Deadline: 15-Sep-21
The Greater Worcester Community Foundation (GWCF) is offering 2021 Community Grant Program: Operating & Project Support to collectively work towards a more equitable, vibrant and just community by offering flexible grant options.
Strategic Focus Areas
GWCF has been on a learning journey to better understand how to leverage and streamline resources entrusted to them to make the most meaningful impact in the communities. These strategic areas:
- Health & Wellbeing: Strengthening the systems that ensure those from historically excluded populations have equitable access to healthcare and behavioral healthcare. Strategies include:
- Expanding access to behavioral health services
- Expanding culturally-responsive healthcare workforce
- Improving pre-natal care/healthy pregnancies
- Wellness programs that promote health and/or improve health outcomes
- Thriving Families: Insuring that families have what they need to thrive and that young people have access to critical supports and meaningful experiences. Strategies include:
- Increasing access to quality early childhood care
- Providing meaningful out-of-school experiences
- Delivering critical family support services including housing & food security
- Providing opportunities to increase family wealth (job training, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, increasing minimum wage, etc.)
- Offering family oriented educational and/or recreational opportunities
- Creative Worcester: For Worcester to have a diverse and strong Arts & Culture ecosystem where residents share a sense of ownership and belonging in all creative spaces. Arts & Culture will be fully recognized as a key component in assisting individuals, families and communities in living healthy and thriving lives. Strategies include:
- Increasing access to the arts
- Developing alignment between local diverse populations and arts & culture programming.
- Artists & creatives engaging as active partners in the growth and evolution of the city and its neighborhoods.
- Supporting the financial stability of cultural organizations
Funding Information
- General Operating Grants: Invest in organizations that are highly aligned with the strategic focus areas and whose success they see as vital to reaching the vision for a strong healthy, vibrant and equitable community. Grants will vary in size, but in general range from $5,000-$50,000.
- Project Grants: Fund a specific project or program highly aligned with the strategic focus areas. Grants will vary in size but in general range from $2,500-$25,000 to be applied to project budgets that include meaningful overhead.
Eligibility Criteria
- 501c3 tax exempt nonprofit or an entity operating under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit.
- Collaboratives or loosely organized coalitions are welcome to apply and should be submitted by the designated lead partner
- Your organization’s work is within GWCF’s geographic area served. Priority is given in the following order:
- Nonprofit organizations based in and serving Worcester County
- Nonprofits not based in Worcester County but have a physical presence (staff or location) should focus their application entirely on their work within Worcester County
- Nonprofits providing an unduplicated service in Worcester County without a physical (staff or location) presence will be expected to demonstrate their authentic relationships with local stakeholders (local board members, formalized partnerships, local committee/coalition service etc.)
- Have strong demonstrated alignment with one of the key strategic focus areas
- Tell an authentic journey of progress in one or more of the priority lens areas (racial equity, community voice, systems change). Successful grantees will not necessarily be advanced in these areas, but on a meaningful and inclusive journey.
- Sound Organizational Practices: A legitimate and effective governing or advisory board is in place and strong planning and fiscal stewardship is happening.
For more information, visit https://www.greaterworcester.org/Grants/Grant-Opportunities/Community-Grant-Program#122433-community-voice