Directory
President
Frank Giammarino 675-1940 Community Development Grants:
Lori Tragesser 675-1941 Education Scholarships: Megan Zanto 675-1943 Bookkeeping:
Valerie Stapleton 675-1942 Auto Attendant 765-675-8480 Board of Directors
Funds are limited,
but letters of intent are always welcome from groups engaged
in charitable projects!
Please review these procedures for grant
proposals. In 2012, proposals are due on March 1, August 1 (including
all requests for year-end holiday or winter projects), and
October 1 (including all requests for 2013 operations of social agencies).
Inquiries should be made and letters of intent should be submitted a
few weeks beforehand. Payments to grantees are not made until after Board
approval each quarter, usually the last week of May, September, and
November.
The procedures for requesting support for
a charitable project or program from the Tipton County Foundation are
outlined
below. The same information can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word document. (http://www.tiptoncf.org/TCF
Grant Guidelines.doc) One can also obtain these instructions by fax, email,
or visiting the Office.
Annual Grants Program Policies & Procedures
The
Tipton County Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt public charity governed by a
volunteer Board of Directors broadly representative of the Tipton County
community. The Foundation holds a variety of funds that make grants to a broad
range of charitable agencies and programs. These grants are made from the
investment income earned on permanently endowed funds.
The
following grant program policies and procedures apply only to the general or
field of interest philanthropic funds in the Foundation and not to those funds
(Agency Funds, Donor-Advised or Designated Funds, Scholarship Funds) for which
donors have directed the use of a particular fund to a specific charitable
purpose. Those funds are administered separately.
Only nonprofit charitable programs and projects that serve the Tipton County
community are considered for funding. The Annual Grants Programs may change from
time to time. Potential grant seekers are encouraged to contact the Foundation
prior to submitting a proposal to be certain the project qualifies for funding.
Preference will be given to proposals that:
Address priority community concerns
Are
change-oriented and problem-solving in nature
Assist
grant recipients to achieve certain objectives that are measurable and have a
transformational impact on their clientele
Will
have the greatest benefit per dollar granted
Have
the potential of encouraging donations from the general public through a match
by the Foundation
Have
the potential of leveraging additional grants from other sources such as
government and other foundations
Eligibility
Grants will be made only:
To
groups which are nonprofit and charitable.
To
organizations that document their responsible fiscal management and adequate
accounting procedures.
For
projects or programs that are proposed in writing by the organization’s
governing body.
Grantees must submit final grant evaluations reports in a timely manner. If
reports are delinquent from a previous grant, new proposals will not be
considered.
The Foundation DOES NOT make grants to Individuals or for the following:
Political purposes
Programs or equipment that were committed to prior to the grant proposal period
Debt
reduction
Annual
appeals or membership contributions
Building of Endowments, unless located at TCF
Projects that benefit only a few persons
Travel
expenses for individuals or groups
Special Circumstances
Incorporated social service agencies may submit proposals covering a
portion of their general operating expenses, but must still describe the major
programs they provide and the benefits the community derives from them.
Preferably, however, agencies are encouraged to allocate their management and
general expenses proportionally to their various community benefit projects,
presenting a more accurate and favorable picture to the Foundation and other
donors of the priorities they have established, and avoid an unrealistic and
misleading view of “overhead”.
Government agencies, including tax-supported entities such as volunteer
fire departments public educational institutions, may submit proposals for
special resources or new initiatives. Their proposals must:
explain why the requested support is not covered by tax revenue
tell
how it will be renewed or sustained in future years
describe what collaboration with other towns, schools, or agencies is intended,
in order to control costs and to make similar services available in all
jurisdictions of Tipton County
provide information about how such programs are funded in other counties.
Decision-making Process
A committee of community volunteers and members of the Foundation’s Board of
Directors evaluates each proposal. Members are selected to represent the broad
geographic and professional diversity of the Tipton County community. The Board
of Directors makes every effort to appoint committee members who will be
unbiased and fair in evaluating proposals. The committee is made up of ten to
twenty people, chaired by a member of the Foundation Board.
Committee members visit the proponents at their facilities or location where a
project or program will occur, and may contact others familiar with the
organization and the need that the proposal addresses. The proponents may also
be asked to discuss the project briefly with the full committee to at its
quarterly meeting.
The
Board approves the budget for the grantmaking committee yearly, out of the
proceeds from the Foundation's general endowment and field of interest funds.
The committee chair reports to the Board those proposals that have been approved
for the Board to review. Additionally, the grantmaking committee may postpone a
decision on a proposal, or decline to recommend funding.
Conflicts of Interest
Because Board and committee members are active in the community, potential
conflicts of interest may arise from time to time. It is the Foundation’s policy
to deal with any conflicts of interest as openly as possible. A conflict of
interest is defined as any activity or interest that may cause bias for or
against a particular grant being considered. Committee and Board members will
disclose potential conflicts in writing, and answer relevant questions. Once a
conflict is disclosed, members may, if appropriate (as determined by the Board
or committee), abstain from further consideration of a particular grant.
Evaluation
In evaluating grant proposals, the
Foundation gives consideration to:
Project Quality: established community
need, expected benefits, planning, similarity to other programs,
reasonableness of budget and grant request, other expected funding sources,
potential to leverage other grants.
Community Impact: number of people
affected, potential impact, demonstrated community need or desire for the
project, collaboration with other organizations, volunteer commitment to the
project.
