how to apply for a community foundation grant

Community Grants – How to Apply

Cumberland Community Foundation is a nonprofit (501(c)(3)) charitable foundation established in 1980 by Dr. Lucile Hutaff with a gift of $576,840. Today, Cumberland Community Foundation’s assets are almost $40 million in more than 350 grantmaking funds. Many of these grantmaking funds support specific charitable causes chosen by the donors who establish them—ranging from scholarships to designated charities to very specific charitable programs.

Dr. Hutaff’s gift was a “Community Fund” – an unrestricted endowment that enables the Foundation’s board to support the best opportunities and greatest priorities in our community each year. Fortunately, many other donors have followed Dr. Hutaff’s example of unrestricted giving. Community Funds currently make up one-fifth of the assets of the Foundation.

Once a year, charitable organizations in Cumberland County may apply for funding made possible by these Community Funds.

• 1. The first step is to thoroughly review the Community Grants Guidelines. (See below.)
• 2. Next, attend a Grant Overview Session. (Held every fourth Friday at 10 a.m. Call 910-483-4449 to register.)
• 3. If your organization is eligible and your project is a good fit with the Foundation’s Interest Areas and Priorities, then submit a Data Form / Letter of Intent.
• 4. The Foundation reviews these requests and the organizations that are most likely to be funded are invited to submit a detailed Grant Application. The Staff and Grants Committee review these proposals as part of a competitive process and final decisions are made by the Board of Directors.

You will be notified in writing if you are, or are not, invited to submit a full proposal.

All other instructions are in the Community Grants Guidelines. Community Grants Data Form/Letter of Intent Deadline: August 1, 2008.

Downloadable Forms:

Community Grant Guidelines  (PDF) 

Data Form and Letter of Intent (PDF)  (word doc)

Community Grants Application Form (PDF)   (word doc)

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