Community Foundation of the Lowcountry

Application Process

Hilton Head Island Foundation Endowment Fund Competitive Grant Program

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, an applicant must:

• A nonprofit organization with a tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code, or eligible to be classified as such, but are not classified as a private foundation.
• Serve the people who live and/or work in the Hilton Head Island area community.

We generally will not consider requests for the following:

• Sectarian or religious activities
• Political activities or organizations
• Grants directly to individuals
• Endowments
• Annual fundraising campaigns
• Special events or fundraisers
• Scholarships for students in grades K-12.

Selection Process

Reviewing, considering, and awarding grant proposals requires considerable time and attention from the Hilton Head Island Foundation Endowment Fund.  To facilitate this process, complete information from the applicant is needed as requested in the instructions before the application will be considered.

A site visit is scheduled for each organization submitting a proposal for a Community Impact Grant or a Community Investment Grant.  The Hilton Head Island Foundation Endowment Fund’s Grants Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry which are approved three times a year.

Community Impact and Community Investment Grant Guidelines 
Organizations that plan to submit a grant for the next cycle must register to attend a Grants Information Session at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry offices. Please register with Anita Miles at  843.681.9100.

The application process for the Community Impact and Commuity Investment Grant Programs involves meeting with the Vice President for Grantmaking and Community Leadership and discussing the eligibility of your project. 

The Community Foundation’s Grants Advisory Committee and the Board decides, based on well-established criteria, if the requests will be funded and for what amount.   Decisions result from the following considerations.  The decision-making criteria shown below are examined in-depth on the grant application and during site visit questioning:

• Community Impact – What are the outcomes and measurements of the project?  Will those outcomes truly impact the greater community?  Are the measurements quantified, valid, and reliable?
• Organization Capacity – Does the nonprofit have the strategic plan, strong governance, board competencies, and the staff leadership necessary to implement and sustain the project?  Does the organization have financials that can withstand audit?  Are there potential risks to the organization, such as debts, litigation, etc.?
• Sustainability - Is there a well-designed plan for sustaining the project when the Community Foundation’s funds are expended?  Is the project based on solid research/best practices and not just an experiment?
• Collaboration - Is the nonprofit aware of all potential collaborative relationships necessary for the success of the project?  Have collaborative partners documented their intent to participate and sustain the project?

Your organization has been awarded a grant.  So now what?

Review and sign the Terms of Grant agreement sent from our Grantmaking Office

Review and implement the marketing and publicitiy guidelines  and utilize the sample press release, sample newsletter or sample letter to government representatives when appropriate.

Inform the VP of Grantmaking of any press generated from your grant.

Final Reports
The Final Report Form is designed to enable you to report to the Community Foundation on the activities, accomplishments, and challenges which were generated by the grant and for you to provide a detailed accounting of the use of funds. 

Remember, according to the Terms of Grant Agreement which you signed, your report is due within 30 days following the final expenditure of funds received.  Note that your organization will not qualify to receive another grant until this final paper work is completed.   It is acceptable to retype this form using your own word processing/computer equipment, but please follow the same chronology and format.  

Budget information can be noted on an additional page.  Photographs may be included to show construction or to document items purchased with grant funds.  You may also include newspaper clippings, newsletter articles, etc. that focus on this particular project.

*Please note that the updated Final Report Form begins with an Executive Summary to be submitted, which should briefly describe the outcomes of the project. 

The Final Report form for Community Impact and Community Investment grants can be downloaded here.

The Final Report form for Organization Development grants can be downloaded here.