Pictured: Deaf New American’s new tractor, supported by a recent Community Grant.
As a supporter and funding partner of our nonprofit community, we are well aware of the strain on financial resources that organizations are feeling, particularly in recent years. The growing needs in our community continue to surpass our grantmaking capacity, making our decisions increasingly challenging and disappointingly forcing us to decline projects from organizations driving transformational change. The average number of applications we receive in a given Community Grant round has increased by almost 110% from 2019 to 2024. And because of the increase in demand, the approval rate for our Community Grant program within the same timeframe dropped from 79% to 40%.
We want to be transparent with our constituencies about this trend and provide some added context for consideration.
- Our Community Grants are not made from one pot of unrestricted money, but rather from 77 different funds, the vast majority of which are designated for a specific purpose and/or geographic location. Some fund purposes are broader than others, like “youth” vs. “youth with kidney ailments.”
- We are committed to stewarding and honoring the intent of the dollars that our donors entrust with us to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, a key part of the decision-making process for our Community Grant program involves aligning and matching donor intent with the projects we receive applications for.
- Our staff is highly knowledgeable about our available funds and their specific purposes, so it’s imperative for nonprofit representatives to talk with a member of our Community Investment team about their project ideas prior to submitting an application. In fact, this step has proven to be so critical that it is now a requirement to apply. As always, while guidance does not guarantee a positive funding outcome, it significantly increases the organization’s chances of success.
For donors who are looking to support nonprofits through our Community Grant program, it’s important to remember that flexibility is key. Each Community Grant is made up of contributions from multiple funds, like pieces of a puzzle. If we only have corner pieces, we cannot complete the task. Often, our Community Grants are part of a larger project budget that depends on support from other funders, each with their own set of funding guidelines and restrictions. This makes it even harder to compile all of the pieces required to fulfill each nonprofit’s request.
Our community impact is powered by the collective generosity of many individuals over many decades. It is our responsibility to help our donors and grantees make the most of every gift. More flexible funds will improve our ability to respond to changing community needs and increased demand for support.
When it comes to planning for impact, we’re here to help you choose broad giving categories that will position your charitable contributions to make the greatest difference.
