IMPACT Grant Guidelines

I. Grant Guidelines

A.

The Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia will only award grants to those agencies or organizations identified by the Internal Revenue Service as not-for-profit organizations or governmental entities. Each must serve to benefit the Virginia counties of Washington, Grayson, Russell or Smyth and support, promote and/or further the Foundation’s vision and mission.

B.

Areas of interest include:

Health
Children & Families
Workforce Development
Education
Economic Development

C.

The Board, in making grant decisions, will place the greatest priority on projects that:

Receive funding from other sources
Exhibit collaboration in service delivery with other not-for-profit organizations
Ensure measurable outcomes and objective data which can be accurately measured
Provide evidence of the feasibility and sustainability of the proposed project
Do not result in a duplication of services provided by another agency

II. Grant Restrictions

A.

Divisions Within Organizations, Institutions or Government Entities

In general, organizations are ineligible for funding from the Foundation to support routine financial responsibilities, such as capital and operating budgets (e.g., payroll expenses, ongoing routine maintenance, etc.).
Proposals for individual schools must be approved by and submitted through the school district’s central administration office.
Proposals for individual departments of county or town government must be approved by and submitted through the county or town government office.

B.

Ineligible Projects/Programs

To comply with federal guidelines and legal requirements, the Foundation will not issue grants of any kind to or for:
1. Projects unrelated to the Foundation’s vision and mission
2. Purposes that are identified as agency ongoing operational expenses not related to the requested project
3. Fundraisers or other ticketed special events
4. Corporate sponsorships
5. Amateur athletic organizations
6. For-profit organizations
7. Individuals
8. Religious organizations for religious purposes
9. Political purposes or for lobbying activities
10. Organizational debt reduction
The Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation or disability and will not support organizations that discriminate in any manner.
Decisions regarding grant disbursements are made at the sole discretion of the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia to further its mission. The Wellspring Foundation will not support organizations engaged in activities that incite or engage in violence, intimidation, harassment, threats or defamation targeting an individual or group based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. The Wellspring Foundation will not award grants to organizations that the Foundation believes intend to support or engage in hateful activities, whether online or offline.

III. Funding Level

A.

At the present time the Foundation has not set limits on the size of IMPACT grants. The Foundation does, however, reserve the right to set upper or lower limits on the size of grants to promote efficiency in grant administration, provide for financial stability for the Foundation, and to ensure that there are adequate funds to support both current and long-term projects deemed a priority by the Board.

B.

Grants will normally be awarded on an annual basis.

C.

The Board will consider both single-year and multi-year grants – subject to meeting annual goals and reporting guidelines.

D.

IMPACT grant applications seeking matching funds must provide written documentation from the other contributor(s) or the Board may make the Foundation’s grant contingent on receipt of such matching contribution(s). The documentation may include a letter or resolution from the other contributor(s).

IV. Grant Funding Cycle

A.

The Foundation will review applications submitted by the grant cycle deadline listed below. All grant applications must be completed online and received by the close of business (4:30 p.m.) on the deadline set forth below.

1. Grant Cycle

a. IMPACT grant application window opens – February 15

b. IMPACT grant application DUE DATE – March 31 at 4:30 p.m.

c. IMPACT grant cycle notification/contract date – August 1

V. Grant Application Review Process

A.

The grant review process includes a thorough review of the merits of each application. The Foundation reserves the right to request additional documentation.

B.

The number of requests, community needs, board priorities, federal and state laws and regulations, and available funds determine decisions for funding. In these cases, it is the expectation of the Foundation that the applicant seeks other funding sources to fully complete the defined project, prior to receiving Foundation funds.

VI. Project Accountability and Reporting

A.

Each applicant receiving funds from the Foundation will be required to provide periodic financial reports on the use of grant funds and reports on the project’s progress. These documents are required to be uploaded to the grant management software. Additionally, photographs of projects may be required for inclusion in the Foundation’s newsletters, press releases and/or websites.

B.

All grant awards shall be subject to reporting requirements and disbursement schedules as set forth in the Grant Agreement. The Foundation reserves the right to withhold later funding if the grantee fails to abide by the requirements as set forth in these Guidelines or the Grant Agreement.

C.

Grant recipients must inform the Foundation immediately if significant events occur that may impact the project. Examples may include, but are not limited to, a change in the project director or in the applicant’s key personnel, the applicant’s priorities, board members, funding sources, project costs or operations. Failure to notify the Foundation of issues that could adversely impact the project may result in a temporary or permanent cessation of payments or possible action to reclaim funds.

VII. Publicity

A.

All advertising done by the grant recipient that mentions the Foundation or uses the Foundation logo must be approved by the Director of Operations PRIOR to release/posting.

Contact

Please contact the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia if you have any questions regarding the IMPACT grant application or guidelines.

The Foundation reserves the right to amend and/or supplement this document at any time.