Grant Seekers

The Foundation makes grants to charitable organizations serving Gaston County through a competitive grants process. We make grants to a wide variety of charitable purposes. Grants are generally made for program start-up or capital development purposes, not for ongoing operations.

The first step in applying for a grant is to submit a “letter of inquiry”; a one page narrative:

describing your proposed program or project and its intended impact, with
a brief outline of the timetable for this program / project, and
(a) the total anticipated cost of this program / project, (b) the amount of the grant you are requesting from the Foundation and (c) when you expect to use these funds.

If, after reviewing this letter of inquiry, we feel the proposed project / program meets our grant making guidelines, you will be invited to submit a formal proposal for further consideration. Inquiries should be submitted as soon as possible to meet application deadlines. Please submit your letter of inquiry by 5:00 PM, Monday, June 30, 2008. Once you are invited to apply, the application will be due by 5:00pm, Thursday, July 31, 2008. Please mail your letter to: Community Foundation, PO Box 123, Gastonia, NC 28053.

Below is additional information helpful for grant seekers:

Our primary area of service is Gaston County and grants are made only to organizations and programs operating in Gaston County or primarily for the benefit of Gaston County citizens. We attempt to concentrate on projects or programs with potential positive results for citizens of the county, or a community within the county -- not just the sponsoring organization. Grants generally are made for program start-up or capital development purposes with the potential for lasting impact, not for ongoing operations.

Our Grants Committee and Board give strongest positive consideration to requests that demonstrate “grass roots” community support with a plan for utilizing resources and talents of both the sponsoring organization’s members, and the population, which would be helped by the requested grant. In other words, we believe Community Foundation grants will have more impact where they are used to supplement and support full use of the human assets and other resources already available.

A key consideration is the applicant’s track record of success and realistic potential for measurable positive results from the requested grant. For new organizations, demonstrated quality leadership and careful planning / budgeting will be essential. The Foundation does not operate charitable programs, but makes every effort to support other organizations with the leadership commitment and realistic preparation to reach their goals.

Our grants go only to tax-exempt public agencies or charitable organizations with 501(c)(3) status. We require verification of a potential grantee’s tax-exempt status and the organization’s policy of non-discrimination.

The Foundation does not consider grants to private schools, churches or other religious organizations unless the Foundation Board feels the applicant can demonstrate a clear and substantial benefit to the community as a whole as opposed to the applying organization.

The Foundation has historically declined grants for capital projects for the benefit of individual public schools. Grant requests made by the Gaston County School System for programs delivered in the public schools are best presented for consideration as collaboration among more than one school which benefits multiple schools. Grants to 501(c)3 organizations for programs which are delivered broadly to local schools are evaluated on a case-by-case basis as to their merits and community impact.

The Foundation does not generally consider multi-year grants.

Organizations are able to submit more than one application per cycle, but are required to indicate which application represents the most urgent need.

The above summary information does not cover all factors used in the Foundation grant making process. Each year, we make final decisions from many good proposals with limited available resources. We wish you well in your efforts to serve our community!

Please call Jessica Citro at 704-864-0927, for additional information.