Building Strong Families Foundation

October, 2005 Special Funding Cycle Announcement

Grant Objective :  Increase Resources/Crises Dollars Which are Available to Families & Individuals Working Towards Self-Sufficiency

The Building Strong Families Foundation has developed a special funding cycle to address crises barriers which limit families and individuals from reaching self-sufficiency.  The Foundation will accept grant applications from agencies wishing to apply for resource dollars.  Funds must be used for direct payment of needs and can not be used for staffing.  Agencies may apply for up to 15,000 however most grants will be in the $3,000-$5,000 range.   Grants will be due by October 1, 2005.

Guidelines for this special round of funding are:

q Applicants must use all funds for direct payments for client needs.  Direct payments should not be made to clients but to vendors

q Examples of how the crises dollars should be spent are:  Bus passes, schooling needs, prescriptions, auto gas vouchers, emergency shelter, transportation needs, diapers, baby formula, work needs, emergency car repairs, etc.

q  Crises dollars can be used for: rent, deposits or utilities if matching funds are received from other sources and a plan is in place with the client so they are not in the same situation the following month. 

q Staff of the applicant agency will not be eligible for the funds through this grant. 

q The agency must agree to send all staff responsible for distributing the dollars to resource training through the Center for People in Need.

q Individual awards should not be more than $250.  In special circumstances, agencies can call the Building Strong Families Foundation to discuss and/or receive approval for awards over $250.00   

q  Agencies must be willing to fill out an Excel quarterly reporting form on their computer and send it to the Building Strong Families Foundation electronically.  The spreadsheet includes reporting on other agencies contacted for the request, a brief description of the requester, purpose of request, amount funded, reason the request was not funded, requesters monthly income, and number in family. 

q Agencies may be asked to provide a copy of the payment vouchers, receipts and/or copies of the checks. 

q Grant funds will be for a one year period.  We strongly recommend that you divide your funded amount into 12 monthly allotments

How to apply and grant application

q Complete the two page cover sheet for the Common Application Form.  This includes the Organizational Information (I. a-k including signatures).

q Answer the following questions.  Please limit it to 5 pages, keep answers brief and concise.  List each item separately. 

1. The amount of funds your agency is requesting. 

2. What is your current procedure/process when families/individuals request funds from your agency? 

3. If you receive this grant what are your plans for distributing the funds?

4. How will your agency set priorities on who is funded?

5. How will your agency carry out these plans?

6. What type of requests does your agency plan to provide with these funds

7. Are there any definite requests your agency will not provide with these funds?

8. What systems do you have in place or will you have in place to avoid making cash payments?  Example:  Will purchase two $10.00 gas vouchers to have on hand, or will set up a voucher system with a local gas station in town. 

9. What is the amount of crises funds your agency has for the current year?

10. Provide the following information if your agency has it available:  The dollar amount of requests your agency received last year and the dollar amount that you were able to fund last year. 

11. What were your agency’s five leading requests for last years? 

12. Provide the names and titles of those who will direct the project.

13. Provide a list of names and titles of staff who will be responsible for providing intake information and making decisions of funding disbursement for this grant. 

14. Do you use any of the following resources when you are looking for resources?  Please mark all that apply.

_____Community Connections _____Paper Copy        _____CD version

_____IRIS                                           _____211                    _____Co-workers

_____Phone Book Blue Pages _____Agency               _____Other

_____Staff’s Memory

            Would you be willing to use the above? ______________

            Does your staff have computers available to do their work on? _____

q  Evaluation

ü Explain why resource/crises dollars are important. 

q   Background of the Organization

ü Address the population that your agency serves

ü Current program accomplishments emphasizing the increase of families/individuals requesting crises funds in the past year.

ü Have you seen an increase in the need for resource/crises dollars in the past year?  Please explain.

q    Required Supporting Materials—unless submitted with a prior grant (Please give date and description of prior grant that the information will be with).

ü IRS Form 990 (including Schedule A) for the most recent complete fiscal year. 

ü Audited financial statement for the most recent complete fiscal year. 

ü Organizational operating budget for your current fiscal year and the year in which support is requested, if different.

ü Current Organizational Income/Expense statement

ü A list of your Board of Directors, including addresses, phone numbers and affiliations. 

ü The most recent IRS letter confirming your agency’s tax exempt status.  (You only need to submit this information if you have not provided a copy to this foundation.)

Grants are provided through the Building Strong Families Foundation.  We will accept grant proposals from qualified 501 (c) (3) organizations and other organizations that are recognized by the IRS as those which gifts are tax-deductible.  The Foundation does not issue grants to organizations that discriminate as to race, gender, sexual preference, age,  low-income, disability, creed or ethnic group.  

The Building Strong Families Foundation prefers not to consider grants in the following areas:

ü For Profit Businesses

ü Religious Programs or Issues

ü Environmental Programs

ü Medical or Scientific Research

ü Private Foundations

ü Endowments

Grantmaking Criteria:

• Communication with the Building Strong Families Foundation may be in person, by phone, mail, facsimile or e-mail.  We will be happy to consult with your agency at any stage of the process.

• All material submitted for the application process becomes the property of the Building Strong Families Foundation. 

• Grant applications should be a maximum of 5 pages.  Short precise applications are preferred.

• Four (4) copies of the grant application must be submitted.  A copy of the grant and project budget must be e-mailed to ddaily@buildingstrongfamiliesfoundation.org. 

• Grant applications must be postmarked the by submission deadline. 

• Additional contact and correspondence with the applicant, when needed, will be conducted following the preliminary review of the grant proposals.

• Formal evaluation of projects funded through the Building Strong Families Foundation may be required as a condition of the grant.  Formal financial accounting of expenditures and regular narrative reports may also be required.

• All final grant decisions are made by the foundation funder. 

• All grant contacts must go through the administrators of the foundation. 

Beatty Brasch bbrasch@buildingstrongfamiliesfoundation.org

Deb Daily  ddaily@buildingstrongfamiliesfoundation.org

                        Building Strong Families Foundation

                        2025 Holdrege Street

                        Lincoln, NE  68503

                        Phone: (402) 476-4364          

Fax: (402) 476-4358   

Please do not hesitate to call our office if you have any questions. 

Ddaily/Building Strong Families Foundation/Food RFP/Food Grant Requirements/8-05