Now accepting Grants for Tech applications
Pictured: Liz Cushman and Judy Wolf in front of Steeple Square, a 2021 Grants for Tech recipient
The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is accepting applications for the Grants for Tech program through Friday, September 16. Dubuque organizations are encouraged to submit their applications for this innovative grant program that funds improvements to their organizations’ technology.
Organizations can apply at dbqfoundaion.org/grantsfortech.
Thanks to support from community members Dave and Liz Cushman, Grants for Tech was established in 2017 as a partnership between the Community Foundation and the University of Dubuque. The goal of the program is to help nonprofits receive expert technology assessments to reveal where grant funding will have the greatest impact on their operations.
Following the assessment, organizations can decide whether to apply for an implementation grant to reduce the financial burden of implementing projects identified in the assessment. Awards range from $2,000 to $10,000. Once grants are awarded, University of Dubuque students provide project management during their second semester to implement the recommended projects.
Eligibility
Organizations must be located in Dubuque to apply. Eligible organizations include 501(c)3 nonprofits, schools, churches and government entities that do not employ IT staff. Organizations can only submit one application per year and must operate in a manner that no applicable anti-discrimination laws are violated.
Matching Funds Requirement
All applicants for implementation grants will be required to contribute matching funds. Organizations with annual operating budgets above $500,000 must provide a dollar-for-dollar match (100% of the funding). Organizations with annual operating budgets below $500,000 must match 50 cents on the dollar (50% of the funding).
To date, Grants for Tech has awarded nearly $53,000 to 30 nonprofits. For recipients like Steeple Square, the grant support and partnership can make a significant difference. The Dubuque nonprofit received $3,000 in 2021 to evaluate and update its audio-visual systems, which enable remote and hybrid board meetings and enhance Steeple Square’s training and event hosting capabilities.
“Just as valuable as the financial support is the technological expertise,” says Judy Wolf, Steeple Square president. “Like many small nonprofits, we don’t have the capacity to support a full IT team, and working with the students helped guide us to the right solutions.”