GoodWORKSconnect Micro Grants

About

• Requirements
• Applying for Micro-Grant
• Regions
• More About Eligible Projects

Through goodWORKSconnect and the support of The Lumpkin Family Foundation, the four community foundations (see list below) make Micro-grants in East central Illinois. Micro-grants are up to $1,500 for attendance by nonprofit staff and board members at trainings and professional development programs of their own choosing. Micro-grants are strategic investments in people and organizations to be used to defray the cost of attending programs targeted at improving the management, governance and leadership of the applicant organization.

Micro-grants are awarded twice a year. The submission deadlines are:

• February 15, 2010 -- EXTENDED TO MARCH 1, 2010
  
• August 16, 2010

Requirements

• Your organization must have a profile and an individual associated must be a member of goodWORKSconnect.org
• The maximum grant amount is $1,500 and the organization pay no less than 20% of the total cost.
• Only organizations in Central Illinois are eligible to apply for Micro-Grant.
• Micro-grants will only support FUTURE opportunities, not trainings or professional development that has already occurred.
• Organizations can only apply for one micro grant per cycle.

Note: Preference will be given to organizations with an annual budget of less than $1 million.

Applying for a Micro-grant

Here are the steps to applying for a micro-grant:

• Identify a training program that meets the specific development needs of your organization.

• If you haven't already, join www.goodWORKSconnect.org and create a personal profile as well as one for your organization.

• Fill out the on-line micro-grant application found at www.goodWORKSconnect.org (it’s a quick, easy process).

Note: If you would like training on the process, visit our or contact the appropriate person in your local region (see list below).

• Micro-grants are awarded twice a year. The submission deadlines are:
  • February 15, 2010 --  DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 1, 2010
    
  • August 16, 2010
• www.goodWORKSconnect.org community members from your region will apply to be on the grant review committee. They will be selected by your region contact organization (see list below) and review the applications online through www.goodWORKSconnect.org. They will then meet as an in-person committee to make the final grant decisions.
• You will be notified of the status of your application within six weeks of the submission deadline.

Reviewing Micro-grants

Not applying for a micro-grant right now?  Then apply to be a reviewer! 

Read your fellow nonprofits' micro-grant applications and recommend which should be funded.  Reviewers will read all the applications for their subregion and rate according to nine criteria.  We anticipate 10+ applications per region.  Reviewers will also meet together to make the final recommendations for grants.  This is a commitment of an estimated 3-4 hours plus travel time.

The deadline for grant reviewer applications is the same as the grant program.  Once your application is received, it will be reviewed by the Community Foundation administering the grants in your region. They will contact you within a month of the application deadline for more information and to advise of your status on the committee.

Our hope is to involve as many goodWORKSconnect.org members as possible through this program.

Click on the “Become a Reviewer” above to apply to be a grant reviewer today.

Regions

If you have questions or aren't sure whether a particular training or professional development opportunity qualifies under this program, please call your regional contact, to discuss it in advance of applying.

The Community Foundation of Decatur/Macon County (Region 1) serves:

• Macon

Missy Batman

217.429.3000

mbatman AT endowdecatur.org

The Community Foundation of East Central Illinois (Region 2) serves:

• Champaign
• Vermillion
• Piatt
• Edgar
• Moultrie
• Douglas

Joan Dixon

217.359.0125

joandixon AT cfeci.org

The Community Foundation of Sangamon County (Region 3) serves:

• Sangamon
• Christian
• Montgomery

Stacy Reed

217.789.4431 

Reed AT sccf.us

The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation (Region 4) serves:

• Effingham
• Fayette
• Cumberland
• Coles
• Shelby
• Clark

Amanda Standerfer

217.342.4988

astanderfer AT enrichingourcommunity.org

Any overall questions about capacity-building grantmaking, can be directed to:

Annie Hernandez

The Lumpkin Family Foundation

Annie.hernandez AT consolidated.com

217.234.5702

More about Eligible Projects

Micro-grants can be used to send staff or board members to a specific workshop or conference or to engage a consultant to provide customized training to one or more organizations.

The following are examples of activities that could be supported. (We are open to other ideas too):

• A program manager participating in a financial management training program in Chicago.
• The Executive Director and Board Chair attending a regional leadership conference together.
• A consultant providing a customized fundraising training to the Board of Directors.
• Two similar organizations jointly engaging a trainer to provide a volunteer management workshop.

Micro-grants are not intended for training or consulting that focuses on the programmatic side of the organization's work. Examples of activities that would not be supported include:

• A social service organization attending a workshop on how to improve the quality of their casework.
• An arts-focused organization hiring a consultant to provide staff training on methods of arts education.

Organizations may include all costs related to their participation in the proposed professional development opportunity including:

• registration or consulting fees
• travel
• meals
• lodging
• other applicable costs

After the first grant cycle, a summary of the approved grants will be made available.