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The purpose of The Community Foundation for Crawford County is to serve as a catalyst supporting the good work of nonprofit organizations and to collaborate in response to the needs and interests of the residents of Crawford County.  A portion of our work is carried out through our competitive grants program.

Beginning with the 2022 second grant cycle, the Foundation has changed our grant application. Recognizing the value of Collective Impact, the Foundation has been partnering with United Way of North Central Ohio to better align our grantmaking process and goals. This includes using RBA (Results-Based Accountability) in our application and evaluation process to direct our focus and funding.

To learn more about RBA, click here.

 

ELIGIBILITY

As a community foundation described in our Articles of Incorporation, The Community Foundation for Crawford County may only consider requests from organizations designated as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code including governmental units. This means that most organizations must have applied to the IRS and received a letter from them granting tax-exempt status. In addition, governmental units are considered tax-exempt, such as a county, city, or public school board. A number assigned by the IRS for bank accounts does not necessarily mean an organization has tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3).

 

GUIDELINES

Income from the Crawford Impact Fund (the Foundation's unrestricted fund) is used to make grants of the following types:

  • New projects to support defined community needs.
  • School grants that are building- or system-wide use or will be used by a broad spectrum of the school population.
  • Preschools, that at the time of application have in hand their 501(c)(3) determination letter; are able to document that they are non-denominational, and have an active open enrollment policy.
  • Grants that will generate additionally needed funds for worthwhile community projects.
  • Grants that provide needed programs for human services.

Miscellaneous details

  • Effective, January 1, 1999, individual classroom grant requests are redirected to the appropriate school endowment committee.

Ineligible Requests

  • Political campaigns on behalf of a particular person or party;
  • Religious purposes, except for “designated” grants which have been accepted by the Foundation;
  • Graduate fellowships and travel grants to individuals, except for “designated” grants/scholarships that have been accepted by the Foundation;
  • Those organizations that have not completed prior grant requirements or have a current grant that is not in good standing; or
  • Those organizations that are not in good standing with the Ohio Secretary of State or their 501(c)3 is not current.

 

APPLY

To apply to the Foundation's granting cycle, please click the button below. As our application now relies heavily on Results-Based Accountability, please check out our RBA resources.

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After the grant request has been received, a member of our Board of Trustees or staff will be assigned to review and investigate the grant.  The Trustee will then place the request before the entire Board for discussion and a final decision. If approved, grants are usually awarded in April and December.

If you desire, we would be happy to review a draft of your grant request before final submission. 

 

Deadlines for Grant Submission

As of 2019, the Foundation will only have two grant cycles.

  • First Cycle Deadline: December 31st - Grants submitted by this date will be awarded in April of the following year.
  • Second Cycle Deadline: August 31st - Grants submitted by this date will be awarded in December.

If there is a more urgent time frame for any request, please contact us for more specific advice.