COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM

Welcome to the Community Grant Program of the Maricopa Community Foundation

Community Grant Program

Grants are available to eligible area non-profits organizations that provide services to individuals living in the City of Maricopa and surrounding area in Pinal County.

The Community Foundation Grant Program consists of separate grantmaking funds created by individual donors who establish specific criteria for the administration of their grants.

Such criteria must be consistent with overall Foundation policy.

Please review the information below for more information regarding application criteria, eligibility, and submission process.

General Policies

One application only is required from any organization to be considered for any grant offered through the Community Foundation Scholarship Program each grantmaking year.

  • Organizations apply to the Community Foundation Scholarship Program as a whole, not for a particular grant and are considered for any grant in which they are eligible.
  • The philosophy of the Community Foundation Community Grant Program is to help as many individual organizations as possible; therefore, only one application is received by any one organization in any given year although they may be eligible for several different grants offered.
  • The Maricopa Community Foundation reserves the right to amend or to modify the scope of the Community Grant Program.
GRANT CRITERIA

Community Grants will be based on the following:

  • Application request aligns with the MCF mission, is unique, effective, efficient and makes sense for the Foundation to fund
  • Application request proposes funding opportunities that allows both the program and organization residual integration and potential growth
  • Application request is well thought out and appropriate future funding plans have been made to ensure continuation or success of program
  • Application request reach is meaningful and appropriate as compared to amount of funding
PRIMARY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

In order to be eligible for any grant funding, organizations must provide services that benefit Maricopa residents.

  • Applicant must be a 501(c) non-profit organization, school, government agency, and tribal entity that operates with fiscal accountability and responsibility. Religious organizations may apply for funding of nonsectarian programs.
  • Registered as a non-profit organization with the Maricopa Community Foundation
  • Organizations that do no unlawfully discriminate against employees, volunteers, board members, or the members, clients, or students it serves based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, disability, ancestry, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.
  • Organizations without a 501(c)(3) status must use a fiscal agent to apply on their behalf. Fiscal agents must also be registered with the Maricopa Community Foundation and also a 501(c) organization
  • Organizations must be in good standing with the State of Arizona and the IRS at the time of review or else the submitted application will be immediately declined

Grants will generally be limited to a maximum of $1,000.00.  The Maricopa Community Foundation will typically accept no more than one proposal from a qualified organization. Amounts available will depend, in part, on funding available from the Community Foundations Unrestricted funds. Not all proposals will receive funding, and some may receive partial funding.

The following organizations will be considered ineligible to apply:

  • Non-profit organizations that have been in operation for two years or less
  • Non-profit organizations headquartered outside Arizona
  • Private Schools (K-12 grades)
  • Organizations re-granting to other organizations
  • For profit organizations
  • Houses of Worship unless for providing nonsectarian services that benefit the community as a whole and not restricted to their congregation
TYPES OF GRANTS

The Foundation has identified several interest areas in which needs exist and for which grant requests are encouraged:

  • Animal Welfare Health Care
  • Arts, Culture and Humanities
  • Community Improvement
  • Conservation and Environment
  • Employment and Training
  • Food, Agriculture and Nutrition
  • Housing and Shelter
  • Human Services – Emergency
  • Human Services – Children & Youth
  • Human Services – Seniors / Aging Adults
  • Human Services – Women & Men
  • Human Services – New Americans

The Maricopa Community Foundations grantmaking is encouraging grant requests to support programs and those they serve in addition to operations.

The Foundation encourages proposals that:

  • Leverage matching funds
  • Engage strategic, mission-driven collaborations/partnerships
  • Build the capacity of the organization
  • Support direct services projects
  • Support capital or program projects
  • Support one-year funding proposals
  • Support direct costs associated with carrying out the program, such as staff salary/wages, project management, marketing, consultant supplies, postage, travel, training or equipment, newly acquired information technology, etc. will be allowed.Direct costs can also include directly attributed administrative support, legal or accounting functions, with distinct and measurable effort on the project.
  • Applications that support event sponsorship or conferences will not be considered

GRANT SUBMISSIONS

All proposals must:

  • Clearly define specific objectives and community need that will be addressed
  • Describe how a partnership with the Foundation will be developed
  • Establish a realistic timetable and budget
  • Outline a process to measure the effectiveness of the proposal

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Community Grant Applications are currently on hold as we are awaiting further donations to our grant fund. We are hopeful to resume soon!