Continued

ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL PROPOSAL

The Business Council favors proposals that have the following elements:

  • The application can clearly articulate and demonstrate the results its activities achieve for those it serves
  • The request builds on an agency’s institutional strengths and encourages innovative solutions to community/agency problems and/or needs.
  • All relevant people are involved in the planning of the proposed project or activities.
  • The Foundation’s dollars are leveraged with other funding sources.  It is unlikely that a request will be fully funded.  Therefore, priority will be given to applicants who have a clear plan for securing additional support.
  • A multi-agency/collaborative approach is utilized whenever possible.
  • The Foundation assumes that there is an organizational commitment to the project for which funds are being requested.  With that in mind, a member of the governing board must sign the application.

GRANT GUIDELINES

  1. Funds granted are limited in use to the purpose for which they are awarded.
  2. A request cannot exceed $75,000 per year.  The grant period is one year in duration from the date of Business Council approval.  If funds are not used within the 12-month period, the balance will be rescinded.  The Foundation is not obligated to remind a grantee of unused funds.
  3. An organization is eligible for only one capital or program grant per year.  However, an agency that has recently merged with or acquired another nonprofit, and an agency serving as the fiscal sponsor on behalf of a community collaborative may be eligible to submit two applications within the appropriate grant cycle.
  4. Applicants may submit a capital or a program request.

Capital Grants

  • Grants are available for the acquisition of a capital item or improvement of facilities.  Items that do not constitute a capital request include videos, books, and websites, and “consumables” such as brochures, posters, T-shirts, uniforms, individual sports equipment, etc.
  • Three competitive, comparable bids for each item must be submitted with the application.
  • The Foundation will not contribute more than once to a specific capital project.
  • Funds cannot be used to reimburse an agency for items purchased prior to the grant award date.

Program Grants

  • Grants are available for a new program or the expansion of an existing program.
  • The Foundation defines a program as a coherently packaged group of activities designed to result in a change for its participants.  The change could be in behavior, attitude, skills, knowledge or condition.
  • Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation grants are not intended to support programs in perpetuity.  An applicant may choose to seek funding for the same program for a subsequent year, but if awarded, an agency cannot expect funding for the same project beyond the third year.
  • Funds are to be used to support direct program costs, not indirect operating expenses.
  • Successful applicants must agree to report program progress to the Foundation.

FUNDING LEVELS

The Foundation considers three different funding levels. The first level considers application requests in an amount of $1,000 or less. Applications at this level are considered all year long.  The second level considers application requests in amounts greater than $1,000 and less than $10,000, applications are considered from January 1 through November 30. The third level considers application requests in amounts $10,000 or greater and will be considered from January 1 through October 31. The Foundation will only consider one application per applicant per year.

 

Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation
P.O. Box 1440
Santa Ynez, CA 93460
(805) 686-3856
(805) 686-2188 Fax