Since inception, the Foundation has granted over $80 million to nonprofit organizations. In 2019, through the two-stage Competitive Grant Process, the Foundation considered 120 grant applications, reviewing audits or financial compilations, and whether programs are evidence-based, achieve specific reported outcomes, and meet a community need. Ultimately, the Foundation awarded $3,063,952 in competitive grants to 58 nonprofits providing arts and culture, economic development, education, environment, health, and human services programs. For a complete list of the 2019 competitive grants, visit cfnla.org/grants/recentawards.
For the past few weeks, our Chief Grants Officer, Liz LaBorde, has been hosting grant application trainings for area nonprofits. Those organizations that attended a training are now invited to submit an application for Stage One of our 2020 Competitive Grant Process. Organizations will find a more streamlined application this year as part of our recent move to a new database. Stage One applications close on August 21st at 4:00 PM.
All Stage One applications, also called a Letter of Intent (LOI), will be reviewed by a panel of community experts in that service area. For example, applicants that submit an LOI in the field of Health will have their applications reviewed by health professionals familiar with the needs of our community. These LOI review panels make recommendations of applicants to be invited to Stage Two. For those invited to the second stage, Stage Two applications will open October 15th at 8:00 AM and close November 15th at 4:00 PM.
After Stage Two closes, each application is reviewed thoroughly by Foundation staff. Our staff will also conduct site visits and gather more information as necessary. The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors reviews all applications and makes the final grant award decisions. Grant recipients are notified of their status in late April and announced publicly at our Annual Meeting.
Learn more about CFNLA competitive grants at cfnla.org/grants.