Grant Eligibility
In the event your organization’s information (name and address) does not match that on your 501(c)(3) charitable determination letter, you can contact the IRS to request an Affirmation Letter. Doing so is completely at your organization’s discretion. The following is an excerpt from the website of the IRS regarding this matter:
To reflect changes: The EO Determinations Office can issue an affirmation letter to confirm an organization’s new name and/or address while also affirming its tax-exempt status
If your organization does have an Affirmation Letter from the IRS with the organization’s current name and address, please upload that where the 501(c)(3) charitable determination letter is requested on the grant application.
On the grant application, it is a requirement for a completed W-9 to be uploaded. The name and address listed on the grant application must be what is shown on the W-9. The W-9 must also be completed in its entirety, signed, and dated. If any of these are not completed, or the W-9 is not uploaded, the grant application will automatically be denied.
Please note that ensuring the correct documents are uploaded to the grant application is the responsibility of the applicant. It is not the responsibility of the Foundation to contact an applicant if incorrect documents are uploaded, or not uploaded at all. Therefore, we strongly encourage applicants to review their application and all supporting documents prior to submission.
We do not make grants to any individuals nor do we accept sponsorship requests.
Your organization must be headquartered in one of the seventeen counties the Foundation awards grants to. Those counties are: Boone, Brown, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Hendricks, Howard, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Posey, Sullivan, or Tipton. For example, if your organization is located in Indianapolis and your application states the grant would be used in Brown County, your application will be denied since the headquarters are in Marion County.
The average amount of a grant for a first-time applicant is approximately $5,000 – $20,000. Therefore, if your organization is a first-time applicant, it would be prudent to request a grant amount within this range. If your request falls above this amount, please reach out to Amanda Flora prior to submitting your application.
If your organization has outstanding grant reports from previous grant cycles, then your organization will be ineligible to apply for future grant funds until all past due reports have been submitted.
The Smithville Charitable Foundation awards grants, not sponsorships. If your organization has received a sponsorship from Smithville Communications, then your organization is not eligible for a grant with the Foundation, and vice versa. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Amanda Flora for clarification at amanda.flora@smithville.com. When writing, please note the name of your organization in the subject of the email.
The Smithville Charitable Foundation will not approve applications that request funds for Operating Expenses. This is effective immediately and pertains to all organizations, even those who have received a previous grant for those items. The Foundation defines Operating Expenses as expenses that are incurred in the regular operations of business. The following are examples of requests that will not be considered for a grant:
- Payroll and/or Benefits
- Rent
- Marketing
- Utilities
On occasion, the Foundation receives grant requests from the same organization for different projects. It is imperative to note that only one grant application per organization will be accepted.
The Smithville Charitable Foundation no longer approves multi-year grants.
Determine Fit
Funding Inquiries
When contacting the Smithville Charitable Foundation via email, in the subject line of the message, please include the name of your organization.
Submit a Grant Proposal
Smithville Charitable Foundation accepts grant applications in one cycle each year. The dates of the cycle will be in the fall, usually in August and September. Check our website for a link to the application, which will be available when the cycle opens. The SCF uses diverse criteria to determine which proposals will be funded: the dollar amount of the request, evidence the applicant has been successful in the past, the community that will benefit from the funding, number of people served, etc. We look for applicants who can demonstrate the need for the project or program and their ability to meet that need.
The Smithville Charitable Foundation has approximately $1M to grant each year. We ask that organizations be mindful of this when completing their application. For example, if an organization were to request $200,000 on their grant application, since that would be approximately 20% of the annual grant budget, the organization would be denied a grant during that cycle.
If your organization receives a grant, the address for the organization listed on the grant application is where the check will be mailed. If the address for your organization changes after you have submitted your grant application, please reach out to Amanda Flora at amanda.flora@smithville.com or at (812) 935-2283 with the updated address.
It is important to note that even if an organization has received a grant from the Smithville Charitable Foundation for several years, there is no guarantee that your organization will receive a grant for each grant year.
On the grant application, there is an area where we request your project expenses. The expenses need to be broken down by item and include the total cost for each. Examples of what is acceptable and what is not are shown below. Please note, these examples did not come from any grant application we received.
ACCEPTABLE
New freezers – $4,890
UNACCEPTABLE
Our commercial freezers are getting ready to go out. We store all of our frozen food that we give away in those. The value of the food in the freezers is approximately $28,000. Instead of repairing them, we chose to invest in new freezers. The cost is $6,890. A local resident gave us $2,000 for the new freezers and we are requesting a grant for the balance of $4,890.
When completing your application, the date used for the end of the grant period must be on or before the date listed on the grant application.
Grantee Requirements & Information
The Foundation is required to notify grant applicants by October 31st of each cycle regarding the determination of their proposal. Therefore, mailings are sent during this timeframe to notify each organization of the status of their grant request. If your organization is awarded a grant, the grant check will be included with the approval letter. If your application was denied a grant, you will receive a letter explaining the reason for the denial. This information will also be noted within our grant software on or before October 31st, so please feel free to check the status of your grant application prior to contacting the Foundation. If you have not received a mailing from the Foundation by November 1st of each cycle, please feel free to contact Amanda Flora at amanda.flora@smithville.com or at (812) 935-2283.
There are three items that a grant recipient must complete for each grant cycle. Those include a Grant Agreement, an Interim Report, and a Final Report. Each document has a due date that grantees are made aware of via email. In the event that any of these documents are filed late, whether it be one day or two months, that organization will not be eligible for a grant the following cycle. PLEASE NOTE: The Final Report can be submitted at any time, as long as your Interim Report has been submitted and accepted, and the grant has been spent in its entirety.
In order for your organization to be eligible for funding during future grant cycles, all funds received MUST be spent prior to applying during the next grant cycle.
IMPORTANT DETAILS FOR GRANTEES
In addition to the terms outlined in the online Grant Agreement form, grantees are required to meet the following terms:
- To update the Smithville Charitable Foundation on the outcome of your project through an Interim Report and Final Grant Report, both to be completed online. If these reports are not completed on or before their due dates, your organization will not be eligible for a grant during the following grant cycle.
- To use 100% of the grant funds as specified in your grant application, within the timeframe noted on your application, and before applying for future SCF grants.
- To continue to qualify as a tax-exempt organization– and not as a private foundation as defined in section 509(a) of the Code – and that you will notify the Foundation immediately if the Internal Revenue Service proposes to revoke or change the grantees exempt status.