The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is proud to expand its efforts to provide unrestricted operating grants to local nonprofits with the launch of the Comunidad (Community) Grants Program. This grants program was created to provide unrestricted funding to Southern Arizona nonprofits with annual operating budgets under $100,000.
Applications will be accepted between November 6 and December 1, 2023.
Comunidad Grants will support organizations working at the local level with their communities to address emerging or systemic issues. The program is dedicated to supporting grassroots nonprofits who are often most in need of unrestricted funding. Rooted in mutual trust, this program gives nonprofits autonomy over how resources are best utilized to achieve their mission.
Applicant Criteria
- The organization must have an annual operating budget under $100,000.
- The organization must be located in or conducting charitable work in Southern Arizona (defined as Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Yuma counties – south of the Gila River ONLY).
- The maximum grant award is $10,000.
- The organization must be a 501c3 in good standing or apply using a fiscal sponsor.
- The fiscal sponsor must be 501c3 in good standing, located in Southern Arizona, and provide a letter confirming fiscal sponsorship.
- University programs may apply using the university foundation as a fiscal sponsor.
- The organization must have an established board of directors.
- The organization must have a clear commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.
- The organization must be current in all grant reporting to CFSA.
- Grants are generally not made to individuals, for-profit organizations, government entities, capital fund drives, agency endowments, debt reduction, individual schools, religious organizations for sectarian purposes, or pure sports teams.
Rubric
Applicants will be scored according to a rubric representative of the following characteristics:
- Awareness of community needs.
- Response to community needs.
- Financial impact of the grant on organizational mission.
- Operational sustainability.
Required Application Documents
- Organizational Annual Operating Budget (for the current fiscal year – templates will be available in application).
- Fiscal Sponsor Letter (if applicable).
Priorities
CFSA values community. As a permanent community resource, we understand that transformative impact takes time and trust. We promote inclusion and dignity for all. All applicants meeting the criteria are welcome and will be considered for funding. However, funding priority will be given to the following:
- Organizations located in or conducting charitable work in rural areas.
- Organizations whose charitable work directly impacts historically marginalized communities.
Important Dates:
- November 6, 2023 – Application opens via Common Grant Application
- November 6, 2023 – Grant Information Session
- December 1, 2023 – Application due (5:00 PM Arizona Time)
- December – February – Application Review
- February 2024 – Award Notifications
- May 15, 2024 – Grantee Celebration
Questions? Contact our Community Impact Team at community@cfsaz.org or by phone at 520-770-0800.
To Apply
The application will open in Common Grant Application on November 6, 2023, and close on December 1, 2023.
All applications must be submitted online through the Common Grant Application. We strongly encourage you to review the tutorial video, which contains important information on how to register/login and submit an application. To view the video, click here.
- First-time users of the Common Grant Application, click here to register for an account.
- If you have already applied for a grant using the Common Grant Application, you should have an account. Returning users, click here.