Cash flow statement. Note: Financial statements are not the organization’s budget.
  4. COPY OF MOST RECENT INDEPENDENT AUDIT, REVIEW OR COMPILATION AND MANAGEMENT LETTER
      • If no independent audit, review, or compilation; then evidence that Board of Directors has conducted an internal financial review.
  5. ORGANIZATIONAL BYLAWS
  6. PROPOSAL BUDGET TEMPLATE: Applicants MUST complete the form provided in the grant application.
      • Please edit line items to reflect your proposal.
      • If applying for general operating funding, you do not need to fill out the line item sections on the form. Under “Budget Notes” indicate that you are applying for general operating funding.

Important Note: If your organization is a local office, chapter, project, etc. of a larger entity (i.e. university, umbrella organization, governmental agency, etc.), you will ALSO be required to provide the (1) EIN and (2) Annual Operating Budget for the parent organization.

 

COMPETITIVE GRANT REVIEW PROCESS

After the application deadline, eligible applications will be reviewed and scored by a grant review team comprised of community volunteers. Scores and reviewer assessments are then provided to the Grant Committee of the Community Foundation Board for review and final award determination.

Highly rated applications show:

  • Organizational Capacity:
      • The stability of the organization and commitment of its leaders as reflected in its years of operation
      • Past performance
      • Financial reporting
      • Diverse and invested board members
      • Staffing appropriate for the organization/program
  • Proposed Grant Use:
      • Proposed grant has a clear goal that is consistent with the organization’s mission
      • Focus on solutions to address a problem, need, or enhances the quality of life in the County
      • Proposed budget seems reasonable for the purpose proposed
  • Proposal Impact:
      • Proposal offers a potentially high degree of public benefit
      • Includes a plan to evaluate and learn from the outcomes or results of the grant
      • Organization maximizes results and efficiencies
      • Organization has strengths or assets to successfully accomplish the proposal or collaborates with other organizations in program execution when beneficial

The Community Foundation honors donor intent in all grant awards.

 

APPLICATION – DEADLINE

The Competitive Grants-Brevard 2023 application period will run from May 2 – May 23, 2023. As a reminder, any applications that are not submitted as completed by the deadline will not be considered.