Fan District Association

FDA Community Grants PROGRAM

The 2025 FDA Grants Program application is closed.

FDA GRANTS PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT

To provide a fair and equitable process for considering requests from and making grant allocations to individuals and organizations that support the purpose of the Fan District Association (the “FDA”) and need financial assistance for specific programs or program elements.

GRANT COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

The FDA Community Grant Committee (the "Committee") will review the history of the FDA related to its financial grant support of other organizations; provide instructions as to the procedure for submitting grant requests; receive and review grant applications; report to the Board in writing or in person on the applications received and make a recommendation to the Board for their consideration; provide policy guidance to the Board as to the types of grants that should be made and recommend criteria; notify applicants as to the resolution of their application; and coordinate with the Treasurer of the FDA to arrange for the disbursement of funds to those organizations whose applications are approved by the Board. Additionally, the committee will pursue opportunities and submit grant applications to obtain outside financial support for FDA member-based activities.

GRANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The FDA Board of Directors (the "Board") believes that it is in the best interests of its membership and the area’s residents to provide a clear and concise process for grant requests.

The Board will set the Community Grant Program budget. The budget is derived from the FDA’s annual Holiday House Tour fundraiser, and in no case shall it be less than fifty percent of FDA Holiday House Tour net income. 

Funding requests will be considered that are in keeping with the FDA's purpose as outlined in the by-laws:

1. To beautify the Fan District* and to preserve its architectural and historic character, and
2. To promote the health, welfare, happiness and support the civic, cultural, educational, recreational betterment of the Fan District* in particular, and Richmond in general, through operating programs.

While the Committee will consider all submitted applications, grants will not be awarded that are not in line with the FDA's purpose, are already part of the FDA's normal activities and operating budget, for preliminary studies, design work, or projects in the proposal stage, or projects that require City reviews, approvals, or other requirements. 

Grant applications will be solicited between Wednesday, January 15 and Friday, March 21, 2025. Applications must be submitted online by 5 pm ET on Friday, March 21, 2025. Applications are reviewed by the Committee and funding recommendations are made to the FDA Board of Directors for approval. Grant awards will be announced at the FDA Annual Meeting in May and applicants will be notified of the results. Grant awards will also be shared in the various FDA communication services. 

The Committee will provide an initial review of all applications submitted. The Committee may prescribe the format for grant request submission. The Committee may reject applications that are not consistent with criteria approved by the Board. The Committee may consider a one (1) year blackout period after three (3) successive grant awards are made to the same person or organization. At a minimum, all grant applications shall include the following information, documentation and understanding:

• The scope and schedule of work, including program or project date(s) and timeline, if relevant.

• Total program or project budget with details of estimated costs/expenses and information on any co-funding that is available, anticipated or being sought.

• Consideration/explanation of the number of individuals involved or expected to be impacted.

• A description of how the program or project aligns with the FDA’s purpose.

• Details of community outreach, education, or other efforts to include Fan residents or other people or groups impacted by the program or project in the planning.

A commitment from the grantee to provide a follow-up report before the end of the calendar year in which grant funds were received. Reports will include:

• A recap of the program or project’s implementation, how grant funds were allocated, and an assessment as to whether the project achieved the goals described in the request, including photos for inclusion in FDA communications.

• Measures of success, such as event attendance, community impact, physical improvements completed, or other descriptions of how the grant funds were used. 

The Committee will review these follow-up reports as an important step to ensure grants have been used responsibly. Failure to submit a report by the deadline will preclude an organization or person from applying for an FDA grant for three (3) years.

The Committee will make a recommendation to the Board for its consideration each year and will keep a record of grants approved for funding relative to the annual budget. The Committee’s role will be advisory, and the approval process will always remain with the Board.

The Board may consider re-opening the grant application process for a specific window of time within the fiscal year if there are grant funds remaining after the May allocations. This second opportunity for grant requests and any corresponding deadlines would be published through the various FDA communications services. Otherwise, the remaining monies will be rolled over to the next grant cycle.

*For clarity, The Fan District's geographic boundaries are Belvedere Street to the East, Arthur Ashe Boulevard to the West, Broad Street to the North, and Main Avenue to the South.