Deadline: 31-May-21
The Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) is currently accepting applications for its grants program to mobilize people, ideas and investments to make this a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential—no matter place, race or identity
Focus Areas
- In Marion County, they aim to create neighborhoods and environments that empower people, change systems that unfairly hold people back and dismantle systemic racism. They will focus on five initiatives that overlap and influence one another:
- Family Stabilization: They believe that everyone should have equitable opportunities to obtain housing, transportation and health services.
- Economic Mobility: They believe people can rise out of poverty by acquiring skills that lead to living wage jobs, and if they are not held back by inequitable policies.
- Criminal Justice Reform: Residents have a right to live in safe communities and we need to commit to better outcomes for people interacting with the criminal justice system.
- Neighborhood Empowerment and Place making: They believe communities are most successful and thriving when investments are resident-driven and when neighborhoods have access to culturally relevant art, nature and beauty every day.
- Dismantle Systemic Racism: Like many American institutions, CICF and its affiliates have centered around the experiences and perspective of white people for more than 100 years. The foundation is committed to becoming a fully inclusive, antiracist and multicultural organization moving forward.
- Hamilton County Community Foundation is focused on building a community where opportunity meets growth for everyone and philanthropic efforts support not-for-profit organizations doing vital work. They will focus on three initiatives that overlap and influence one another:
- Mental Health: They believe every city, town and community in the county should have a plan and resources available to address mental health.
- Family and Youth Empowerment: They believe everyone should have opportunities to access healthy food, safe housing and education.
- Inclusive Economic Growth: They believe it is imperative to support affordable housing, pathways to long-term employment and countywide connectivity.
Type of Grants
- Responsive Grants: These grants are in direct response to community needs and support opportunities, ideas and programs that have been developed by not-for profit partners to address those needs. Responsive grants allow for capacity building, project-based or program requests, and general operating support requests.
- Leadership Initiative Grants: These grants are in significant alignment with community leadership initiatives identified in the 2019-2024 strategic plans for Marion and Hamilton counties.
- Donor-Advised Fund Grants: These grants are made based on the priorities identified by donor-advised fund holders. Alignment with donor advised funds is identified by community leadership and effective philanthropy staff and only at the request of donors and/or after an application has been formally submitted through an open application round.
CICF will not Support
- Capital requests
- Organizations that are NOT tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) Public Charity of the Internal Revenue Code
- Grants to individuals
- Organizations or projects that discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation
- Political campaigns or direct lobbying efforts by 501(c)(3) organizations
- Post-event or debt retirement
- Projects aimed at promoting a particular religion or construction project for religious institutions
Criteria
The Indianapolis Foundation will preference funding organizations and programs that:
- Focus on root causes and not symptoms of racial inequity
- Support efforts that address and seek to eliminate disparities
- Focus on addressing systems-level reforms rather than ‘one-off’ programs
- Serve high percentages of under-appreciated, marginalized populations with quality, comprehensive programming with a sharpened focus on outcomes
- Are designed with and endorsed by community stakeholders, including residents and/or those being served by project
- Include a feedback mechanism for residents and/or populations served to inform programming design and delivery
- Possess organizational and board leadership that are representative and incorporative of populations served
For more information, visit https://www.cicf.org/not-for-profits/#how-to-apply