2011 Community Enhancement & Looking Toward Tomorrow Homelessness Prevention Grants

2011 COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT AND LOOKING TOWARD TOMORROW HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION GRANTS

  Announcement

Arlington Community Foundation (ACF) was established to improve the quality of life for those who live and work in Arlington County. Using funds donated by individuals, businesses, and other organizations, ACF is able to help meet financial needs of non-profit organizations in our community. Since its founding, ACF has awarded more than $6 million in scholarships and grants. The number of awards for this grant cycle will be based on the number of viable applications and the funds that are available.

What We Will Fund

Qualified applicants may apply for either or both of the following grant programs.

Community Enhancement Grant
Non-profit organizations serving Arlington may submit one request for no more than $10,000 for general operations* or for a specific project in a category such as, but not limited to: Arts, Culture and Humanities; Children & Families; Education; Health and Environment; and Social Services. Applications for specific projects must demonstrate a well-defined community need.  Preference will be given to those non-profit organizations showing the ability to leverage their resources by, for example, cooperating/collaborating with other organizations, using volunteers effectively, etc.  Requests for grants for activities previously funded by ACF must include plans for sustainable funding.

*While there are no restrictions on which organizations may apply for general operating support, historically, ACF's priority has been to fund organizations with annual revenues less than $1 million and whose work is focused solely on Arlington.

Homelessness Prevention Grant - Looking Toward Tomorrow
Applications for up to $10,000 for an ACF Looking toward Tomorrow Homelessness Prevention grant must be from a non-profit organization that provides temporary, emergency assistance such as rent, food and services to homeless and near-homeless individuals and families in Arlington County. ACF's overall intent in awarding these grants is to reduce the number of homeless persons in Arlington County -- whether by assisting with changes to be made in existing systems; testing innovative programs; implementing or improving collaborative efforts between service organizations; or helping enhance, revitalize, change part(s) of an organization. Applications will be judged on this basis.

What We Do Not Fund

The Community Enhancement Grants are not for endowments, capital campaigns, religious purposes, individual debts, or political lobbying; nor do we fund individuals.

Submit a Successful Grant Application

For any application other than one requesting operating funds, the ACF looks for a clear identification of:

•·                     What the grant is expected to accomplish

•·                     How the work will be completed

•·                     How the activity will benefit Arlington residents

•·                     How success will be measured

•·                     Whether the organization has the capacity to complete its intended work.

Applications requesting operating funds will be reviewed by taking into account:

•·                     How well the non-profit is managed

•·                     What's the quality of the organization's financial structure

•·                     How successful have previous and ongoing activities been

•·                     How will ACF's contribution to operational expenses change the organizations prospects for future success.

In addition reviewers will be looking for applications that:-

•·                     Promote community assets and meet well-defined community needs

•·                     Promote volunteer and community involvement

•·                     Encourage cooperation and collaboration

•·                     Foster self-reliance and reduce dependency

•·                     Foster social entrepreneurialism

•·                     Focus on prevention as well as treatment (if applicable)

The application may be downloaded from http://arlcf.org/index.cfm/application-report-forms and saved to the applicant's workstation. The application is a form that guides the applicant on how much space to allocate for each response. If needed, applicants can attach extra pages to answer the questions on the applications.

Grant Application & Review Process

Proposals must arrive at ACF's office by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011.

Please submit two copies of the application and one set of attachments. Electronic copies of the application are welcome, and may be emailed to fnor@arlcf.org, with attachments being mailed separately if necessary. Proposals may NOT be submitted via facsimile.

Upon submission, applications and accompanying material become the property of the Arlington Community Foundation, and will be used as deemed appropriate by ACF. A grants review committee will carefully consider all applications and make recommendations to the ACF's Board of Trustees. Applicants will be notified in writing or by e-mail of the decision no later than December 31, 2011.

Reporting

ACF requires grant recipients to submit a final written report within 30 days of completion of the funded project. An interim report may be required if additional funding is requested before a final report is submitted. This form is available at:- http://arlcf.org/index.cfm/application-report-forms

Publicity

The Foundation expects grant recipients to provide appropriate acknowledgment of the Arlington Community Foundation's support in their publications, press announcements, and other activities.

Questions or Comments

Please call the Arlington Community Foundation at 703-243-4785 or email grants@arlcf.org.