Community Assistance Grants

*Submission Deadline for Community Assistance Grants*

**** Wednesday, February 1, 2012 ****
The online application is now available. Please review the “Program Guidelines” below before beginning your application. Once you are ready to begin the online application, click “Apply Online”. If you have any questions, please contact grants@cweal.org. Thank you for your interest in Community Assistance Grants from the Commonweal Foundation.

 

Commonweal offers funding to community based nonprofit organizations that provide educational enrichment programming to underserved children and youth, primarily in grades 6-12. Our primary geographic focus areas are in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, especially in the Long Branch and Langley Park communities. Commonweal also supports some programs in Baltimore City, Washington, DC and Northern Virginia. The organizations we support implement direct service programs that enrich and do not replicate the school day. They include intentional curriculum design with an experiential learning component and are structured to support safe and organized activities. Organizations funded by Commonweal demonstrate excellence in our core principles of quality, partnership and evaluation and thus are programs that show positive results for underserved youth.

Program Guidelines
The following guidelines help direct the funding decisions of the Community Assistance Grants Program:

• All programs must have a 501(c )(3) private/public non-profit tax-exempt status with the IRS.
• The Foundation will consider requests that increase the possibilities for academic and life success of disadvantaged children and youth (primarily ages 11-18).
• We are particularly interested in helping organizations that implement strategies that foster partnership building.
• We consider requests for general operating and project specific support.
• Programs should be located in Montgomery County, Prince George's County, or Baltimore City in Maryland, Washington, DC or Northern Virginia.
• The organization's annual operating budget should not exceed $2,500,000. Please refer to expense information provided on line 18 of your most recent IRS Form 990.
• The maximum grant award is $50,000.
• Organizations may submit a proposal once within a 12-month period.
• Organizations that have received funding for three consecutive years must skip a year before re-applying. For example, if you received funding for an application submitted on February 1, 2009, 2010 and 2011, you are not eligible to apply until February 1, 2013.
• The Foundation does not consider grants for:
  • Individuals
  • Capital Campaigns
  • Endowments
  • Special Events or Tables for special events
  • Political organizations or lobbying activities
  • Local organizations that raise funds to send to other countries
  • Multi-year support

 

© Commonweal Foundation 2011