Eligibility requirements

To apply for a grant, your organization must meet the following requirements.

501 (C)(3) or
Fiscal Sponsorship

Organizations applying for a grant from the Racine Community Foundation must be not-for-profit with 501(c)(3) status and must have received their tax-exempt determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. We require a copy of this letter in your application package. If you do not have 501(c)(3) status, you may still apply if your fiscal sponsor is a 501(c)(3) and you follow the steps in our fiscal sponsorship certification form.

Racine County

All organizations seeking funding must be located in Racine County, provide services in Racine County, or provide services to Racine County residents. Priority is given to organizations that are located in Racine County.

Letter of Intent
January 31

Before you may apply, all organizations must first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by January 31 of the calendar year. All grant cycles follow the calendar year. You may only apply if your LOI is accepted. You will be notified by email whether or not your LOI is accepted. If January 31 has passed and you have not submitted your LOI for the calendar year, you must wait until the next calendar year to do so. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, but it is a policy we cannot break.

Applications
invite only

You will be notified by email if your LOI is accepted and you are invited to apply. At this time, you will be assigned a specific grant cycle (spring, summer or fall) in which your application will be reviewed. You will also receive an invitation to create your application in our online portal, and you will be provided a specific range of dates during which you may apply. You will be mailed a letter notifying you if your grant is funded or denied.

 Proposal criteria

Grant proposals should meet the following criteria.

Focus areas

Your proposal must be related to one of our six focus areas: Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education, Environment, Healthcare or Human Services.

Community

Your proposal must attend to basic community needs.

Impact

Your proposal and your organization must demonstrate the ability to achieve and sustain significant and long-term impact.

Objectives & outcomes

Your proposal must possess well-defined objectives and measurable outcomes that improve the quality of life in our community.

Additional funding

Your proposal must include financial commitments from funding organizations other than the Racine Community Foundation.