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Grants &
Scholarships
Over the years, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has awarded hundreds of grants that have made a powerful and positive difference to our community. The Foundation administers more than
300 funds and operates competitive grant programs. The
General Grantmaking Program supports a broad
array of projects focusing on education, human services, the environment,
seniors, arts and culture, community development, or health and wellness.
Targeted Grantmaking Programs (Youth Council,
African American Endowment Fund,
Anna Botsford Bach Fund for Seniors, Healthy
Youth/Healthy Seniors Fund and the Ypsilanti Area
Community Fund) focus on a general field of interest. Applicants
should research the unique priorities of the various grantmaking programs to
better understand AAACF's funding resources.
How to
Apply for a Grant
Application
Process
Grant Deadlines
Out-of-Cycle
Grants
Multi-Year
Grants
What Will
Not Be Funded
Scholarships
How to Apply for a Grant
AAACF welcomes grant applications from nonprofit organizations whose operations
and programs benefit the people of Washtenaw County. It is also important
that these organizations conduct business without discrimination on the basis of
race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, national origin,
or any other characteristic protected by law.
The Community Foundation has partnered with private, public and corporate
funders to create common online grant applications and reporting forms.
Grantseekers may access these tools by going to
www.communitygrants.org. It
is strongly recommended that applicants attend a free CommunityGrants
training.
Click here for more information
or to register for
the training.
Application Process
It is no longer required that applicants discuss their
proposals with Community Foundation staff prior to
submitting an application. However, program staff is
always available to discuss ideas or meet with prospective
applicants.
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Log on to www.communitygrants.org.
and create a password to access the system; a password will be provided by the
next business day.
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Create an online agency profile. This profile can be created, accessed and updated
at any time.
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Complete the Short Application any time prior to the
grant deadlines. Staff will direct the applications to the appropriate Fund.
Note: Emergency or time-sensitive requests may be considered on an
Out-of-Cycle basis with staff approval, click
here for more information.
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Applications will be reviewed by AAACF staff and/or the appropriate fund advisory
committee and may be fully or partially funded or denied. A site visit or
interview may be scheduled before a final decision is made.
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In some cases, applicants may be requested to
provide additional information using the Standard Outcome Funding Application.
This application will likely include a site visit by staff and volunteers.
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Grant awards will be made in May and December. Grantees
may be asked to attend a post-grant meeting to negotiate
program outcomes and review AAACF reporting requirements.
Grant Deadlines - There will be two grant cycles each
year: the second Wednesday of February and the first
Wednesday of October.
February Deadline: 2/11/09
October Deadline: 10/1/08
Out-of-Cycle Grants
The Board of Trustees reserves the right to award grants at
any time based on the mission and strategic interests of the
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and the evolving needs
of the community. AAACF may also consider requests outside
of the traditional competitive process if they meet the
following criteria:
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The emergency is caused by forces of nature or events
outside of the control of the organization (this does not
include most financial emergencies)
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The timing of the request is of an urgent nature and
therefore precludes consideration in the regular grant
cycles
Multi-Year Grants
Most grants are for a term of one year. However, under
certain circumstances, the Ann Arbor Area Community
Foundation will consider multi-year grant funding,
especially if the grant is part of a strategic grantmaking
area. It is expected that multi-year grants will be made on
a limited basis and the following general policies will
apply:
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Multi-year grants will usually be for 2-3 years
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Grants will usually be in decreasing size in order to
promote development of other sources of funding
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Second or third year funding will be based on annual
review and successful attainment of program outcomes
What Will Not Be Funded
The Community Foundation typically does not make grants for:
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construction projects (new building or routine
maintenance)
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annual giving campaigns
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normal operating expenses (except for start-up purposes)
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fundraising events
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religious or sectarian purposes
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computer hardware equipment
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individuals
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partisan political purposes
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loans
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re-granting
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