Merrimack Valley General

Merrimack Valley General Fund Grant Guidelines

Application Deadline: October 15, 2008, April 15, 2009
Grant Notification: December 31, 2008, June 30, 2009
Grant Range: $1,000 – $5,000

Geographic Limitations

The MVGF provides grants to non-profit organizations serving the Massachusetts (Eastern) Merrimack Valley communities of: Lawrence , Methuen, Haverhill , Andover, North Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, West Newbury, Merrimac, Amesbury, Newburyport , Newbury and Salisbury . Since the Merrimack Valley Community Foundation started as the Greater Lawrence Community Foundation, there is a continuing emphasis on supporting agencies in Lawrence , Andover , North Andover , Methuen and Haverhill .

Program Priorities

Within the broad fields of interest: Arts and Culture, Education, Social and Community Services and Youth Service., of particular interest are programs which:

Benefit children, particularly those fostering youth development (Except summer programs which are supported through the Grater Lawrence Summer Fund.)
Provide health care services to those without health care coverage.
Address the need for affordable housing.ﾭ

Other areas of interest include programs which address:

Early childhood education.
Adult literacy.
Homelessness.
Elder care.
Job development.
Food and arts and culture.

Selection Criteria

When reviewing proposals, the MVGF Advisory Committee looks for:

Programs that meet a documented need, are well planned; include clear plans for how the program will be evaluated and impacts documented; and exhibit one or more of the high impact characteristics listed above.
Organizations that have the capacity to support the proposed project, a sound financial plan and a sensible plan to continue the proposed project if appropriate.

The MVGF prefers projects that offer the most significant impact for the contribution dollar and considers the following high impact characteristics:

Program's impact on the participants.
Needs profile of population served.
Potential for continuation or impact beyond the grant period.

Proposals should demonstrate how the requested funds will support high need services, improve service quality/impact, or build the nonprofit’s capacity by strengthening organizational management, funding or governance.

Generally grants are made for specific programs or activities with objectives that can be assessed within a one-year grant period. General operating support is sometimes provided to small organizations.

One-year grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 are awarded.

Eligibility

Only non-profit organizations, recognized as tax exempt under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, are eligible for consideration.

ECCF is committed to non-discrimination. We support organizations that use all reasonable efforts to recruit, hire, train, promote and serve persons without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law, except where such status is a bona fide qualification for the service being provided and is related to the organization's mission.

MVGF grants are excluded:

To individuals
To state or local government agencies
For political purposes
For sectarian or religious purposes

Generally grants are not awarded:

For debt or deficit reduction
To replace public funding, or for purposes which are generally a public sector responsibility
To support academic research
For travel outside the region

Application deadline

The application deadline is October 15th and April 15th. Organizations are may apply to one grant cycle per year. The deadline is determined by the postal service postmark from the mailing of the paper copy, not the date the electronic copy is sent. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered.

Proposals are reviewed by the MVGF Advisory Committee and are generally awarded by December 31 for the fall cycle and June 30th for the spring cycle.

Application Procedures

Proposals should be submitted in paper and electronic format.

Paper format - One paper copy of the complete proposal including the required attachments. Please do not staple or bind proposals. Mail proposals to the Essex County Community Foundation, 15 Cherry St. , Danvers , MA 01923.
Electronic format - Electronic submissions must include the MVGF Cover Sheet, Proposal Narrative, and Project Budget. Please include in the name of the agency on the electronic file. (i.e. XYZ Agency Cover Sheet). Email proposals to j.bishop@eccf.org.

Proposal Format

The preferred format for submitting proposals is the MVGF format outlined below. Proposals should include three parts: The MVGF Cover Sheet, Proposal Narrative, Project Budget and the attachments.

1. MVGF COVER SHEET: All proposals must begin with the MVGF cover sheet. Click here to download the cover sheet.

2. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE: A 1-3 page narrative including the following information:

Organization Description - Briefly describe your organization. Include meaningful statistics on who you are serving and a brief history of the organization, including significant accomplishments.
Statement of Need - What need(s) or opportunities is this activity/program/project intended to meet? How were these needs determined? Why is this project important?
Purpose of the Request - Describe specifically what will be accomplished with funding from the MVGF. What is your project’s purpose, goals, and time frame? How many individuals, and which Merrimack Valley communities will it benefit? How does the project coordinate with or enhance other efforts?

3. PROJECT OR ORGANIZATIONAL BUDGET: Itemized income and expense budget of the project, including amounts and sources of other financial support committed or projected. If you are requesting operational support, please submit an organizational budget, including information on committed and potential funding sources.

4. ATTACHMENTS:

Copy of the organization's IRS determination letter confirming 501(c)(3) status (if this is a first time applicant to ECCF or if the tax status has changed).
Most recent years audited financial statement. If an audit is not available, please submit an unaudited statement for the past year. If you are using a fiscal sponsor please submit the financials statement for your fiscal sponsor as well.
Organization's operating budget for the current year.
Organization's non-discrimination policy.
List of Board of Directors and their affiliations.
Optional: additional materials such as program brochures, annual report, news articles, letters of support, bios of key personnel.

Review Process

The MVGF Advisory Committee reviews all proposals and determines grant awards. Grants are made by December 31st for the fall cycle and June 30th for the spring cycle.

Reporting Requirements

Grant recipients must submit a final report within 60 days after grant funds have been expended, or within thirteen months of the grant award date. Click here to download the Grant Report Form.

If an organization is requesting a grant, in the year after having received a MVGF grant, please file a final report or a progress report for the existing award prior to submitting the new proposal. If the project is not completed, and a progress report is filed, a final report should be submitted at the appropriate time.

For More Information

For more information or discussion of a project or program idea, please contact:

Julie Bishop
Grants and Nonprofit Services Manager
Essex County Community Foundation
15 Cherry Street
Danvers, MA 01923
Tel: 978-777-8876 ext 28
Email: j.bishop@eccf.org