We will consider proposals for planning grants from teams of local non-profit organizations serving Brown, Kewaunee, and/or Oconto counties. Planning will last approximately 6 to 12 months and serve individuals in the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation service area. Deadline is February 15. Contact GGBCF prior to completing your Initial Application to discuss your ideas. Email Martha at martha@ggbcf.org or call the office at 920.432.0800.
Planning grants provide funding to teams of local non-profits as they explore and plan for the launch of a collaborative project. Grants will not fund planning that is part of an organization’s ongoing activities. Appropriate planning items include, but are not limited to: hiring staff; planning time; occasional site visits or using technology (instead of face-to-face meetings) to review models and best practices; and consultants, facilitators or other outside professional assistance.
How to Apply for a Planning Collaborative Grant
No formal application form is required. Submit an Initial Application Letter of no more than three typed pages, providing the following information: - Identification of the lead organization and collaborators, their roles, and the contact names and emails,
- A description of the gap or community/regional need and how this need relates to the 2011 Brown County LIFE Study,
- The vision of the project description of any previous planning,
- Why a planning grant is needed to move the project forward,
- Timeline and activities for both the planning process and project implementation,
- A budget for how planning grant funds would be utilized, and
- An initial plan for raising funds for the project, if appropriate.
Evaluation Process
1. Planning grant proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by a team of community volunteers.
2. Selected applicants will be asked to interview with grants team members and provide additional information.
3. Final decisions for planning grants will be announced by mid-June.
Planning grant recipients are not guaranteed to receive additional funding for project or program implementation.
Deadline
February 15
Request Amounts
The Community Foundation estimates that planning grant proposals will be for requests around $10,000, but any reasonable request will be considered.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals for planning grants will be evaluated on both the strength of the request and the potential of the proposed project. Strong planning projects will:
- Define a community/regional need or identified gap in service or programming within one or more of the Impact Areas supported by relevant data.
- Directly address needs/gaps identified in the 2011 Brown County LIFE Study.
- Clearly articulate a vision that demonstrates depth in thinking and initial research into feasibility.
- Identify and describe suitable, successful models (already in place in another community) or a (newly created) framework for a clearly defined action to meet the need.
- Provide a broad budget for the implementation and continuation of the project activities.
- Have a feasible, but aggressive timeline that provides a clear outline for planning, implementation, and follow-through.
- Have board and organizational management support and participation of all collaborative partners.
- Be collaborative in nature and bring together partners, public and/or private as active planning partners to address the impact area(s) and to leverage impact through resources and/or expertise. See definition of collaboration.
- Lead to a project that is concrete, practical, and has the potential for well-defined, meaningful, measurable impact.
- Be feasible and attractive to donors, foundations, or other community entities and funders for implementation and continuation.
Applications for more than one Community Foundation Service Area
Currently, there is not an opportunity to apply specifically for a planning grant for a regional project (a project serving more than one community foundation service area). To apply for a regional collaborative program, see Regional Collaborative Grant information.
When you can apply for other BNGP grants after you've received a Planning Grant
Whether or not you receive a planning grant, your collaborative team can apply for a single or multi-year collaborative grant once you're further along in establishing the program requirements, have clear, defined roles of the organizations involved in the collaboration, and can meet the requirements of that application process. Planning grant recipients are not guaranteed to receive additional funding for project or program implementation. If you are unsure about which type of grant is appropriate for your group to apply to, please contact Martha Ahrendt by email at martha@ggbcf.org to setup a time to discuss your ideas.
Previous Planning Grant Recipients
- Fall Prevention and Medication Management Project: Aging and Disability Resource Center of Brown County, Aurora Health Care, Brown County Human Services, Streu's Pharmacy, UW-Madison School of Pharmacy, and NWTC & UW-Green Bay Nursing Students
- Out of School Time Coalition: Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay, Green Bay Area Public School District, Greater Green Bay YMCA