Each year the Episcopal Foundation of Dallas receives more grant applications than it has funds available to grant. The Grants Committee has the difficult task of allocating limited funds among many worthy requests, along with a fiduciary responsibility to invest grant monies where they will be wisely spent and do the most good. Successful grant applications address these items:
Community impact (i.e. Return on Investment)
Applicants are asked to submit a narrative summary that includes a description of the need or problem addressed and the population served by the grant request. Successful applicants are specific in describing who and how many will be served. Requests for building repairs and maintenance are strengthened by including a description of community ministries and outreach programs the facility supports. Scholarship requests are strengthened by demonstrating a community impact outside the benefit to an individual.
Accountability
Grant applicants are asked to provide prior year financial statements and the current year operating budget. These statements do not have to be audited or generated by sophisticated software, but should demonstrate that there is a system in place for controlling and accounting for funds received and spent.
Planning
Grant applicants are asked to provide project budgets and/or supporting bids, invoices or price lists. Successful applicants have researched vendors and prices or obtained bids so that they know the cost of their project and can document it as part of the application. Grant applicants are also asked for a timeline for expending the funds. Generally speaking, successful applicants submit requests for projects that are “shovel ready.”
Viability (i.e. Going Concern)
A grant request citing declining membership or enrollment, difficulty in making payroll, evidence of bounced checks, or other going concern “red flags” is a hard sell for receiving investment dollars. If you are requesting seed money for a new program, the application should address how you will secure future funding to continue the project
Dollar Amount
Information is available on the Foundation’s website regarding the dollar amount of recent awards. Successful applicants request a reasonable amount. Also, providing project cost details, in cases where a partial award would be helpful, gives the Grant Committee greater flexibility for funding your request at some level.
The grant application deadline is April 15. Applications are available on this website. Please call Polly Bireley at the Foundation offices (214.366.9996) if you have any questions regarding the grant application process. We look forward to hearing from you!