Webster Family Fund Capital Project Grant Guidelines
Application Deadline: September 1st
Grant Notification: December 15th
Grant Range: $3,000 - $15,000
Geographic Limitations
The Webster Family Fund provides grants to nonprofit organizations in which a substantial majority of clients reside in the following Greater Lawrence Communities: Lawrence , Methuen , Andover or North Andover.οΎ
Project Priorities
This Fund's competitive grants are for capital projects. Preference is given to organizations that provide:
- Youth development
- Health care
- Arts & culture programming or services.
The basis of the capital project can be an emergency situation or a capital improvement plan and associated capital campaign.
- Capital projects include large equipment whose useful life is over five years, as well as asset improvements (bricks and mortar). For other capital grant requests, preference is given to projects that are part of an organization’s strategic plan or have resulted from a feasibility study or long-term assessment of needs.
- For emergency capital projects, please note that the grant review process for the Webster Family Fund takes three and a half months, making this fund unsuitable for extremely time sensitive emergency requests.
Only one-year grants are awarded.
Grants typically range between $3,000 - $15,000.
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.
Grants are excluded:
- To individuals
- For political purposes
- For sectarian or religious purposes
Selection Criteria
The Essex County Community Foundation's Grants Management Committee reviews request for capital funding from the Webster Family Fund. When reviewing proposals and organizations, the Grants Management Committee looks for:
- Organizations that serve a documented need with well planned and executed programs and services, and
- Organizations in good financial standing, with the capacity to support the proposed capital project including a sound financial plan.
Proposals should explain and the Committee will consider either:
- The emergency situation and its impact o the organization' s services; or
- The capital improvement plan, its development and progress on the associated capital campaign.
The Committee will look for a demonstration of how the requested funds will support the organization's high need services and/or improve quality/impact, and sustain and/or build the nonprofit's capacity to meet its mission.
Application Deadline
Proposals must be postmarked by September 1. The postmark is determined by the postal service postmark from the mailing of the paper copy of the proposal, not the date the electronic copy is sent. If the grant deadline falls on a day when the post office is not open, the postmark must be from the previous day of operation or earlier. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered.
Proposals are reviewed by the Grants Management Committee and are generally awarded by the Board of Trustees by December 15.
Application Procedures
Proposals must be submitted in paper and electronic format.
- Paper format - One printed copy of the complete proposal including attachments. Please do not staple or bind. Mail proposals to the Essex County Community Foundation, 15 Cherry St. , Danvers , MA 01923.
- Electronic format – Electronic submissions must include The Webster Family Fund Cover Sheet, the Proposal Narrative and a Project Budget. Please include in the names of the electronic files the name of your organization (i.e., the XYZ Agency Cover Sheet). Email proposals to j.bishop@eccf.org.
Proposal Format
All proposals to the Webster Family Fund must include: the Webster Family Fund Cover Sheet, Proposal Narrative, Project Budget and the attachments.
1. WEBSTER FAMILY FUND PROPOSAL COVER SHEET: All proposals must begin with the Proposal Cover Sheet. Click here for a copy of the cover sheet.
2. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE: A 1-3-page narrative covering the following:
- 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 needs or opportunities is this capital project intended to meet? How were these needs determined? Why is this project important? What are your project’s goals and time frame?
- Purpose of the Request - Describe specifically what will be accomplished with funding from the Webster Family Fund. How many individuals, in which Greater Lawrence communities, will it benefit? How will this project support the organization’s high need services, improve service quality/impact, and build the nonprofit’s capacity to meet its mission.
3. PROJECT BUDGET: Itemized income and expense budget for the project, including amounts and sources of other financial support already committed and projected.
4. ATTACHMENTS:
- Copy of your IRS determination letter confirming 501(c)(3) status
- Audited financial statement from the most recent year. If an audited report is not available, please submit an unaudited statement for the past year. If you are using a fiscal sponsor please submit the financial statement for your fiscal sponsor as well.
- Organization's operating budget for the current year.
- A list of your Board of Directors and their affiliations.
Reporting Requirements
Grant recipients must submit a final report within 60 days after grant funds have been expended, or for one year grants within thirteen months of the grant award date, whichever is earliest. For multiple year grants a progress report for the present year must be submitted prior to receiving the next year’s grant. Click here for a copy of the Grant Report Form.
If the grant is not expended within a year, a progress report should be submitted with an explanation for the delay and the anticipated completion/expenditure date. A final report should be submitted by the stated completion date or the unused funds returned to the Essex County Community Foundation.
For More Information
For more information or discussion of a project or program idea, please contact:
Julie Bishop
Coordinator of Grants and Nonprofit Services
Essex County Community Foundation
15 Cherry Street
Danvers, MA 01923
Tel: 978-777-8876 ext 28
Email
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