United States: Project ATLAS Grant

Deadline: 12-May-22

The New Jersey Department of State, Office of Faith Based Initiatives (OFBI), is soliciting applications for Project ATLAS a capacity building program designed to build the sustainability of faith and community-based organizations (FBCOs).

Specific examples of Project ATLAS capacity building and sustainability activities, customizedto the specific needs of each organization, are:

Developing effective boards and board governance processes;
Building the skills and stewardship abilities of executive leaders;
Developing and implementing long-term strategic plans;
Enhancing technological capacity;
Building partnerships and collaborations with other community organizations; and
Learning how to evaluate, document and improve the outcomes and impact of services.

Purpose

The purpose of Project ATLAS is to provide capacity-building grants, technical assistance, and customized coaching, identified by the OFBI that will strengthen the viability and capacity of participating FBCOs to provide quality social services to the community as specified in this announcement.

Nature of Capacity Building and Sustainability Activities

Capacity-building may be defined as “your organization’s ability to identify and prioritize its development goals and achieve specific improvements that help you more effectively fulfill your mission.”
Sustainability, which results from ongoing capacity building, is the long-term stability and viability of your organization in the community.
Project ATLAS applicants will establish “high performing work teams,” referred to in this document as Project ATLAS Leadership teams that work with an experienced capacity building coach, identified by the NJ OFBI, to improve FBCO sustainability.
A high-performing work team is a group of individuals who work interdependently to perform effectively and achieve common goals with each member sharing 100% responsibility for success.

Funding Information

Grant requests may not exceed $10,000, matching funds are not required.
Actual funding levels will depend on the availability of funds.
The funding period is from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicant organizations must:
- Meet all requirements for eligibility;
- Establish a Project ATLAS Leadership Team:
  - A leadership team is comprised of 3-5 volunteers. They can be your existing board members or if the organization does not have a board of directors, the leadership team can be what is developed into the organization’s advisory board;
- Assure that Team members attend required technical assistance sessions, conferences, and workshops;
- Work with an OFBI identified coach to develop an individualized organization sustainability assessment;
- Spend grant award resources to achieve targeted sustainability outcomes and implement a pilot project relative to the needs of the community;
- Generally, dedicate the time and effort needed to work effectively under this initiative;
- Assure strict compliance with all State requirements as specified in this grant guideline.
Applicant must:
- Applicants must be a non-profit Faith and/or Community-Based Organization serving low-income residents;
- The organization’s Budget must be between $0 – $100,000;
- Applicants must be tax-exempt by determination of the Internal Revenue Service in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) and upload their IRS Determination Letter that states that the organization is created for charitable purposes and not for religious purposes;
- Applicants must be registered with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs and have a valid Charity Registration Number and be IN COMPLIANCE with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Charitable Registration and Investigation Section
- Be registered with the NJ Department of Treasury – Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services and must have a valid Business Revenue Number;
- Be IN GOOD STANDING with the Department of Treasury – Business Service Center
- Applicants must have their Certificate of Incorporation;
- Applicant organizations must have been in existence for one (1) year or more;
- Applicants must be willing to actively participate in mandatory training and technical assistance sessions.