A fund of The Community Foundation
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The next grant cycle opens December 2012. Please check back then for specifics.
INTRODUCTION
15 Forever was established as a permanent fund of The Community Foundation to serve the needs of Boulder County youth into the future. The 15 Forever Program is a teen civic engagement, leadership, and grantmaking program of The Community Foundation. The intention of 15 Forever is to address the needs and concerns of Boulder County youth from a peer perspective. Annually, 15 Forever recommends $15,000 in grants to programs focused on the youth of Boulder County.
Each year, fifteen youth leaders are selected through an application process to serve on the Advisory Committee. This group determines the 15 Forever funding priorities for the year and makes grant recommendations to The Community Foundation Board of Trustees.
FUNDING FOCUS FOR 2011-2012
The 15 Forever Youth Advisory Committee has two funding focuses for their 2011-2012 grant cycle.
- Programs that address youth mental health issues such as depression, harassment, substance abuse, and/or student self-confidence, especially those that focus on prevention.
- Programs that address inequity between youth populations, with special emphasis on low-income families and families of color. Examples of inequities may include, but are not limited to, the educational “achievement gap”, the digital divide, and/or access to extracurricular activities.
- Projects must meet the funding focus for 2011-2012
- Applicants can be any non-profit organization with an IRS 501(c)(3) designation or any governmental or public entity. (Groups or organizations that do not have IRS 501(c)(3) designation may only apply in partnership with one of the non-profit designations listed above.)
- The group or organization must provide services or conduct the proposed activities within Boulder County for the benefit of Boulder County residents
- 15 Forever does not fund projects that further a particular religious or political doctrine.
FUNDING RANGE
15 Forever will award $15,000 in grants in 2012. Grant proposal requests will be considered within the $250.00-$15,000.00 range.
| January 20, 2012 | Colorado Common Grant Application Due |
| February-March 2012 | Site Visits and Interviews Scheduled |
| Mid-March 2012 | Final recommendations made by committee |
| Sunday, April 18, 2012 | Grants Reception |
Application Components, Deadlines, and Instructions for Submission
The Community Foundation uses the Colorado Common Grant Application (CGA) for its 15 Forever grants process. The application
consists of the following components, which should be submitted in the order listed below. The checked items below are required for applying for funding from The Community Foundation. Unchecked items maybe submitted but will be considered supplemental. The Colorado Common Grants Application, Templatem and Users' Guide can be found at
www.coloradocommongrantforms.org/
Section I: Cover Letter (one page)
Include the purpose of the grant request and a brief description of how the request fits with the 15 Forever and The Community Foundation’s mission and grantmaking priorities.
Section II: Summary Sheet Form
Please use the 2-page Colorado Common Grant Application template.
Download the Colorado Common Grant Application template.
Section III: Narrative
Formatting: Use 12-point font with 1-inch margins and include the HEADING provided for each question. It is not necessary to repeat the text of the questions.
Page Limit:
General Operating Requests: 4-page limit; answer questions 1–3 and 5–11.
Program or Capital Requests: 5-page limit; answer all the questions.
Narrative Questions
1. Organization Background
2. Goals
3. Current Programs
4. Program and Capital Requests Only
5. Evaluation
6. Collaboration
7. Inclusiveness
8. Board/Governance
9. Volunteers
10. Planning
11. Optional
Section IV: Attachments
Financial Attachments
1(a). Organization budget
1(b). Program or capital budget, if applicable
2. Current (year-to-date) financial statements
3. Year-end financial statements, audit and
Sources of Income Table
4. Major contributors
5. In-kind contributions
6. Explanation of items in financial attachments, if applicable
Other Attachments
7. Board of directors list
8. Proof of IRS federal tax-exempt status, dated within the last five years
9. Anti-discrimination statement adopted by the board of directors
10. Key staff
11. Annual report, if available
12. Evaluation results (optional): Provide the organization’s most recent evaluation results, relevant to this request.
Additional Attachments for Organizations Using a Fiscal Agent/Fiscal Sponsor
1. The memorandum of understanding or the contract between the organization and the fiscal agent/fiscal sponsor.
2. Proof of IRS federal tax-exempt status for the fiscal agent/fiscal sponsor, dated within the last five years.
Section V: Community Foundation Additional Attachments
Diversity Chart Assessment
Organizations applying for funding through any grant cycles of The Community Foundation are required to submit a Diversity Chart as part of the funding application. This information will be used to track changes in demographics within Boulder County organizations. Only aggregate information will be available to the public; individual organization reporting will be kept internal at The Community Foundation. This must be submitted by email in Microsoft Excel format. A template of the Diversity Chart matrix is available at www.commfound.org/communityleadership/eli/diversitychart.xls
Progress Report - If you received 15 Forever funding in 2011, please submit a one-page progress report. Without it, your 2011 proposal will not be considered. www.commfound.org/communityleadership/grantreportform.html
Application Submission
Your application with attachments (with the exception of the Diversity Chart) should be submitted electronically in PDF format to
.
The Diversity Chart should be submitted in Microsoft Excel format.
You will receive a return e-mail confirming that your
materials have been received.
If electronic PDF submission is not possible for you, or if you have any questions regarding your proposal, please contact:
Max Taffet, Program Research Associate
or
Missy Carrier, Grants Administrator
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. January 20, 2012, at The Community Foundation.
Thank you for your time and effort in completing this application!
Sorry we cannot accept faxed proposals.
For more information, please contact Max Taffet
at The Community Foundation, 303-442-0436 or email
