Grant Application Criteria and Priorities

Eligibility Criteria
• Tax-exempt, nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)3 of the IRS code (some exceptions apply) within Emmet County or serves a significant number of Emmet County residents.
• Educational institution, state agency, or municipality within Emmet County or serves a significant number of Emmet County residents. Proposals should be for projects/programs that are not otherwise tax supported. School districts may submit one proposal for each school set: elementary level, middle school level, and/or high school level.
• Must not discriminate in hiring of staff or the provision of services based on race, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability.
• Current objectives of the Board of Trustees do not allow grants for the following purposes: debt reduction, individuals (other than scholarships), sectarian purposes, or endowments.

Program Areas: The competitive grantmaking of the Community Foundation covers a wide variety of needs throughout Emmet County including Arts and Culture, Education, Environment, Community and Economic Development, Health, Human Services, Recreation, Historic Preservation, and Youth. Capacity Building grant requests require an additional three questions in the proposal.

Grantmaking Priorities: Because there are always more needs than there are competitive funds, we encourage proposals for projects which:
• Yield substantial community benefits or serve a large segment of the community
• Enhance cooperation and collaboration among organizations, eliminating duplication of services
• Address emerging needs in an innovative way or try new approaches to address existing needs
• Receive additional funding from a broad base of supporters
• Focus on the prevention of problems rather than the cure
• Address Land Use Initiative
▪ Encourage dialogue between local officials to build cooperation on land use issues.
▪ Increase the viability of local agriculture by promoting additional incentives to preserve local farms.
▪ Engage the community to encourage greater attention to local land use issues and build consensus on priorities through ongoing discussion.

Decision-Making Criteria: Our committees make decisions based on our efforts to:
• Select the Best Grantees
• Invest Wisely: consider the potential benefits to Emmet County residents
• Prioritize: determine which programs meet real needs in the community
• Be Diligent: require clear plans for implementation and evaluation of the program or project
• Think Long-Term: consider the sustainability of the project
• Gauge Commitment: encourage diverse funding, including organization's own.