Apply for a Grant

Before Getting Started
Through our Discretionary Grants Program, we serve to provide funds and challenge grants for innovative, new or ongoing projects of charitable, nonprofit agencies or public charitable activities that fall within the Foundation’s identified grantmaking priorities and that meet local needs.  Please read all of the information on our Discretionary Grants Program page before beginning the process of applying for a grant.

Required Documents

Cover Sheet (see "Online Forms" below)

Narrative Addressing Each Item Below (two to four pages):

Project Description

•Briefly describe your organization's project and the need being addressed.

•What population will the project serve and how many individuals do you anticipate serving?

•How is this project relative to your organization's mission?

•What is the timeline for project completion?

Impact and Evaluation

•Goal: What is the overall purpose of your project?

•Activities: What are the major activities or action steps needed to achieve your goal (i.e. researching best practices, obtaining estimates, developing products, providing services or training, engaging in advocacy, building infrastructure, purchasing products, preparing materials, etc.)?

•Resources: What resources (human, financial, organizational, space, technology, equipment, supplies, etc.) are needed to support your activities?

•Outputs: What will be the direct, tangible results of your activities?

•Short-term Outcomes: What changes are expected to occur immediately (within one year) among individuals, your community and its systems, and/or your organization as a result of your project?

•Intermediate Outcomes and Long-term Impact: What changes do you hope will occur over the next three to seven years among individuals, your community and its systems, and/or your organization as a result of your project?

•Evaluation: What evaluation method will be used to measure the effectiveness, magnitude and satisfaction level of your project (observation, data analysis, surveys, interviews, focus groups, pre/post tests, etc.)?  If awarded the grant, evaluation results with documentation will be required upon submission of the final report.

Funding

•What is the total cost of the project?

•What amount is requested from the Foundation? If the full amount of your request for funding cannot be granted, what portion of your request do you consider to be most essential?

•How will requested funds be used?

•What additional funding sources will be needed for successful project completion and what additional funding have you secured or have pending to date?

Supporting Documents
The following documents are to be attached to the Cover Sheet and Narrative described above. It is important to provide ALL requested attachments and that they be labeled in the following manner:

Attachment 1: Project Budget Worksheet (see "Online Forms" below)

Attachment 2: Mission statement and nondiscrimination policy

Attachment 3: Statement of qualifications of project personnel

Attachment 4: Current board roster with professional affiliations

Attachment 5: Copy of the IRS determination letter establishing 501(c)(3) and 509(a) status and fiscal sponsor agreement letter, if applicable (If your organization has applied for a grant through the Knox County Community Foundation previously and submitted its determination letter at that time, you are not required to submit the letter during this or subsequent funding cycles.  Your letter is already on file with our organization.) 

Attachment 6: Organization's current annual operating budget

Attachment 7: Most recent financial statement (monthly, quarterly, etc.)

Attachment 8: Most recent audited financial statement or completed IRS Form 990 (if available)

Online Forms
The Cover Sheet Form and the Project Budget Worksheet Form are provided below. These forms are designed to be completed on-screen and then printed (they cannot be submitted on-line and they cannot be saved for retrieval at a later time). You must have Adobe Reader to access these files (Adobe Reader is free and can be downloaded at www.adobe.com/downloads).

Cover Sheet Form
Project Budget Worksheet Form

Deadline and Submission Instructions
The original and eight copies of the Narrative and Attachments 1 through 4 and the original only of Attachments 5 through 8 must be postmarked or delivered to the Foundation office no later than 5 p.m. on the first Wednesday of March. Use 8½ by 11 inch paper. Attach all required documents using paperclips or binderclips only (no binders or folders).  As a reminder, if your organization has applied for funding through the Knox County Community Foundation previously and submitted its IRS determination letter at that time, you are not required to submit the letter again.