The Council does not have discretionary funds beyond those published in our Request for Applications (RFA) booklets and our notices of funding for smaller grants such as Community Grants.
- The Council issues several “Request for Applications” booklets during a five-year plan period. Each booklet contains descriptions of projects that the Council wants to fund and instructions on writing applications to meet the Council’s requirements. People on the Council’s mailing list receive the booklet in the mail. Other copies are distributed by hand or accessed on the Council’s website. We only accept applications for the projects described in the RFA booklet.
- Under each specific “Request for Application,” dates are listed for pre-application webinars. A pre-application webinar is a meeting time where you ask questions about your application. It is important to note application due dates and times. We disqualify all late applications. Also, organizations that are interested in specific “Request for Applications” should send in the “interest form” (located within the RFA Booklet). Doing so lets the Council know you are interested, which grants you are interested in and assures you receive a copy of the official answers to questions raised during the pre-application conference.
- Once applications are submitted, evaluators read and score them according to criteria developed by the Council. Evaluators are volunteers and include Council and Committee members and other individuals with subject area expertise or knowledge. The evaluation team discusses each aspect of the applications, ranking them according to how well they matched the Council description in the “Request for Applications” document.
- If you apply, we notify you whether or not we selected your application. For successful applications, there can be times when certain parts of the work plan or budget need further explanation or slightly adapted. Then Council staff will visit you; a grant will be signed. Organizations not awarded grants are encouraged to call and discuss the evaluation committee’s findings with the project officer.
- Occasionally, the Council may accept applications for smaller grants such as those awarded through our Community Grants Program. We announce these on our website. These efforts must also follow a particular, more simple format. Interested individuals can call the Council offices and get the appropriate application packet and schedule.
Don’t miss the next opportunity to receive a grant from the Council! If you are not currently on the Council’s mailing list, request to join it by clicking here. Being on the mailing list assures that you will receive notices of grant opportunities.