Project Management: staff and Board
experience, organizational ability to carry out the project,
mission-appropriate, long-range plan for the project and the organization,
future of the organization.
Foundation Resources: can the Foundation
adequately and effectively respond to the request in the context of grantmaking
priorities and budget.
United Community Fund • Schram Education Fund • Findling Legacy Fund • Women’s
Fund
Incorporated social service organizations
with tax exempt status under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3), that commit to a
cooperative fund-raising process and other standards similar to those of the
United Way, may have their grants funded in part by donations contributed in the
annual United Community Fund campaign.
Such agencies should submit a single annual
proposal to the Foundation for the projects for which they seek funding, and
the Foundation will determine what proportions of a grant may be paid from the
United Community Fund or the Foundation’s other grants budget sources.
One of
these other sources is the Education Fund,
named in honor of the Foundation’s first executive Robert Schram and his wife
Ibby Ann. Potential grantees need not
specify this fund or any other in their proposals; the Foundation will use its
discretion in determining whether an educational project should be supported by
the education field of interest fund, or the other grant budget sources.
Another field of interest is the particular cause of “the neediest children,”
which the Foundation seeks to benefit through grants from the John B. Findling Legacy Fund.
Traditionally, this fund has made small grants to sororities, service clubs and
other organizations for special child-oriented programs, especially at holiday
time. Such projects need not take place
just at the Christmas holidays, but may be considered in any of the quarterly
grantmaking cycles of the Tipton County Foundation.
Agencies receiving a major grant from TCF should include any
Findling-qualifying projects in their main annual proposal. Organizations seeking funding
only for a project to benefit the neediest children should submit their letter
of intent and proposal as early in the calendar year as possible to ensure Board
approval in time for their event.
Women
and girls with roots in Tipton County unite their charitable giving through the
Women’s Fund
of the Tipton County Foundation. Their grantmaking creates a stronger,
healthier, and more vibrant community where women are empowered to reach their
full potential. The
Women’s Fund has separate guidelines and procedures for considering proposals
for grants. Contact the office for updated information.
Submitting a Proposal
The procedures for requesting support for a charitable project or program from
the Tipton County Foundation are outlined below.
Rather than printing them directly from this web
page, the same information can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word
document. Download the
instructions for a grant proposal as a Microsoft Word document. You can also obtain these
instructions by
fax, email, or visiting the Office.
STEP ONE… the Letter of Intent
If you are interested in submitting
a grant proposal to the Tipton County Foundation, the first step is to send us a
Letter of Intent. Please include the following information in your letter:
What you would like to do.
The nature of the project, no
more than 200 words.
Who will benefit (both the
target population and number to be served).
When a decision will be
needed, when the project will begin, and when the project will end.
Total project cost.
Portion of project cost you
are asking TCF to fund
Who you are.
Name of organization, website
if any.
Contact Info (contact person,
phone, mailing address, email address).
Mission of organization.
IRS classification, 501(c)(3)
or other.
Please mail the completed letter to Tipton County Foundation, PO Box 412,
Tipton, IN 46072. You may also email the letter as an attached document, NOT
incorporated in the body of your email. Please feel free to contact community
development officer Lori Tragesser with
questions, 765-675-1941 or grants@tiptoncf.org.
STEP TWO… the Narrative
After we respond to your Letter of
Intent, please draft your own word-processed document when writing your grant
proposal. You must include ALL of the following information, in the order it
appears, for your proposal to be considered for funding.
Rationale.
In this section, you should first
incorporate the information from your Letter of Intent with any appropriate
updates. This is also where you should explain in detail (1) the need for your
project, (2) how the project will be implemented, and (3) how the success of the
project will be measured.
Collaboration.
Please tell the committee (1) who
else is involved in this kind of project in or for the Tipton County community,
(2) how their work is like or different from the project you are proposing, and
(3) what other agencies/organizations are likely to work with yours in
fulfilling your plan.
For example, be sure to communicate with the Tipton County Extension Education
Center on adult education or training projects. Or, if your project is
school/education related, please explain how your project might benefit students
in the other school system or those who are home-schooled or privately-schooled.
Organizational Strength.
Please analyze the internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats that your organization might face. Include your findings in this
Narrative.
STEP THREE… the Attachments
Please include the following documents with your proposal in the order they
appear.
List of Board members, including
business affiliations if any, and identification of Board officers.
Financial statements of the
organization, both year-end and most recent period.
Organization budget, including
planned fundraisers (month to be held, and net dollars anticipated).
Detailed project budget.
Revenue
Expenses
In-kind revenue/expenses
Indicate whether revenue is
pending, received or approved.
Please indicate the portion of
the project budget you are asking TCF to fund, whether it is a specific item
in the budget or a percentage of the total. Your project budget may include
an appropriate portion of your organization’s administrative expenses. For
example, if staff is needed for oversight of the project, the corresponding
portion of his/her salary and benefits could be allocated to this project
budget.
Evidence that this proposal has
the approval of your Board of Directors or governing body.
For example, if you are a teacher, you must obtain a statement of support
from your principal and the superintendent/board of education. If you have a
proposal from a public safety or other government agency, you must obtain a
statement from your supervising elected official.
The Annual Grants Programs may change from time to time. Applicants are
encouraged to contact the Foundation prior to submitting a proposal to be certain
the project qualifies for funding.
