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The Community Strategies Grant Program supports programs related to community/economic development, human services, education, arts and culture,and environmental preservation, . This program is comprised of 57 funds established by donors. These funds give INWCF the flexibility to make funding decisions that accommodate changing needs and to capitalize on timely and compelling opportunities in our region. Grant amounts typically are between $10,000 and $30,000.
Important Resources
The following links are provided to help answer questions and provide important information about the INWCF application process. Please take time to review the links for relevent information.
Guidelines
Preference is given to programs that achieve one of the following three goals:
Goal 1: Increasing Sustainable Economic Development |
Successful programs in this category might address one or more of the following:
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demonstrate best practices in providing workforce development for low-income individuals
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provide community-based economic development through intermediaries
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provide micro-enterprise development through intermediaries
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encourage environmentally sustainable approaches to economic development
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increase access to asset building for low-income individuals
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provide support services to allow low-income individuals to secure and maintain employment
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link cultural tourism projects and other arts programs to community economic development
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Goal 2: Increasing Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Resources |
Successful programs in this category might address one or more of the following:
- encourage informed citizen participation in environmental stewardship
- work toward sustainable environmental practices
- promote comprehensive and collaborative approaches to environmental issues
- preserve and maintain artifacts, sites or structures of historical significance
- preserve and respect native cultures in the region
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Goal 3: Increasing Civic Capacity to Constructively Engage in Solving Community Problems |
Successful programs in this category might address one or more of the following:
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build nonprofit organizational capacity
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encourage inclusive, grassroots participation in community decision-making
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promote diversity awareness, understanding, and inclusiveness
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organize the community around issues that are important to a broad sector of the community
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provide leadership development for non-traditional populations
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provide enhanced academic and cultural resources for children in out-of-school time programs
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increase access to healthcare and other basic needs
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provide regular, repeated exposure to arts education for children and youth
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address critical social issues through the arts
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promote awareness of diverse cultures through the arts
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enhance independent living for seniors or individuals with disabilities
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The Community Strategies Grant Program generally does not provide support for:
- Individuals
- Academic or scientific research
- Debt retirement
- Direct lobbying expenses to influence legislation or elections
- Expenses, including travel expenses to attend conferences, workshops, events or symposia, unless part of a broader capacity building request that improves the organization’s ability to deliver services
- Endowments
- Publications, video or film production
- Private or parochial education
- Programs with religious content
- Replacement of lost/expired government funding
- Programs addressing specific disease or health conditions
- One-time fundraising events or fundraising campaigns
- Chambers of commerce
- Fraternal organizations
- Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age or disability.
Application
The Community Strategies Grant Program has two cycles per year. Organizations can apply to only one round of the Community Strategies grant program annually. For application dates, please see our Application Calendar.
PLEASE NOTE: The procedures for this program have changed. There is no longer a preliminary application. Based on an initial review of the application, selected organizations will be invited for an interview with INWCF staff and grants committee members. Grant awards will be announced in December.
Questions?
If you have questions about any of INWCF’s grant programs, please contact our grants program staff.
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