How do we apply for a grant?

Community Partners encourages Project Leaders to make a strong first impression with all prospective funders. To support you in this area, the fund and award administration team review all grant proposals and other fund solicitations prior to their submission to the prospective funder. This allows Community Partners to provide you with constructive feedback on the content and structure of the proposal, as well as provide you with any funder-specific information we may have. 

Here are the steps for applying for a grant:

1. Carefully read the funder guidelines to ensure that you qualify and are a good match for the grant.
   
   
2. Compile your grant materials, including the cover letter, proposal, budget, etc. 
   
   
3. Request an endorsement letter from us for your grant proposals, to clarify the fiscal sponsorship relationship and that we serve as legal signatory for all grant agreements. Community Partners requires that all grant proposals be accompanied by this letter.  
   
   
4. Send a draft of your proposal to the programs team before it is sent to the funder.
   
   
5. Include this text in your proposal: “[Project Name] is a project of Community Partners, a nonprofit charity exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.” 
   
   
6. Download documents needed for grant proposals from our website (e.g. 990, audit, IRS determination letter, budget, board list, W9)

All proposals and corresponding budgets, copies of any general solicitation, and the text of any fundraising appeal must be shared with the grants team at least one week in advance of submission deadlines to assure thorough feedback for the strongest proposal possible. Alert the grants team in advance if you are not able to provide a one-week advance review. 

Grants or contracts with government or public agencies, including school districts, typically require complex contracting processes and extensive reporting. This often requires a longer review from the grants team, as well as members of the finance team. Because of this, you must consult with a Community Partners team member before pursuing any grants or contracts of this nature.

Contact [e-mail] for questions related to grant applications.