Grant and Sponsorship Process & Guidelines
If you’re interested in receiving a grant from the Bexley Community Foundation, it’s important that you gain a full understanding for what will be expected of your group during the application process. Please take the time to review the below three step process before you apply.
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The grant-making process begins with the submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI).
Applicants submit the LOI by the specificed deadline through an online form in order to receive further consideration for submission of a grant application.
LOI should be no more than one page and contain the following information:
1) Organization’s official name and contact information
2) A brief summary of the organization’s mission and recent work, 2 sentence maximum;
3) The total estimated amount of the proposed project budget, including funds committed or requested from other organizations;
4) An indication of the amount and type of support being requested of the Bexley Community Foundation. See Foundation Guidelines for funding priorities;
5) A narrative description and scope of work to be performed and accomplished, and evaluation standards of the project;
6) Collaborating organizations;
7) A description on how the proposal meets the Foundation’s program guidelines;
8) Potential project impact on the community at large.
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The Bexley Community Foundation (BCF) reviews your Letter of Intent and, if the Foundation feels your project is valuable to the community, may invite you to submit a full application
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The grant application will detail the full scope of your project including what you plan to do with the grant money, how your project will impact the Bexley community and when we should expect the project to provide the anticipated benefits.
We’ll also evaluate your ability to perform, execute on your strategy, and how you plan to achieve your goals. This will also include an assessment of your sources of funding beyond the BCF.
The BCF grant award is an equal opportunity process.
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Once you’ve been notified about your grant award, the Bexley Community Foundation requires that you provide details in how you’re allocating the funds received as well as how the project impacted the community.
In order to fulfill this requirement, you’ll need to fill out the Financial Report Form and Project Report Form
Grant Guidelines
The Bexley Community Foundation operates its philanthropic responsibilities in accordance with the following funding policies and procedures:
1. Geographic Restrictions: Grants will be made to organizations whose projects and programs benefit the residents of Bexley.
2. Eligibility: In most cases, eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations, public charities or government agencies. Grants will only be made to faith-based organizations for non-religious programs. Groups that do not have tax exempt status must enter into an agreement with the Bexley Community Foundation assuring that the grant will be used only for a project that meets the charitable purposes of the Foundation.
3. Projects that qualify under the following criteria may be ineligible:
Endowment funds
Fundraising expenses
Direct or indirect administrative/operating expenses of an organization that is not a 501(c)3
Capital campaigns
Sectarian religious purposes (although funds may be awarded to religious organizations for projects that benefit the broader community—see Eligibility guidelines)
Projects, programs, and/or equipment that were committed prior to the grant applications being submitted
Projects that attempt to influence legislation or to intervene in any political campaign (including the publishing or distribution of statements) on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Financial assistance to fundraising events or activities of other organizations.
4. Universal Participation: Grant proposals should include principles of fairness and equity, demonstrate principles of openness to all residents of Bexley, and create no arbitrary barriers to participation.
5. Timely Submission: The application and all other materials and required information must be submitted electronically through our online grant application process.
6. Distribution of Funds: Grants will be distributed on a reimbursement basis upon the receipt of appropriate documentation, unless prior arrangements have been made.
7. Matching Funds: Payment of matching grants will be made only after the required matching funds are obtained by the grantee organization and verified in writing to the Foundation.
8. Grant Administration: When grants are awarded, the conditions for the grant will be established through a written agreement between the organization and the Bexley Community Foundation. This agreement may add additional conditions to the administration of the grant and distribution of funds.
9. Memorandum of Understanding: Grants that are awarded to collaborating organizations will complete a written memorandum of understanding (MOU) in which all parties state they are aware of and agree to their obligations in the funded project.
10. Project Management: General administration and oversight of each project must be performed by a Project Manager appointed by the grantee and named on the initial application.
11. Grant Acknowledgement: The Foundation requires the grantee to make known to the public that the Bexley Community Foundation has provided funds for the project. This can take the form of signage, publicity and/or recognition in printed material.
Note: The Foundation's Board of Directors reserves the right to make exceptions to these published policies and procedures to achieve our mission and enhance our Bexley community.
Sponsorship Guidelines
A grant request can become a sponsorship request if the event is an established annual event and the Foundation has awarded a grant in the past.
Events must be open to the entire Bexley community to qualify for funding.
For events reaching 500 or more people - $1,000 will be awarded. For events reaching up to 500 people, $250-$500 will be awarded. A season sponsorship request will be discussed on a case by case basis.
Note: All sponsorship requests are reviewed and discussed by the BCF Board of Directors.