Monday 1/31 Vermont Community Foundation Spring Grant Round Q & A

Hi Everyone,

Happy Martin Luther King Day! Jen Peterson here--VP for Community Grantmaking at Vermont Community Foundation. I'll be on-line for the next hour and am available to take questions regarding our 2011 Community Fund grant rounds or any of our grant rounds for that matter.

Ask away!

Posted 1 year ago #

Thanks, Jen and to the Vermont Community Foundation for moderating the forum today. When is the deadline for the Spring 2011 grant round? And is there FAQ page people can visit for basic info?

Posted 1 year ago #

Thank you for hosting the Forum Nick!

The deadline for the next 2011 Community Fund grant round is 5:00PM EST February 4, 2011. There is an FAQ page on the website that does answer lots of common questions people have about the guidelines and application. We also have a new 1/2 hour video available on the website and through CommonGoodVT.org of an interview with VCF grant staff Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup answering questions about the grant round.

Posted 1 year ago #

Great, so what the funding levels? and are there matching requirements and how long the duration of the grants will be?

MLK Day bust have a lot of people away from the computer!

Posted 1 year ago #

Good question. We will provide grants up to $10,000 and there are no matching requirements. Our average grant size is about $4,000-$5000. The grants are usually for one year.

Glad to hear it if folks are taking some time to celebrate the MLK legacy of social justice!

Posted 1 year ago #

One question that I got at the grantseeker forum in Rutland last week was whether it was OK to apply to multiple grant rounds at the VCF. While you can only apply to one Community Fund grant round this year, this does not preclude you from also applying to other grant rounds listed on our website, i.e. Arts Endowment Fund, Walter Cerf Fund, Special and Urgent Needs Fund, etc.

Posted 1 year ago #

Thanks for that... What sort of timeline are you looking for in this round of grant funding? E.g. Would you like to have programs already scheduled before grants are submitted, or is outreach included in our timeline?

Posted 1 year ago #

Another great question. We are making general operating grants in our Community Fund grant rounds this year. The one exception to that is that public schools, municipalities and religious institutions must apply for project support and must call and speak with one of our grants staff before applying.

So with a general operating support grant, the funds may be used for any expenses in the annual operating budget. We generally do not fund for expenses that occur prior to the funds being received.

Posted 1 year ago #

I'm signing off now. The next on-line forum will be next Monday from 11:00AM-12:00PM. In the meantime, check out our website for lots of information about the grant rounds.

Jen

Posted 1 year ago #

Hi Everyone - this is Christopher Kaufman-Ilstrup, philanthropic advisor with the Vermont Community Foundation. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have today.

Posted 1 year ago #

Cheryl Mitchell
Member

We are a relatively new non-profit supporting a range of learning activities and retreats that focus on refreshing the spirit and loving the land. We promote stewardship, reverence, and innovation through activities that are directly connected to Addison County as well as the wider world.
We don't have much of a track record yet as an organization, although most of our Board Members have been very active in other groups (Vermont Family Forest, PACT, Addison County Farmworker Coalition, Walden Project, Orion Magazine, Invisible Odysseys, Sheep Breeders Association, Art on Main, New Haven Community Library, Narrative Therapy Association, Middlebury College, Permanent Fund, Addison County United Way...)
We would like to apply for an operating grant to cover the cost of insurance for all of our projects and some basic communication expenses.
Would we be eligible for this round?
Thanks,
Cheryl

Posted 1 year ago #

You are welcome to apply in this round. Remember that an operating grant can be used to cover any expenses you have so submit your full operating budget. You are welcome to use a community fund grant to pay for insurance. Because you are a relatively new organization, make sure that you can demonstrate how you will sustain your organization over time.

Posted 1 year ago #

Cheryl Mitchell
Member

Thank you,
Does that mean we could also request funding for an intern to help us with organizing, promoting, and running the activities?

Posted 1 year ago #

Yes - if you receive a grant, you can spend the money on anything you would like that's in your annual budget. There's a good definition of "general operating support" in the FAQ on our website and there are also some good resources on the web about how to write an operating support grant. Google it! There may also be some good resources right here on commongoodvt. Perhaps Nick can point us to some?

Posted 1 year ago #

Cheryl Mitchell
Member

Thanks again.
Those were all my questions for now. I'll check back for Nick's advice.
Kudos to VCF and CommonGoodVT for making this kind of responsive interaction so easy. (P.S. the video training was very helpful as well.)
Cheryl

Posted 1 year ago #

Thanks Cheryl - we're also available live in person if you find you have questions you need to talk to us for. The number at the office is 802.388.3355.

Posted 1 year ago #

Cheryl, the Foundation Center has a great new website dedicated to grant writing assistance - check it out here: http://blog.commongoodvt.org/2010/10/grantspace/

Posted 1 year ago #

Cheryl Mitchell
Member

Thanks to both of you. Time to get writing!
Stay warm on this lovely frigid day!

Posted 1 year ago #

All right - that wraps up today's live chat. Feel free to call us if you have questions! 802.388.3355

Posted 1 year ago #

Ryan Torres
Member

Hello Everyone - this is Ryan Torres, philanthropic advisor with the Vermont Community Foundation. I am here to answer any questions about the grant round you might have.

Remember you need to refresh the screen in order to see the responses.

Posted 1 year ago #