Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham

What We Fund: The Community Foundation makes grants that present an opportunity for strategic investment – building organizational capacity, replicating successful programs, establishing a new program, launching a policy or systems change project and/or capital projects that support the following domains:

1. Thriving Communities: Recognize, create, connect and strengthen assets of communities and neighborhoods in our region to support and enhance the quality for life for all.
2. Equity and Inclusion: Include and value diverse voices, acknowledge the past and work towards healing, build trust and common ground, and work together to create fair, equitable systems.
3. Regional Cooperation: Support cooperation among communities and municipalities to build, sustain and promote assets and resources.
4. Economic Opportunity for All: Develop multiple, accessible pathways for people to achieve economic opportunity. Focus on those facing the greatest systemic barriers.
5. Overcoming Persistent Poverty: Identify and work to break through enduring barriers that keep people from realizing economic security and well-being.

Grants must support projects implemented in Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair or Walker Counties.

Applicant Restrictions:

1. Applicants must be currently designated a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization by the IRS OR be an exempt-Religious Institution OR be a government entity
2. Applicants must serve Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair or Walker counties in Alabama.
3. Large organizations with many branches or departments (e.g. colleges, universities, YMCA, public libraries) must submit requests from the president’s office or the development office.
4. An applicant with a current open grant from the Community Foundation may apply but MUST be up-to-date on all reporting and should have a very compelling or timely reason for requesting a new grant.

Proposal Restrictions:

1. Grant Terms: Funds may be requested over a one, two, or three year period based on the scale and schedule of the proposal.
2. Grant Amounts:
   • There is no maximum request amount, but in recent years awarded grants have ranged from $5,000 to $125,000 with an average amount of $35,000.
   • CFGB prefers requests that do not exceed 25% of the budget for the proposed project. Potential or secured support for the remaining 75% of the budget should be identified.  That total cost and scale of the project should be reasonable, feasible, and sustainable in relation to the applicant’s overall budget and activities.
   • Organizations with documented revenue under $25,000 may only request a Seed Grant of $8,000 or less.
   • Organizations requesting a grant of $75,000 or greater MUST have an annual or semi-annual independent audit.
3.  Resubmitted Proposals: If a proposal submitted to CFGB does not receive funding, it should not be resubmitted to CFGB unless there have been significant changes in either the organization or the proposal.
4. No grants are made to or for:
   • Individuals
   • Religious organizations for religious purposes
   • National fundraising drives
   • Sponsorship of fundraising events
   • Political organizations or candidates for public office
   • Scholarship or endowment funds
   • Debt reduction
   • Scholarship or campership programs
   • Organizations that require the services of fiscal agent in order to receive funds
   • General operating support (defined as funding for currently-operating programming)
5. Unspecified indirect costs (you may request a portion of funds to support program management, occupancy, etc. but they must be presented as specific line items rather than an indirect cost rate/percentage)To review recent successful requests, visit our Recent Grants.Questions? Please direct any additional questions you may have about the CFGB competitive grantmaking process to Katie Dean, Program Assistant.
   Katie Dean | kdean@cfbham.org | 205.327.3803For questions regarding collaboration and multiple submissions, contact Gus Heard-Hughes, Vice President, Programs.
   Gus Heard-Hughes  | gheard-hughes@cfbham.org| 205.327.3817