Eligibility

There are three main types of eligible applicant organizations:

1. Local governments: Local governments can include town, city or county government agencies, or Tribes that are Federally recognized as provided under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe Act of 1994. Must have a population under 30,000 people.
2. 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations considered a “public charity” by the IRS: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations must be in good standing with the IRS and will be asked to provide a copy of their IRS determination letter.
3. informal resident-led groups: Informal resident groups may apply though they must have a fiscal sponsor who does have 501(c)(3) status and is willing to accept the grant. The fiscal sponsor must accept full responsibility for the Seed Grant and use the services of the local group to carry out the Community Heart & Soul program.

All applicants must demonstrate municipal support and must be able to receive grant funds or designate a fiscal sponsor to receive funds on their behalf.

Full grant guidelines can be found in this online booklet, and there is also an FAQ available.

Match Requirement

 Grant funding requires a $10,000 cash match from the participating municipality or a partnering organization.

How to Apply

 The Seed Grant Application can be found here.

Contact

 Questions can be sent to info@communityheartandsoul.org.

Deadline

Grants are accepted on a rolling basis.

Grant determinations are made until all grants have been awarded. Applications may be submitted at any time, and applications submitted by 11:59pm on the last business day of each month will be considered the following month.

Given that the total number of grants awarded is limited, interested communities are encouraged to apply as early as possible.