General Grant Policies

The majority of grants awarded from charitable funds within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region (the Foundation) are recommended by donors wishing to support a variety of charitable interests that reflect their charitable objectives. A smaller portion of grants awarded come from unrestricted funds, which are collectively supported by a wide variety of donors and intended to meet current and future community needs in the Foundation’s service region. Grants from these funds are recommended by grants committees involving volunteers and Foundation team members and are meant to have a broad community impact. Typically, grant programs supported by unrestricted funds require an application process. To help provide clear expectations to applicants and grants committees, the following general grant policies have been approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and apply to all grant programs, unless otherwise stated in the specific policy.

Organizations eligible to receive grants from the Foundation are generally those determined by the IRS to be public charities. Such organizations include: 

• Most charitable, scientific, social service, educational, and religious organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(3) of the tax code, as well as private operating foundations. (The Foundation will not typically make grants to private non-operating foundations.) 

• Grants may also be made to government entities and instrumentalities (this includes schools, municipalities, and Native American tribal governments) for public purposes.  

Organizations that do not fall in these categories are generally ineligible unless they apply through a fiscal sponsor, (see the Fiscal Sponsorship Policy) or meet other eligibility requirements. In some circumstances, grants may be made to other types of organizations as long as the grant is restricted and structured for charitable purposes. 

Additional eligibility requirements may apply depending on the specific fund you are applying to. 

Not sure if your organization is eligible? We recommend reaching out to a Foundation team member at grants@cffoxvalley.org for guidance before starting an application.  

The Foundation seeks to promote respect for all people. The Foundation will not knowingly support organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion/creed, gender/gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, disability, veteran status, familial status, genetic information, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. We recognize that organizations may identify special needs in the community and target programs or services to a specific population based on those needs; however, the programs or services must be open to all people in those targeted populations to be eligible for grant consideration.  

The Foundation holds the belief that philanthropy should be a force for good. The Foundation will not knowingly make grants to nonprofits that the Foundation believes, in its sole discretion, support or engage in activities which are contrary to its mission and values. This may include activities that target an individual or group on the basis of the protected characteristics noted in our Nondiscrimination Policy. 

Direct questions about our Values-Aligned Grant Policy to grants@cffoxvalley.org.  

Faith-based organizations can apply for grants only under the conditions below:

• The programs, services, or projects they offer must meet important needs in the community, as determined by the Foundation in its sole discretion. The Grant’s purpose will benefit the community and not promote a specific religion or belief system.

• All members of the community will be able to take part in these programs, services, and projects no matter their religious background. Participants do not have to adopt any religious beliefs or join in religious practices like worship or integrated religious education, nor will there be any efforts to convert participants to a specific faith.

• The benefits of the grant will be available to all, not just to the members of the faith-based organization.

When the Foundation reviews grant applications from faith-based organizations, it will look at both the organization’s mission and what participants can expect from the program, service, or project. 

Generally, this policy does not apply to Donor Advised Funds, Designated Funds, Field of Interest Funds, and funds within Supporting Organizations.

Generally, the Foundation will consider funding requests only for programs or services that have not happened yet. Grants typically cannot be used to pay off debt. Organizations should apply early enough to allow time for grant decisions.  

 In emergencies or unexpected situations, exceptions to this policy may be considered. 

Generally, this policy does not apply to Donor Advised Funds, Designated Funds, Field of Interest Funds, and funds within Supporting Organizations. 

Organizations eligible to receive grants from the Foundation are generally those determined by the IRS to be public charities (see the eligibility section for more information). Those organizations that do not meet that eligibility criteria may apply with a fiscal sponsor that is a qualifying charitable organization under the circumstances described below.  

There are many types of fiscal sponsorship¹, however, the most common models are ‘Model A – Direct/Comprehensive’ or a ‘Model C – Pre-Approved Grant Relationship’.  

Model A – Direct/Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship  

In a Model A fiscal sponsorship, the project becomes an internal project/program of the fiscal sponsor. This may sometimes be referred to as a ‘program of’ the sponsor.   

Model A Characteristics:  

• The non-exempt organization has no separate legal existence from the sponsor.  

• The people conducting the project become employees or volunteers of the sponsor.  

• The project belongs completely to the sponsor, including funds raised, and the sponsor is legally responsible for the project. Usually, the sponsor includes the financials and/or service details of the program in its annual report or Form 990.  

• All grant payments must be made directly to the sponsor.  

• Typically incubated externally and adopted by the sponsor, versus generated organically from within the sponsor.  

Requirements:  

• A Model A Fiscal Sponsorship Acknowledgement Form will be required from the Fiscal Sponsor before a grant is approved.  

Model C – Preapproved Grant Relationship  

In Model C, the fiscal sponsor and the non-exempt project have more or less the same relationship as a traditional grantor and grantee.  

Model C Characteristics: 

• The sponsor takes in contributions designated for the charitable purposes of the sponsored project, but the project itself is legally separate from the sponsor. 

• The sponsor periodically disburses grants to the project from a restricted fund. 

• Common when a group is seeking their own 501(c)(3) status but does not have it yet.  

Requirements:   

• The non-exempt group is organized similar to a 501(c)(3) organization and has an oversight committee or advisory board comprised of more than one individual. 

• The program or project for which the non-exempt group is seeking funding falls within the charitable purposes of the sponsoring organization/fiscal sponsor, and the two groups have established a fiscal sponsorship relationship prior to being approved by the Foundation for funding. 

• A signed copy of the Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement Form (or similar documentation) outlining the responsibilities of the fiscal sponsor and sponsored organization must be submitted to the Foundation with the initial grant application or prior to grant approval. 

• A signed copy of a board resolution is also required. A sample board resolution is provided, and other formats may be accepted, including Board-ratified minutes.  

• Subsequent requests can refer to this initial submission. A fiscal sponsor agreement shall be in effect for the term indicated within the agreement, unless the agreement substantially changes or is terminated, in which case the fiscal sponsor is responsible for informing the Foundation. 

To obtain fiscal sponsorship forms to complete and return, contact grants@cffoxvalley.org