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Request for Proposals: Impact Grants Program 2025 (US)

Deadline: 6-Feb-25

The Foundation for Delaware County is pleased to announce its call for Impact Grants Program.

While they make some grants from donor-advised funds as well as restricted and specialized funds, the grants awarded through this competitive grant process will advance the Foundation’s mission to ensure an equitable, vibrant future for Delaware County by promoting generosity, inspiring participation and partnership across their communities, and improving the quality of life for all.

Priorities
  • Cancer Survivors
    • The Foundation will consider awarding grants to organizations that provide education and supportive services to assist cancer survivors living in Delaware County. Unfortunately, multi-year grants are not available for this funding priority.
  • Community and Economic Development
    • The Foundation will consider awarding strategic investment grants to enhance community and economic development strategies in Delaware County. This could include arts and culture initiatives that catalyze community and economic development.
  • Health
    • Behavioral Health: The Foundation will consider awarding grants to organizations providing education, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, supportive services, or advocacy to assist families and children living in Delaware County experiencing mental health and substance use disorders in Delaware County.
    • Children’s Health and Nutrition: The Foundation will consider awarding grants that support efforts to expand and improve services for low-income children and their families living in Delaware County, including advocacy efforts, primary preventive care, lead screening, asthma treatment, immunizations, oral care, nutrition, vision care, and developmental services.
    • Food Security: The Foundation will consider awarding grants to organizations that strengthen the emergency food safety net in Delaware County by enhancing food availability, quality, variety, and/or cultural appropriateness, and by coordinating emergency food services.
    • Maternity and Prenatal/Postnatal Care: The Foundation will consider awarding grants that expand quality services to vulnerable mothers and infants living in Delaware County, including early entry into prenatal care, routine prenatal and postpartum care, pregnancy spacing, supportive services, and advocacy efforts that decrease maternal mortality and infant mortality/morbidity and increase early childhood growth and development.
    • Preventive Healthcare: The Foundation will consider awarding grants to organizations that improve, expand, or advocate for preventive healthcare services for low-income and vulnerable children living in Delaware County.
  • Hospice and Home Healthcare
    • The Foundation will consider awarding grants to organizations providing hospice and home healthcare services for people who are low-income who have disabilities, and vulnerable seniors in Delaware County. Unfortunately, multi-year grants are not available for this funding priority.
  • Housing
    • The Foundation will consider awarding strategic investment grants to support advocacy efforts, initiatives, and projects that increase access to or the supply of safe, adequate, and affordable housing for Delaware County residents.
  • Youth Development
    • The Foundation will consider awarding grants to support advocacy efforts, initiatives, interventions, and collaborations that enhance protective factors and reduce risk factors, promote positive outcomes, and prepare young people to reach their full potential.
    • Early Childhood Education and Development: The Foundation will consider awarding grants to support early childhood programs that promote and advocate for early development (formally and informally) from birth to age six.
    • Elementary and Middle School: The Foundation will consider awarding grants to support programs and initiatives that provide academic support to elementary and middle school-age students. This effort can include out-of-school-time (OST) academic programs.
    • Vocational and Job Training: The Foundation will consider awarding grants to organizations that help prepare youth for further education and successful careers. This effort can include specific classes offered to learners to train for a job or career.
Types of Organizations
  • Core Support
    • Available to previous Grantee Partners serving Delaware County and working in one or more of the Foundation’s funding priorities.
  • Program or Project Support
    • Available to nonprofits serving Delaware County to start, advance, operate, expand, and/or improve programs or projects working in one or more of the Foundation’s funding priorities.
Expected Outcomes
  • Safety net outcomes (providing aid to those facing acute hardship) most naturally emerged in Food Security and Preventive Health, where grantee partners supplied essential nutrition and emergency healthcare.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic – the most severe disruption during the period under analysis – many grantee partners provided emergency assistance to their clients, so safety net outcomes appeared across priority areas.
  • Preventive outcomes (intervening before problems arise to enhance protective factors contributing to well-being) were the most common type in the portfolio.
  • Academic and health outcomes among youth – for example, improved grades, increased physical activity, and better social-emotional health – repeated across priority areas, which is not surprising considering the explicit youth focus of many of the Foundation’s grants.
  • Systems change outcomes (targeting the root cause of social issues by changing structures, policies, or regulations) commonly focused on the formation of collaborative partnerships across sectors to address complex problems. Collaborative partnerships typically focused on raising awareness among community members and policymakers on critical issues.
  • Organizational development outcomes (strengthening organizational effectiveness and capacity through planned changes) were similar across priority areas. They often included strengthening staff capacity by recruiting, training, and retaining staff – particularly noteworthy given the challenges posed by the tight labor market that characterized much of the period.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Tax-exempt organizations under any part of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Grassroots organizations, collaboratives, or coalitions may apply under the auspices of a tax-exempt fiscal sponsor.
  • All grant proceeds must be used to provide programs and services in and for Delaware County residents.
  • Note: Applicant organizations must comply with local, state, and federal regulations.
  • Grant preference will be given to agencies that:
    • Are located in Delaware County.
    • Have completed their organization’s GuideStar (Platinum level Seal of Transparency preferred) profile.
    • Have a strong and proven record of collaborating with other entities serving the residents of Delaware County.
    • Have a demonstrated commitment to diversity and cultural competency in staff and board composition, including employing bilingual staff where existing and potential clients are non-English speakers.
    • Have embedded or are in the process of embedding a trauma-informed care approach to services and programs.
    • Can provide evidence of a commitment to capacity building and succession planning where appropriate.
    • Address the most vulnerable populations’ needs, including families living in poverty, immigrants, non-English speakers, and minority-led organizations.
Application Requirements
  • Eligible organizations may apply for funding under any of the Foundation’s funding priorities outlined above, selecting one area that aligns most closely with their mission and proposed activities. The application should demonstrate outcomes within at least one of the following types of outcomes:
    • Safety Net
      • Provide basic assistance to ensure well-being and prevent dire outcomes for individuals facing economic hardship, health issues, or other challenges.
    • Preventive
      • Intervene before problems arise, reducing factors that lead to negative outcomes and enhancing protective factors that contribute to well-being and success.
    • System Change
      • Target the root causes of social issues to change structures, such as public policies and regulations that enable systems to function better.
    • Organizational Development
      • Strengthen effectiveness and capacity through planned change in an organization’s processes, systems, structures, or leadership.
  • Eligible organizations may submit a single application for one of the grant types listed below to support their efforts in advancing the Foundation’s funding priorities outlined above. Each organization may apply for a single year or for a multi-year period.

For more information, visit The Foundation for Delaware County.