GRANTSEEKER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
READ OUR ONLINE APPLICATION FAQ
Q. What are the VCF Community Fund grant rounds?
A. In 2009 the VCF Community Fund grant rounds include a spring and a fall grant round, which offer general operating support for organizations and project support for municipalities and schools working in our three priority paths: Basic Human Needs, Successful Communities, and Sustainable Communities (see below). The VCF Community Fund grant rounds are open to most nonprofit organizations, municipalities, or educational institutions working in Vermont (see below). Funding decisions are made by our program staff, sometimes with the assistance of outside reviewers. The Special and Urgent Needs grants are also part of the VCF Community Fund grant rounds.
Q. What issues can be funded through each of the VCF priority paths?
Basic Human Needs: Children, Elderly and Family Services; Housing, Food and Shelter; Health
Sustainable Communities: Arts, Humanities and Cultural Heritage; Environment; Economic Development
Successful Communities: Civic Engagement; Diversity and Equity; Education
If you are unsure whether your organization fits into one of these paths, please contact a VCF philanthropic advisor for clarification.
Q. What is general operating support?
A. General operating support grants are sometimes referred to as core support or unrestricted grants. The Foundation places no restrictions on the use of these funds, unlike project grants that are restricted to a particular project or activity. Many organizations use general operating support grants to cover day-to-day activities or ongoing expenses such as administrative salaries, utilities, office supplies, technology maintenance, etc. Other organizations use this type of funding to cover project costs, technology purchases, and professional development. The use of these funds is totally at the discretion of the organization's board and/or executive staff, though we expect all organizational expenditures to be part of a board-approved annual budget.Grants may not be used to pay down debt or for expenses that have already been incurred. VCF general operating support grant dollars should not be used for capital expenses.
Q. What organizations are eligible to receive a grant?
A. The VCF Community Fund grant rounds are open to most nonprofit organizations, municipalities, or educational institutions working in Vermont. However, organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities or municipalities should contact a VCF Philanthropic Advisor before applying to see if they are eligible to receive a grant from the VCF Community Fund.
Q. What is a 501(c)(3)?
A. Is a section of the Internal Revenue Code that designates an organization as charitable, tax-exempt, and nonprofit. Organizations qualifying under the code include religious, educational, charitable, amateur athletic, scientific, or literary groups; organizations testing for public safety and organizations involved in prevention of cruelty to children or animals. The Foundation’s due diligence on grants includes verifying 501(c)(3) status.
Q: Do I need to submit legal and financial documents as part of my application?
A. You no longer need to attach copies of your 501c3 determination letter, your IRS Form 990 or your audited financial statements. In most cases the VCF can access this information through the online service Guidestar. If we are unable to access this information on Guidestar, we may call you to request that you send us the information directly.
Q. What is a fiscal sponsor?
A. Our grants must be paid to a 501(c)(3), town or municipality, church, or public school. If your organization does not have 501(c)(3) status, you might be able to use a fiscal sponsor which is an organization with a mission that is supported by your project. They must be willing to accept money on your behalf, and are ultimately responsible for ensuring the project is completed and that all grant reports are filed as required. Some organizations charge a fee to be a sponsor. The Vermont Community Foundation cannot act as a fiscal sponsor.
Q. How should public schools and municipalities apply for our 2009 fall grant round?
A. Applicants in these categories should apply for project support rather than general operating suport. For example, unicipalities could not submit applications for a specific community development program; public schools might apply for support for their after-school programs. We advise all educational institutions and municipalities to contact a VCF philanthropic advisor to discuss their ideas.
Q. What is the VCF Special and Urgent Needs Grant Round?
A. These grants offer support for special opportunities, emergency needs, and unforeseen crises. We are unable to make grants from this fund to support budget gaps or for budgeted operational expenses. Because this grant round is meant to fund immediate, unforeseen needs, applications are accepted at any time and decisions are made within 21 business days.
Q. What other grants are available?
A. The Foundation also administers other grant rounds set up by donors for special purposes (like the Vermont Arts Endowment Fund) or to fund projects in specific geographic locations (like the Green Mountain Fund for Lamoille County). Some of these grant rounds have open application processes and others fund projects by invitation only. Funding decisions are often made by the donors or by committees set up for each grant round. Please see the individual descriptions of these grant rounds for details.
Q. How do we submit a VCF Community Fund application?
A. All VCF Community Fund grant rounds now require applications to be submitted online. This requirement supports the Foundation’s effort to reduce our carbon footprint and use less paper. If you are unable to use our online system, please contact a philanthropic advisor. Specific topic and regional grant programs have their own submission requirements – please see individual pages for specific instructions.
Q. Do grant applications need to be received at the Foundation office on the due date?
A. Yes, online applications must be date/time stamped no later than midnight of the due date (end of the day). All mailed applications must be POSTMARKED by the due date. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted - please make sure to include all required attachments.
Q. How can I be sure I am sending everything required for a grant application?
A. Your application will not be accepted if it does not have all of the required attachments uploaded. Double-check your attachments to make sure that you are sending all the required materials. We have included examples of the required financial forms to help guide you. Feel free to be in touch with a philanthropic advisor if you have any questions.
Q. How do I know that you have received my Community Fund application?
A. You will receive an email from the Foundation confirming that your Community Fund application has been received. The email will include a copy of your application as it was received.
