Process

Our goal is to make the grant writing process smooth and easy. Nonprofit organizations designated 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service physically located in and serving Fairfield County are eligible to apply for a grant.

To apply for a grant, please follow these steps:

  1. Review the Grant Guidelines and deadlines.

  2. Call or email the Program Officer, at the Fairfield County Foundation to discuss your grant request idea and whether your project appears to fit within the Foundation’s guidelines. You can reach her by calling the office at 740-654-8451 or by email at aking@fairfieldcountyfoundation.org.

  3. Submit a completed Preliminary Grant Proposal/LOI in the online grant system by the second Monday of January, May, or September.

  4. If our Grant Committee confirms that your project fits within our guidelines and would like to learn more, you will be asked to submit a Grant Application by the second Monday of January, May, or September. This invitation will come via email.

  5. The Grant Committee may ask for additional information, an interview or a site visit, if necessary.

  6. Final decisions will be made by the Board of Trustees at their March, July or November meetings.

Grant Terms

Grant awards will be paid as follows:

Once you are notified that your grant has been approved, you will be required to accept by completing the grant agreement in the online grant system within 10 days.

Once the project is ready to begin, the organization must complete and submit the Fund Request in the online grant system. Receipts and/or invoices must be submitted with the final grant report. In general organizations must expend the grant money within 6 months of the award notification. Exceptions may be made with discussion and permission from the Foundation.

Nonprofits that reach the grant application stage may apply only once within any calendar year (exceptions may be made in cases where one nonprofit serves as fiscal agent for another).

In general, the Fairfield County Foundation awards grants for one year.

In selected instances, the Foundation will accept requests for multi-year grants up to a maximum of three years.

An application seeking multi-year support must meet the following conditions:

  1. Demonstrate that multi-year support is essential to the start-up of a new initiative.

  2. Demonstrate that the effort will produce specific, measurable outcomes within the agreed-upon time period.

  3. Agree to participate in a formal annual evaluation to document and measure the proposed outcomes.

Evaluation

The Fairfield County Foundation evaluates grants in order to be a good steward of the money given by many generous people. Evaluations vary because of type of project and amount granted. The Program Officer will provide an evaluation report form to each nonprofit being awarded a grant through this process. The Board of Trustees has the right to make exceptions to the funding timelines or grant terms. Grant Guidelines