Specific Grant Requirements

General Requirements

• We prefer that your organizations communicate with the Building Strong Families Fund before completing an application form. This may save your organization time if the grant proposal does not meet the grant criteria.
• Initial communication may be in person, by phone, mail, facsimile or by e-mail. We will be happy to consult at any stage of the process.
• All material submitted for the application process becomes the property of the Building Strong Families Fund.
• Grant applications should be a maximum of 10 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@buildingstrongfamiliesfund.org.
• Additional contact and correspondence with the applicant, when needed, will be conducted following preliminary review of the grant proposals.
• Formal evaluation of projects funded through the Building Strong Families Fund 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 determinations are determined by the funder.
• All grant contacts must go through the administrators of the fund.

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

• For Profit Businesses
• Religious Programs or Issues
• Environmental Programs
• Medical or Scientific Research
• Private Foundations
• Endowments

For all applications, please provide the following:

• The amount of funds your agency is requesting. Please list each item separately.
• Provide program objectives, activities and a timeline for your plans.
• Names and title of those who will direct the project.
• Evidence of financial ability, stability, and planning with reference to the project budget, operating budget, and the organization’s long-range development plan.
• The criteria and plan for measuring the proposed objectives and activities during the grant period, as well as the names of those involved in the evaluation
• Specify the target population that your agency serves
• IRS Form 990 (including Schedule A) for the most recent complete fiscal year.
• Audited financial statement for the most recent complete fiscal year.
• Organizational operating budget for your current fiscal year and the year in which support is requested, if different.
• Current Organizational Income/Expense statement
• Your Board of Directors, including addresses, phone numbers, and affiliations.
• The most recent IRS letter confirming your agency’s tax exempt status. (You only need to submit this information if you have not previously provided a copy to this fund.)

Food Grant

In addition to the general requirements, please provide the following information:

• What is your current procedure for providing food to those in need.
• If you receive this grant what are your plans for increasing the amount of food provided to families/individuals by your agency.
• How will your agency carry out these plans
• What does your agency need to expand services (freezers, refrigerators, tables, administrative costs, help with cost of food, etc.) and why is your agency needing these items. Please provide the cost of each item.
• What is the amount of food (in pounds per year) that you currently give out and what are the projected increases in food given to families/individuals each quarter.

Refugee Program Assistance Grant

In addition to the general requirements, please provide the following information:

• Address languages other than English that your staff speak.

Crisis Grant

In addition to the general requirements, crisis grants must meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must use all funds for direct payments for client needs. Direct payments should not be made to clients but to vendors
• 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.
• 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.
• Staff of the applicant agency will not be eligible for the funds through this grant.
• The agency must agree to send all staff responsible for distributing the dollars to resource training through the Center for People in Need.
• Individual awards should not be more than $250. In special circumstances, agencies can call the Building Strong Families Fund to discuss and/or receive approval for awards over $250.00
• Agencies must be willing to fill out an Excel quarterly reporting form on their computer and send it to the Building Strong Families Fund 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.
• Agencies may be asked to provide a copy of the payment vouchers, receipts and/or copies of the checks.
• Grant funds will be for a one year period. We strongly recommend that you divide your funded amount into 12 monthly allotments