Q. If I send in my application ahead of the deadline, will someone read it and give me feedback?
A. No. Out of fairness to all applicants, we review applications only after the deadline has passed. But if you have questions about the grant guidelines on our website, you can certainly call or email us.
Q. If I received a VCF Community Fund Grant in 2008, can I apply again?
A. Yes. If you received a Community Fund Grant in a previous year, you will need to submit an interim or final report for that year’s grant before we will consider a new grant application. If you received a grant in 2009, either through the Successful Communities Grant Round or Spring 2009 Grant Round, you are not eligible to apply to the Fall 2009 Grant Round.
Q. Can I submit more than one application in a year to the VCF Community Fund grant rounds?
A. If you applied for a 2009 Successful Communities Grant or Spring 2009 Grant and you were not awarded a grant, you may apply again for our Fall 2009 grant round. (Notifications about the results of the Spring 2009 Grant Round will be e-mailed by August 31.) You may apply for a Special and Urgent Needs grant at any time, regardless of whether you were awarded other grants in 2009.
Q. What other grants are available?
A. The Foundation also administers other grant rounds set up by donors for special purposes (like the Vermont Arts Endowment Fund) or to fund projects in specific geographic locations (like the Green Mountain Fund for Lamoille County). Some of these grant rounds have open application processes and others fund projects by invitation only. Funding decisions are often made by committees set up for each grant round. Please see the individual descriptions of these grant rounds for details. Click here for more information.
Q. Can I contact your advised fundholders directly?
A. The vast majority of the Foundation’s funds do not accept applications for support, as the grantmaking is either advised by living donors to meet their charitable objectives, or is predetermined by a specific fund purpose. We ask that grantseekers not contact our advised fundholders directly.
Do you have other questions? Please contact our philanthropic advisors. They are always happy to help you.
Online Application Frequently Asked Questions
All VCF Community Fund grant rounds now require applications to be submitted online. This requirement supports the Foundation’s effort to reduce our carbon footprint and use less paper. The following FAQ should answer most of your questions about the online application process. If you have further questions, or an issue you would like to discuss, please contact one of our philanthropic advisors.
Q: Why does the link not allow me to view the formatted site and the VCF Logo?
A: If you are having trouble viewing the form, you may need to lower your internet privacy options. If your privacy settings are set to reject cookies, you may not be able to access this link. A cookie is given to your web browser by the online application form as a placeholder to allow you to reach the form again. Information is not collected for any other reason.
Q: I have answered all the questions for the eligibility quiz but cannot access the grant application. What should I do?
A: The eligibility quiz is designed to help you determine if your proposal will qualify for a grant. If you have answered the questions and are unable to access the application, it is likely that your proposal will not meet the requirements for funding. However, if you feel that your proposal does meet the requirements for funding, please contact one of our philanthropic advisors.
Q: Do I have to create an account when I submit an application?
A: Yes, you must create an account to save and submit an application. An account allows you to access your saved and submitted applications at anytime. It also allows us to send you an email that confirms that we have received your application and notifies you if additional information is necessary to process your application.
To create a new account:
- Click “save and finish later” tab at the bottom of the application
- Enter your email address
- Create a password (5 character minimum)
- Confirm your password
Q. How do I save my application so I can return and finish it later?
A. We recommend that you fill in your organization name and contact information on page 1 of the application and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save and Finish Later button.
If you already have an account you will be prompted to log in, and a link to your application will be visible on your account page. If you do not have an account, you will be prompted to create one (please follow instructions above). Note: Your application will not be saved if you do not have an account.
Q. How can I access my saved, in-progress application?
A. When you create your account you will receive an automatic email with your tracking number and a link to the log-in page of your online application form. You may use that link to log-in and access your saved application, or you may follow this link: https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_614?SA=AM
Q: Why are there character limits to the application questions?
A. In order to fairly evaluate the many applications for funding that we receive, we have decided to place limits on the amount of text you can submit. We encourage you to answer each question concisely so that your proposal will receive careful, consistent attention from the grant proposal readers. Text beyond the limit will be cut off and your answer will not be complete. Be sure to edit carefully and double check that your text fits in the allotted space.
Q: How do I attach the required documents?
A. On the last page of the application you will be required to attach a number of documents to complete your submission. Click the "Browse" button, this will allow you to select a file on your computer to upload. Once you have selected the proper file, click the "Upload" button.
Q: What file formats will be accepted for attachments?
A. Most file types are accepted including Word, Excel, and PDF formats. Files with "exe", "com", "vbs", or "bat" extensions cannot be uploaded. The maximum size for all attachments combined is 75 MB. If your attachments are larger than 75 MB combined, please contact Bethany Sprague at bsprague@vermontcf.org or 802-388-3355 x222.
Q: What if I do not have the required attachments in electronic form? Can I make other arrangements to deliver them to you?
A. No. In order to ensure applications are not disqualified due to lack of required materials, you will not be able to submit your entire application if the required materials are not attached to the proposal. If you do not have the documents electronically, you may scan the information into a PDF file. If you do not have a scanner at your organization, you may use the services of a copy shop or a public library to scan your documents.
Q: Do I need to submit legal and financial documents as part of my application?
A. You no longer need to attach copies of your 501(c)(3) determination letter, your IRS Form 990, or your audited financial statements. In most cases we can access this information through the online service Guidestar. If we are unable to access this information on Guidestar, we may call you to request that you send us the information directly.