Grants to Preserve, Protect and Conserve MetroWest Watersheds

Grants to Preserve, Protect and Conserve MetroWest Watersheds

Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 5th, 2006 5:00pm Crossroads Community Foundation, incorporated in March 1995, is a nonprofit, public charity organized as a collection of funds contributed by individuals and institutions, whose income is used for grants to charitable organizations. Crossroads serves the Metrowest communities of Acton, Ashland, Boxborough, Concord, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Medfield, Medway, Milford, Millis, Natick, Needham, Sherborn, Southborough, Stow, Sudbury, Waltham, Wayland, Wellesley, Westborough and Weston. MetroWest Watershed Preservation Grants Crossroads’ MetroWest Watershed Preservation Fund provides grants to initiatives designed to support activities that preserve, protect, and conserve the Charles River and SuAsCo Watersheds. This fund is designated to benefit environmental organizations working on water quality and related land programs. Grant requests of up to $5,000 will be awarded. Funding is contingent upon the organization’s successful evaluation and reporting of past grant awards from Crossroads Community Foundation, if any. Selection Criteria Confirmation that the organization is reasonably financially stable, with no overwhelming threats to continued viability Evidence of experienced leadership, at both the staff and board levels Clear explanation of how funds will be used to preserve, protect and conserve the MetroWest watershed Description of how the proposed funds will benefit the organization, and in turn benefit the community Clear detailing of how results will be measured and communicated, and how success will be defined Potential to attract funds during and after the grant period Eligibility Requirements To apply for a grant, applicants must be non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations serving one or more of the communities in Crossroads’ 27 town region: Acton, Ashland, Boxborough, Concord, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Medfield, Medway, Milford, Millis, Natick, Needham, Sherborn, Southborough, Stow, Sudbury, Waltham, Wayland, Wellesley, Westborough and Weston. Projects for which support is sought should benefit people who live or work in the region. Organizations may apply for funding from Crossroads’ discretionary grants only once per calendar year. Organizations whose proposals are rejected in one calendar year may reapply the following calendar year. Organizations whose proposals are funded, even partially, may not reapply until the second calendar year after the year in which they were approved. Crossroads will not fund political or sectarian activities. Application Deadline Proposals must be received by Tuesday, September 5th, 2006 (5:00 p.m.). Faxed copies will not be accepted. Decisions for funding will be made in mid December 2006. Application Instructions To apply for funding, applicants must submit a cover letter and a copy of the proposal via email at info@ccfdn.org. The cover letter is available on our website (www.ccfdn.org). In addition, three copies of a signed cover letter, the proposal and appendices must be sent via mail. Proposals must include the following information, keeping in mind the funding criteria:
Applicant Organization (1 page): Mission and brief history Major programs and geographic scope of services Organizational structure and number of staff Proposed Project (2-3 pages): The project or purpose for which grant funding is sought The organizational need for increased service capacity The target population and community needs to be addressed (please include a list of the towns in Crossroads’ service area in which the proposed project will take place.) How you could involve volunteers (particularly family volunteers) in your proposed project The goals (qualitative and quantitative) to be achieved by the project Specific timetable of activities for attaining stated goals Plans for sustaining the increased organizational capacity beyond the funding period Statement as to what will happen if less than full funding is received Evaluation Process (1 page): Criteria for determining the project’s success Process for evaluating the project Project Budget (1 page): Itemized project expenses (e.g. salaries, equipment, printing) Indication of which project expenses will be covered by Crossroads’ funds Projected project revenue, including all funding sources (in-hand and anticipated) and amounts for each source. Appendices: Current organizational operating budget. List of board of directors, their contact information, and their affiliations. IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter. Latest audited financial statement or the equivalent, as required by law.

Applicants are strongly discouraged from submitting appendices other than those indicated above. In addition, applicants are asked to refrain from using report covers as they are removed and discarded during the review process. Application materials should be sent to info@ccfdn.org, Director of Programs and Grants, Crossroads Community Foundation, 21 Eliot Street, Natick, MA 01760. For more information on applying for a grant or to discuss your application prior to submission, please contact us at (508) 647-2260 x12.

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