 | Fan District Association |
FDA 2023 Community Grants PROGRAM
Thanks to a very successful Holiday House tour in December, we are excited to announce that our grants program will begin receiving applications on Tuesday, February 28. We continue to encourage applications that cover operating programs or capital projects and will consider funding projects that last up to 24 months to help you create a more sustainable project. Applications must support the city of Richmond and benefits to Fan residents and businesses are a plus. Funding requests should support schools, neighborhood, parks/streetscapes and neighbors in need.
This year, there are two major changes to this year’s request:
- Category 1 - Funding for 2 grants in the amount of $5,000 each. This may cover projects that last up to 24 months to allow you to build a more sustainable program/project.
- Category 2 - Funding for grants with a minimum of $500, $1,000 or $2,000. No differen dollar amounts will be accepted.
FDA GRANTS PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT
To provide a fair and equitable process for considering requests from, and making grant allocations to individuals and organizations serving the geographic area covered by the Fan District Association (the “FDA”) that are in need of financial assistance for specific programs or program elements benefitting the Fan District or physical improvements to the Fan District’s public spaces.
ACTIVITIES
Review the history of the FDA related to its support of other organizations; provide instructions as to the procedure for submitting requests for grants to the Board of the FDA; 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.
GUIDING PRINCIPLE
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 entertaining grant requests.
The Board will set the Grants Committee budget tied to the revenues derived from the FDA’s main fundraiser, the Holiday House Tour, but in no case shall it be less than fifty percent of FDA Holiday House Tour net income. The budget dollars will be available for the support of activities that physically improve the Fan and/or enrich the lives of Fan residents through operating programs or capital projects.
While the FDA Grants Committee will consider all submitted grant requests, typically, grants are not awarded for preliminary studies, design work, or other projects which are in the proposal stage. Grant funding awarded for projects which require City reviews, approvals, permits, or other requirements will be considered after and/or contingent upon the receipt of approvals.
PROCEDURES
Grant applications will be solicited between February 28th and
April 12th. Applications must be submitted online by
midnight on April 12th. Applications are reviewed by the committee
and recommended to the FDA board for voting. Grant awards are
announced at the FDA annual meeting in May.
The Committee will provide the initial review of all applications submitted. The Committee may prescribe the format for submission of grant requests. The Committee may reject applications that are not consistent with criteria approved by the Board. At a minimum, all grant applications shall include the following information, documentation and understanding:
- The scope and the schedule of work, including project date(s) and timeline.
- A payment timeline for the requested funds.
- Total 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 volunteers that will be involved.
- A statement on how the project impacts Fan residents and businesses.
- Details of community outreach, education or other efforts to include Fan residents or other persons or groups affected by the project in the project planning.
- Specific requests for reimbursement shall include documentation of expenditures.
A commitment from the grantee to provide a follow-up report when project/grant is complete or a maximum of one year after the grant is awarded. Reports will include:
- A recap of the project’s implementation and an assessment as to whether the project achieved the goals described in the grant request
- A breakdown of how the grant funds were allocated
- Measures of success (such as event attendance, community impact, physical improvements completed, or other descriptions of how the grant funds were used to physically improve The Fan and/or enrich the lives of its residents.
The FDA Grants committee will review these follow-up reports as an important step to ensure grants have been used responsibly. Failure to submit a report may preclude the funded organization or person from applying for an FDA grant for three 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 at all times remain with the FDA Board of Directors.
The FDA 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 on the various FDA communications services.