COLLABORATIVE GRANTS

Applications for the 2021 Grant Cycle will open on June 1st, 2021 and close on June 28th, 2021.

Grant Cycle Schedule

June 1 – June 28: Applications open

July 1 – July 31: Grant Committee Evaluation

August 1 – August 31: Donor Advised Fund and Endowment Selections

September 1 – September 30: Grant Recipient Notification & Public Announcement

October 2021: Grant Awards Celebration

Receive up to $5,000

The Billings Community Foundation values the importance of collaborative projects for greater impact within the community. According to the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, there are over 1,200 registered charitable organizations in Billings alone. This collaborative grant is intended to encourage collaboration between non-profits with similar goals and programming to combine resources and maximize impact.

This grant offers support for two or more non-profit organizations working in unison on a common-purpose program or project.

Apply for a Collaborative Grant Collaborative Application Preview PDF Editable Application Budget

Eligibility

Grants are for 501(c)3 non-profit organizations in Yellowstone, Musselshell, Rosebud, Custer, Treasure, Bighorn, Carbon, Stillwater, and Fergus counties. Government entities and religious organizations defined by the IRS in Section 170(c)1 or 170(b)1A are also eligible. All other organizations are required to have a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor prior to submitting a grant request.
Applicants must have had their IRS designation for at least three years and be currently governed by a board of directors with a minimum of five members.
An organization may submit only one application per grant cycle.
Grant funds must be expended within one year of the award date.
Organizations may submit grant applications every year. However, the Billings Community Foundation will not grant to an organization that has been awarded the previous three consecutive years.
Final grant reports are required to be submitted by the grantees or fiscal sponsors. Organizations that fail to submit final grant report will be ineligible to apply for further funding for a minimum of three years.

Exceptions and Ineligible Requests

Exceptions and Limitations

Fiscal Sponsorships – Organizations who act as a fiscal sponsor for other projects not directly associated with the organizations programs may submit two proposals per cycle; one for their sponsored program and one for their internal programs.
Public Schools – Individual public schools may apply for support of programs that enhance learning. Title One schools will be given priority. Funding cannot be used to subsidize shortfalls from tax supported levies or core operational funding. Applications are restricted to one per school per grant cycle. The principal’s signature is required on all applications.
Private Schools – K-12 Private schools, defined as tuition based educational institutions, may apply for funding if more than 50% of student body is low income or receives tuition assistance. Tuition assistance is not eligible.
Colleges and Universities – Large organizations with many branches or departments may submit up to two applications from the president’s office. Tuition assistance is not eligible.
City or County Governments – Projects that are essential services provided by government such as infrastructure, administration, or services such as fire & police, are not eligible for funding. However, non-essential, quality of life, community enhancement projects not typically funded through tax dollars may be eligible. Please contact the Foundation before proceeding with an application.
Faith-Based Organizations – Grants will not be made for religious purposes but may be made to faith-based organizations for the non-religious programs offered to the broader community.

Ineligible Grant Requests
*While the Billings Community Foundation remains flexible in meeting community needs, the following grant requests are ineligible for funding:

Individuals, including tuition, scholarships or core operating expenses for public schools, charter schools, private schools, or universities and colleges
Political and Lobbying activities
Debt retirement or budget deficits
Annual campaigns, fundraising campaigns or events
Religious organizations for religious activities, outreach, or other purpose
Purchases or activities that occur prior to grant decisions
Large capital projects with unknown completion dates
Capital and expendable expenses such as technology, office supplies, etc.
Projects deemed controversial or from organizations with pending claims or litigation

Grant Awarding Information

Grants Committee

The Grants Committee (5 to 7 persons) is appointed by the executive committee of the Billings Community Foundation Board of Directors on an annual basis. It is comprised of five to seven individuals who are current or past Board Members and Advisory Board Members. These individuals are responsible for scoring each application in accordance with the Foundation’s Grant Policies and Evaluation Criteria.
*Individuals from outside organizations may not participate.

Grant Committee Conflict of Interest
Any Grant Committee member that currently serves on a non-profit board may not vote on the submission of that entity. In addition, if any committee member that has a personal bias toward any type or individual non-profit they will recuse themselves from evaluating that submission. Each committee member shall report the above to the committee chair prior to scoring. Final scoring and ranking will then be based on the average of the other committee member’s scores.

Grant Scoring and Awarding

The grants will be awarded by score. This score will be tallied using the average combined scores from each Grant Committee Members.
* The Grants Committee is not required to distribute grants in every priority area.
* The Grants Committee retains the right to deviate from awards based solely on score.

Grant Scoring Values and Evaluation

The Billings Community Foundation Grants Committee uses the following values to assist in their individual scoring of each grant application. Each grant should:

Identify significant needs in the community and the greater Yellowstone Valley Region. Grants should directly impact the community and provide information related to the documented lack of services, unmet need, statistical data, etc.
Benefit the greatest number of people in the most underserved populations.
Have both qualitative and quantitative outcomes for measurement.
Demonstrate a high level of success and completion within the designated 1-year timeframe.

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