Grants

Community Grant Program

Provides grants twice a year for a wide variety of charitable purposes in Jackson County through the Foundation’s competitive grant application program. Application deadlines are March 15th and September 15th. Click here on the Community Grant Presentation and Community Grant Application PDF form to review the requirements and determine if your project or program qualifies for grant assistance and to review the directions needed to submit a grant application.

Community Connect Project – Grant Writing Workshop

Second Training Session, July 14th, 2022

“Finding a genie in a bottle!”  Helping nonprofits find other grant makers to grant their request.  A training on helping nonprofits find other grant makers like the foundation.  Most importantly a training on how to complete a qualifying grant application.

• Listen to speakers from other grant making organizations and foundations discuss important topics and guidelines about their grant funding and how to apply.
• We will have a grant writing session to educate you on the proper methods to complete a JCCF, Inc. application.
• We will provide a tip of the trade sheet on ways to improve your grant writing skills. The does and don’ts.  Successes and Failures.  A check list to use each year with important deadlines, tax filings, forms, and reports that will be usefully when completing most grant applications.
• Submit a completed grant application by September 15^th to qualify for a JCCF, Inc. fall grant. All applications will be put in JCCF, Inc’s 2022 Fall Grant Cycle.  Applicants must have a qualifying project or program and a completed application request for a chance to receive a grant award from our fall grant cycle.  NO guarantee that your request will be funded.

$2,500 matching grant Limit to one (1) award granted.  Terms and Conditions apply.

Rules:  Must receive $5,000.00 or more in funding from a different grant maker.  This award must be obtained from May – September 2022.  Must submit a JCCF, Inc. fall grant application by September 15^th deadline.  Must have a qualifying project or program.

Community Foundation of Jackson County – JCCF, Inc.

Community Grants Program Guidelines

The Community Foundation of Jackson County – JCCF, Inc. is a county wide community foundation serving Jackson County, WV. The Foundation’s Jackson County Community Grant Program is a competitive application process. 

Eligibility for Grant Funding

To be eligible for a Foundation grant, an applicant must be a private, non-profit organization tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a public institution, such as a public school or government agency. Requests from individuals are not accepted. The applicant must be located in Jackson County, WV or the program to be funded must serve residents of Jackson County. Grant requests will be considered based on the applicant’s service area and on grant funds available. Grants typically range from $1,000 – $10,000 (see exceptions discussed below).  

Funding Priorities for Community Action Grants

Community Action Grants (CAG) are made in the fields of:  Arts and Culture, Education, Health and Human Services, Recreation, Youth and Family Services, and Community and Economic Development. The Foundation focuses on: Capital and Equipment Projects, Program Development, Capacity Building, and Operating Support. Eligibility criteria differ based on the type of support requested, so please review the following descriptions carefully.

Funding Priorities for Capital & Equipment Projects, Program Development, & Capacity Building Grants

Capital and Equipment Grants – support the renovation or construction of facilities, purchase of major equipment, major repairs to facilities;

Program Development Grants – support the development of new services or programs designed to respond to unmet community needs and the expansion of existing programs to serve new audiences;

Capacity Building Grants – support projects that provide an organization with technical assistance and/or training to be able to more effectively meet their mission and/or provide services.

Priority is given to projects that:  

• have significant impact on the people and communities served by the applicant organization;

• reach new audiences, expand existing programs or services, or respond to emerging needs;

• strengthen the organization’s capacity to deliver its services and meet community needs;

• are well-planned and can reasonably be achieved; 

• have a matching grant opportunity or seek a matching grant to leverage more funding;  

• have limited access to other sources of support; 

• serve the Jackson County community.

Organizations submitting requests through the Community Action Grant Program for projects serving residents of the Ripley area of Jackson County also will be considered for support from the Bob and Helen Lester Community Fund. To be eligible for support from the Lester Fund, the applicant must be located in or the program to be funded must serve resident of the Ripley area, which for purposes of grant eligibility is defined as the City of Ripley and the area within a five mile driving distance for postings of the City of Ripley limits.

If the applicant’s program serves all Jackson County and/or multiple counties in the region, the applicant must identify (in the appropriate space provided in the grant application) what percentage of the program will serve the City of Ripley as defined above. No separate application form is required for consideration for support from the Lester Fund; applicants use the Foundation’s Community Grant Program application.

