What We Fund
A. Grants to individual community foundations and networks
Grants are aimed at developing the capacities of community foundations as strong and effective vehicles for local philanthropy and local development, individually and collectively. The Fund particularly encourages strategies that strengthen community foundations' local leadership role, that promote community mobilization and participation and that foster inclusion of the vulnerable and marginalized. Eligible activities include:
- Mapping of community needs, community convenings and outreach;
- Internal capacity development in areas such as governance, asset development, grantmaking, strategic planning, self-assessment, evaluation of impact, etc;
- Peer exchanges or other national or regional convenings of community foundations and other local philanthropic institutions;
- Development and sharing of innovative community foundation practices or tools which can be shared broadly within the local philanthropic sector;
Grant money from the Fund can also be used to leverage local resources or to raise the profile of individual community foundations, but only in as part of a larger, institutional development application. In most circumstances, the community foundation would be expected to raise matching funds locally, at a ratio to be determined on a case-by-case basis. Examples of this might include:
- Seed funding for grantmaking (either for new grantmakers or for more developed community foundations wishing to pilot a new approach);
- Matched funding for a local fundraising / endowment campaign (at a ratio of between 1:1 to 1:4);
B. Grants to inform policy development, advocacy and that promote linkages between community foundations and governments, mainstream development agencies etc.
As part of its objective to strengthen the role of community foundations as legitimate and effective instruments for progressive change and social and economic development, the Fund is inviting proposals for "think pieces" and / or research projects that explore some of these questions. Applicants need not be community foundations but should be somewhat familiar with the field of community foundations and community philanthropy. Grants will be in the region of $5,000 - $10,000. There is no deadline for this programme, and concept notes and letters of intent for this programme can be submitted at any point during the year. Initial inquiries regarding this programme are welcome and should be sent to info@globalfundcf.org
