2022 Community Impact Grant Cycle Opens August 8
Nonprofits that want to build their capacity to deliver services to the public are invited to express interest in Community Impact Grants through the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.
Beginning August 8, interested organizations can submit a form online notifying the Foundation about their intent to apply for this grant. Organizations will be invited to apply for the full grant by August 22.
Grants will be awarded in amounts from $3,500 to $15,000. Organizations can submit their intent forms by August 18 by clicking the “Apply Now” link at dbqfoundation.org/community-impact.
The Community Impact Grant program is designed to support capacity-building efforts among nonprofits serving Clayton, Clinton, and Dubuque counties. Project proposals can focus on a variety of areas, including:
- Community programming
- Individual and team leadership
- Organization-wide planning and development
- Equity, diversity and inclusion
- Network development
- Communications
- Evaluation and learning planning
- Digital and physical security
After the application period closes, finalist organizations will be invited to apply by August 22. Coaching opportunities led by Community Foundation staff in partnership with The Innovation Lab will be offered to finalists. Finalists will have an opportunity pitch a proposal to the Foundation’s Community Leadership and Grantmaking Committee. After further review, grant awards will be announced in the fall.
“Pitching a proposal enriches the grant application process for everyone involved,” says Mary Jo Jean-Francois, director of grantmaking at the Community Foundation. “It helps applicants become comfortable sharing the story of their organization and the impact they make. It also gives reviewers a chance to ask questions that can lead to a deeper understanding about an organization’s project.”
Last year, Voices Productions (pictured above) was one of seven organizations awarded a Community Impact Grant, which is helping the Dubuque-based nonprofit enhance neighborhood vitality through the arts and cultural attractions. The grant is supporting Voices’ effort to turn a former paint store in the Washington Neighborhood into a space that showcases local artists, hosts public art events for neighborhood residents, and serves as a gathering place that inspires creativity.
The project is about more than opening a new space: “Our goal is to build a better community for our children and our grandchildren to live in,” says Gene Tully, one of the leaders of the nonprofit.
The Community Impact Grant program is one of many Community Foundation opportunities aimed at strengthening nonprofits that build a strong region for the future. The program is supported by generous gifts and an endowment fund that grows in perpetuity and pays out each year.
“Strong nonprofits build strong communities, and we are proud to provide support that builds their capacity to serve our region,” Jean-Francois says. “We are grateful to the many donors who make these grants possible every year.”