Generally, Community Grants will not be made for: annual campaigns; endowments; sectarian religious purposes; political purposes or lobbying activities; retiring existing obligations, debts or liabilities; student travel or student participation in meetings, seminars or study exchange programs. Labor and wages are also not generally reimbursed through Foundation grants. Food/beverages are not funded by JCCF, Inc. Grants unless prior approval by the Board of Directors. 

Public school projects must be a Board of Education approved project and the application/financials must be signed off on by the school Principal. 

Funding Priorities for Operating Support Grants – only for organizations with 501(c)(3) status. 

Funding for operating support is considered. Priority is given to projects designed to: Increase financial stability; and Help a strong organization increase its capacity.

For all operating support requests, the applicant must:

• Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (operating support is not available to governmental entities, schools (public or private), or entities that do not have 501(c)(3) status).

• Provide essential community services or offer programs that meet basic human needs;

• Have been in continuous operation for at least five years and have a proven track record;

• Have an overall sound financial history (at least prior to the present need);

• Be able to demonstrate strong management;

Applicants seeking operating support to increase financial stability, must:

• Document increased demand for services, unexpected reduction in sources of ongoing operating support, or a specific current financial challenge for which a plan is in place to mitigate;

• Show evidence that it has gone through an internal process of cost-reduction and/or realistic revenue-enhancement analysis focused on core service preservation prior to the request.

• Demonstrate that it has completed an organizational assessment and developed a realistic plan for financial stabilization.

• Show how the operating support grant will increase financial stability and/or help the organization make significant progress toward addressing its financial challenge.

Applicants seeking operating support to increase organizational capacity, must:

• Present a realistic plan for organizational growth, outlining how operating support is critical to the growth plan (to expand services, offer new programs, reach new audiences, etc.).

• Include a plan for the organization to have adequate funding at the completion of the grant.

Organizations may request renewal of an operating support grant for up to three years (total) of support. However, grants will be considered one year at a time and renewal is not automatic. The organization must submit a renewal application annually, outlining clear progress made toward goals.  During the period in which an organization receives operating support, the organization is not eligible to request grants from the Foundation for other purposes. After an organization receives operating support for a three-year period, it may not request additional operating support for at least one year. The Foundation expects to award only a limited number of operating support grants each grant cycle.

Application Forms

The Foundation uses a competitive application process. The applications must be completed online and submitted electronically to be accepted for a grant award. For more information contact our office at 304-372-4500 or emailing manager@jccfinc.org

Required attachments are:

• List of officers and board members and their titles and contact information;

• Financial report for most recently completed fiscal year, showing income and expenses (preferably audited);

• For 501(c)(3) organizations, copy of most recent 990 tax return or 990-N postcard and a copy of your IRS 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt designation letter (not required for government agencies and public schools);  

• Current annual organization operating budget, showing income and expenses.

• Actual estimates/invoices of items to be reimbursed.

Important Information for Grant Seekers

1. Organizations may submit only one application per grant cycle. The only exception may be for organizations that have more than one physical site, with each site having its own board or governance structure. Such organizations must contact the Foundation before submitting more than one application to discuss eligibility.

2. The total amount of funds requested generally may not exceed $10,000.  Requests for more than $10,000 may be considered for projects that are highly collaborative or for projects that will have a significant impact on the community at large. As noted above, applicants must contact the Foundation prior to submitting a request in excess of $10,000. 

3. Organizations receiving a Community Grant in any grant cycle from the Foundation are not eligible for funding in the immediate next cycle.

4. When the Foundation declines to support an application, the applicant may call the Foundation to discuss their proposal and to inquire about reapplying. After an application is declined once, the organization may re-submit the application one more time; if an application has been declined twice, then the organization may not submit another request for funding of the same project. 

Deadlines

Spring Grant applications are due March15 and Fall Grant Applications are due September 15. Late applications are not accepted. Grants are not considered at other times except for special Foundation projects: for example –  like the Charity Challenge Matching Program. 

Review & Notification Process and Timing 

Once received, your application is reviewed by Foundation staff and committees. The Foundation may contact you to clarify your proposal or request a personal meeting to discuss your application. We appreciate your prompt response to any inquiries. Final decisions on all grants are made by the Board of Directors. For the Spring deadline, applicants are notified about the status of their proposal in April.  For the Fall deadline, applicants are notified by late October.