Grants and Information
Apply for a Grant
People who through their wills or during their lifetimes create charitable funds usually determine the scope of charitable causes that may be supported by the fund. Sometimes they give the Foundation board discretion to award grants to other charities in or serving Shelby County, Ohio. These ‘community granting’ funds may have few or no granting restrictions and their awards are determined through a competitive process based upon proposals submitted by local organizations.
Please review the guidelines of each of the following grant programs for specific dates and steps in the process.
Community Grants
Organizations interested in completing a Preliminary Proposal need to first gain permission to apply by contacting Juli Smith, Scholarships and Grants Manager, at jsmith@commfoun.com or calling during business hours at (937) 497-7800. When you are approved to apply, you will receive a code that will open the proposal within the online site.
Semi Annual Grant Cycle
Spring Grant Cycle
- Preliminary Proposal Opens – January 2 of each year
- Preliminary Proposal Deadline – February 15 of each year
- Full Proposal Deadline – March 31 of each year
- Awarded the last week of April
Fall Grant Cycle
- Preliminary Proposal Opens – July 1 of each year
- Preliminary Proposal Deadline – August 15 of each year
- Full Proposal Deadline – September 30 of each year
- Awarded the last week of October
Community Grants are awarded to not-for-profit organizations who complete an online proposal that is the gateway to several of our unrestricted and field-of-interest granting funds, including the Community Impact Fund (general/unrestricted), the Roscoe Beanblossom Fund (youth), the F.I.S.H. Fund (food, clothing, housing, utilities, life-sustaining medications), Kermit T. & Ella M. Kuck Fund, John Douglas Long Blind Fund (blindness or serious vision impairment), The Memory Fund (children, seniors or veterans), Prime the Pump Fund in loving memory of Alma Wilson Allinger and Robert Lochard Allinger (community service organizations and Foundation initiatives), and the Shelby County Medical Services Fund (medical). If an organization’s proposal is awarded a grant, our Grants Committee will determine which of the above funds will support the grant award.
Arts Grants
The Keep Art in Your HeART grants are available for arts educational programs benefiting children from Shelby County, Ohio in grades K-12. The programs may be visual, literary, musical, or performing. A total of $2,000 is available and may be awarded in smaller amounts to support several requests.
Grants are awarded one time a year.
Opens – August 6 of each year
Deadline – October 10 of each year
Awarded the last week of October
Louise Sheets Grants
Semi Annual Grant Cycle
Spring Grant Cycle
- Opens – February 15 of each year
- Deadline – March 31 of each year
- Awarded the last week of April
Fall Grant Cycle
- Opens – August 15 of each year
- Deadline – September 30 of each year
- Awarded the last week of October
This granting program is restricted to organizations in or serving residents within the boundaries of the Botkins Local School District.
Kermit T. and Ella M. Kuck Fund Grants
Grants are awarded one time a year.
- Opens – February 15 of each year
- Deadline – March 31 of each year
- Awarded the last week of April
This granting program is restricted to organizations in or serving residents within the boundaries of the New Knoxville Local School District.
FAQs about the Grant Application Process
Application and award process:
Each grant program has its own application, which is available as an online form approximately 2 months before the stated deadline.
Please review each program’s grant guidelines for eligibility requirements, deadline dates, and funding preferences. Grant proposals are reviewed by volunteer committees who recommend grant awards to the Foundation’s board of trustees for final approval.
Grant awards are typically paid in installments with 80% of the grant award paid upon the return of a signed letter of acceptance and 20% paid after the submission of a Grant Evaluation Report that verifies you fulfilled the proposed grant and any conditions.
Eligibility:
Tax-exempt organizations as described in § 501(c)(3) of the IRS tax code, as well as government agencies, are eligible to apply for grants. Organizations that are not public charities may apply through a fiscal sponsor or, if incorporated as an Ohio nonprofit entity, by satisfying steps in our expenditure responsibility process. Organizations must serve residents of Shelby County, Ohio and surrounding areas. We are unable to award grants to individuals, except in the case of scholarships, which are awarded directly to the educational institution on behalf of the student, or if you qualify for vision assistance through the John Douglas Long Blind Fund.
Resources for Nonprofits