Organizations eligible to receive grants from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region are those determined by the IRS to be public charities. This encompasses most charitable, scientific, social service, educational and religious organizations described in § 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(3) of the tax code, and private operating foundations. The Foundation will not normally make grants to private non-operating foundations. Grants may also be made to units of government (this includes Native American tribal governments) for public purposes. Organizations that are not public charities may apply through a fiscal sponsor. Organizations must serve residents of the Foundation's service area including Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano, Waupaca and/or northern Winnebago counties. Additional eligibility requirements may apply to units of government and schools; see below.
Eligibility for Units of Government (city, county, township, etc.)
The Foundation will consider funding for units of government when the request for support is judged to be an effective means to address a priority issue. A grant from the Foundation may help draw attention to a new issue, leverage additional funding, offer more flexible funds than are typically available in a governmental budget, or provide seed money until program funding can be included in the governmental budget. The Foundation will not typically issue grants for the general operating support of a government program.
Eligibility for Schools
The Foundation will consider funding for public, charter and private/parochial Pre-K-12 schools and post-secondary educational institutions, when the request for support is judged to be an effective means to address a priority issue, particularly when the issue addresses the needs of a substantial or underserved portion of the community. Requests will only be considered if they are unique and community-oriented, or for pilot programs with potential to be sustainable and replicable. The Foundation typically will not issue grants for the general operating support of a school system, school or school program.
The Foundation will consider funding for programs, services or initiatives that address unmet human needs through non-sectarian organizations or collective efforts of faith-based organizations that draw support from the community at large to meet a demonstrated community need, and that refrain from promoting a specific journey of faith. Requests will be considered from individual faith-based organizations or organizations with a specific journey of faith as an aspect of its mission only if the program, services or initiatives do not promote that specific journey of faith or include activities such as religious worship, instruction or proselytization. In making its determination for eligibility, the Foundation will consider not only the mission of the applicant but the participant experience and the intended outcome(s) for the program, service or activity, for the target participants and/or audience.
