Apply for 2024 Community Impact Grants
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.
Interested organizations can apply by June 14 at dbqfoundation.org/community-impact. Then, by July 1 finalist organizations will be invited to pitch a proposal to the Community Foundation in September. Recipients will be chosen following these presentations.
Grants will be awarded in amounts from $3,500 to $20,000.
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
Before pitching their proposals, finalists will have the opportunity to take part in coaching opportunities led by Community Foundation staff. Following pitches to the Foundation’s Community Leadership and Grantmaking Committee and further review, grant awards will be announced in the fall.
“Pitching a proposal enriches the grant application process for everyone involved,” says Gretchen Corcoran, grants manager 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, the Fountain of Youth Program was one of nine organizations awarded a Community Impact Grant. The grant is supporting the nonprofit’s Partners in Change peer support program, which provides previously incarcerated individuals with access to mentorship and wrap-around services after release, and its RealTalk weekly support group, which facilitates discussion and builds community.
“We’ve been working with one person who just transitioned out of a halfway house, and with this support of our Partners in Change program, he now has an apartment, a bank account, a car and a mentor from a local employer,” says Caprice Jones (pictured above), the Fountain of Youth’s founder and executive director.
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,” Mary Jo Jean-Francois, vice president of impact at the Community Foundation. “We are grateful to the many donors who make these grants possible every year.”
If you have questions about Community Impact Grants, please contact Gretchen Corcoran at 563-588-2700 or gretchen@dbqfoundation.org.