Tab 30: Grants Guidelines
The community foundation submits evidence of wide dissemination of grant guidelines that could be found in the annual report, a mailing list of organizations that receive the guidelines, a printout on your website demonstrating the guidelines availability, etc. The foundation should submit evidence of grants for a wide variety of issues that are not limited to a single focus and the procedures for accessing discretionary or other competitively awarded grants.
Material Changes: For the purposes of reconfirmation, a material change is any change that decreases the variety of fields/issues addressed by the organization’s grantmaking or significantly decreases the dissemination of grant guidelines.
For more information, review Core materials, FAQs and a glossary of important terms
Related Standards
V. Grantmaking and Community Leadership
V.A A community foundation operates a broad grants program to multiple grantees that is not limited to a single focus or cause or exclusively to the interests of a particular constituency.
V.B A community foundation awards some grants from its discretionary resources through open, competitive processes that address the changing needs of the community.
V.C A community foundation widely disseminates grant guidelines to ensure the fullest possible participation from the community it serves.
Key Elements
- Evidence of wide dissemination of grant guidelines (Cross-check with sample communication materials; can be in either or both documents.)
- Grants for a variety of fields/issues that are not limited to a single focus, cause, or constituency (Crosscheck with annual report and sample communication materials; can be in any one or all documents)
- Procedures for accessing discretionary and other competitively awarded funds (Crosscheck with annual report and sample communication materials; can be in any one or all documents)
Required Documents
- Grant guidelines
- Dissemination plan
- Sample Communication materials
- Annual report
Currently there are no FAQs unique to this tab. If you would like to submit a question related to the content on this page, please send your ideas to Diane Miller. See a full list of FAQs.
A report published by a foundation describing its mission, leadership, program, services, activities, and accomplishments. In the case of community foundations, it also describes its grantmaking and donor services, and includes a listing of contributors, selected policies and guidelines, and an audited financial statement.
Discretionary funds
Grant funds distributed at the discretion of the community foundation and are not subject to donor restrictions.
Dissemination plan
A written document that describes what you want to accomplish with your communications (your objectives), ways in which those objectives can be accomplished (your goals or program of work), to whom your communications will be addressed (your audiences), how you will accomplish your objectives (the tools and timetable), and how you will measure the results of your program (evaluation).
Grant guidelines
A statement of a foundation's goals, priorities, criteria and procedures for applying for a grant.
Grants
The award of funds for charitable purposes.
Reconfirming?
Review all key elements and consider if your organization has made changes to your policies, powers or practices.
Pay special attention to key elements and core materials marked with ![[R icon]](/images/icon_reconfirm_body.gif){kind=icon}
and a ![[P icon]](/images/icon_pension_body.gif){kind=icon}
. These represent minimum requirements for reconfirmation as well as Pension Protection Act requirements. Items marked with a are particularly critical for those who submitted record books prior to January 2007.
Document your compliance with each of these items as well as with all other key elements where support materials may have changed.
