Guidelines for Grants

In order to be considered, your application must be submitted by March 31st of the current year. Applications will be returned if received after March 31st. Amador Community Foundation is supporting Giving Tuesday with half of our discretionary grant funding. Visit giveamador.org for more information.

What We Fund

The Amador Community Foundation places special emphasis on issues and projects that are poised to transform everyday life in Amador County.

Through our competitive grantmaking process, we prioritize opportunities with:

• Measurable Results:
  • We seek to partner with and support nonprofit organizations that create long-term solutions to creating a healthy, safe and vibrant community;
• Maximum Leverage:
  • Organizations that give strong evidence of community support for what they propose.
  • Collaboration with other community organizations; including funds from other sources being used in conjunction with those proposed from the Foundation;
• Demonstrated Need:
  • We encourage applications from organizations that represent and serve people and projects historically excluded from access to other funding sources;
• Innovative Ideas:
  • We support projects that seek to enhance the lives and future of the people in Amador County.

What We Don’t Fund

In general, we will not consider funding:

• Concurrent or more than three consecutive grants to the same organization;
• Direct assistance to meet an individual’s personal needs;
• Annual fund-raising campaigns or special events;
• Debt reduction;
• Duplication of existing programs or services by new nonprofit organizations;
• Creation of or addition to an endowment fund or scholarship program;
• Political or religious purposes or to influence legislation or elections.

Application Review

All proposals are reviewed by a grants committee which is compromised of members of the Foundation’s board of directors and community representatives. The review process focuses on the greatest impact and most effective use of the community’s donations over the long term. Priority is given to proposals that successfully address the following:

• Capacity of the organizations: how well does the organizations board, advisory committee, volunteers and/or staff demonstrate the skills, experience, and commitment to carry out the proposed project?
• Organization mission and funding focus: to what extent does the project relate to both the organization’s core mission and Amador Community Foundation’s current funding focus?
• Need for project: Is this project appropriate for the area or population it intends to serve, does it demonstrate community support, and is it unique or will it involve collaboration with other organizations?
• Objectives and methods: does this project have clear and measurable goals that will result in a meaningful improvement to our community?
• Budget and project sustainability: is the project budget realistic and will the project continue to be sustainable after an investment from the foundation?

Recommendations are presented to the Foundation’s board of directors for final approval. Foundation staff will notify all applicants of the board’s decision in writing and in a timely manner. Successful applicants will be required to submit a narrative and financial reports that explain the outcomes of the funded project.