The CFGL will no longer hold two grant cycles a year. Each year, the grant cycle will be held in August and will be open for one full calendar year. Each organization can submit up to three grant applications per cycle. In order to apply for funding from the CFGL, an organization must hold 501(c)3 status with the IRS, a representative must attend the grant orientations each year, the organization must follow the CFGL's requirements for funding, and the project must serve the Lakeland community.
The grant deadline for the 2007-2008 grant year was Friday, August 24. All applications must have been submitted to the CFGL by that date in order to be considered for funding. The next granting cycle will begin in August 2008.
Grant Reporting Forms
For any grant that is awarded through our grant process, reporting forms are required. Please make sure your organization is followint the follow-up guidelines explained in the grant orientation packet.
1. How is this cycle different than previous cycles?
This year, the Grant Committee opted to hold only one cycle, rather than the usual 2. This will give eligible agencies the opportunity to submit 3 grants (previous grant cycles allowed 2), and will give the CFGL's donors an entire year to view the grants in the Grab Bag. The cycle will remain open from August 2007 until August 2008, with the Grant Committee convening in January to review applications. This grant cycle also allows the opportunity to apply to endow the programs you are applying to receive funding for.
2. What is the Grant Committee?
the CFGL Grant Committee is a dedicated group of volunteers, appointed by the Board of Directors, whose sole responsibility is choosing the projects that will receive funding. The committee reviews all applications submitted to the CFGL, determines ineligible applications, and makes decisions on funding. Agencies will be notified of funding decisions by mail - no information will be released over the telephone, and grant committee members remain anonymous.
3. How could my project be funded?
Projects may be funded in two ways. The first is by the Grant Committee, through the CFGL's pool of unrestricted funds. Because the Foundation is still very new, this pool is small, so the number of grants funded through the committee is limited. However, the CFGL provides a donor grab bag, called Impact Lakeland, to all of its donors. This booklet contains all of the projects submitted during the grant process for our donors to review. This booklet will only contain eligible applications, that is only projects approved by the Grant Committee will be seen by our donors. Each grab bag cycle will run in conjunction with the grant cycle, therefore the grab bag will close in August 2008 when the new cycle begins.
4. What types of projects is the CFGL looking for?
The CFGL Grant Committee is looking for programs that demonstrate collaborative, coordinated efforts; demonstrate vision, action, effectiveness and good management; and address problems to be solved or opportunities to be siezed in the Lakeland area. The population served in the grant must include a majority of Lakeland residents (51%).
Capital Grant Process
1. What is considered a capital expense?
If your project falls under any of the following categories, it is considered a capital expense: building renovations; maintenance; equipment; computers and software. If you are unsure as to whether your request is a capital expense, please contact Ileana Kniss.
2. How many applications may my organization submit?
Each organization may submit 1 application to be considered. Failure to submit Interim and final Reports will disqualify agencies from submitting future applications.
3. What will the CFGL look for when making funding decisions?
The CFGL will look for the same initial items as for the regualr grant process - e.g. agency must have attended grant orientation, organization must be a 501(c)(3), application must be complete, agency must serve the Lakeland community, organization and project budget must be sound, agency must be guided by a strong board.
Please direct all grant questions to Ileana Kniss. Deadline for submitting capital grants is Monday, October 1, 2007.
