How to apply for General Fund grants

Qualified applicants, representing charitable, tax exempt organizations, recognized by the I.R.S. as 501(c)(3) groups, located in La Crosse County, and organizations which serve area residents, may request a standard application form available from the Foundation.

Call (608) 782-3223 or email Heather Quackenboss, Program Director.

To be eligible for review, the original application and fourteen copies need to be returned to the Foundation for Board of Directors' review.

Deadlines:

January 15 for the February meeting
April 15 for the May meeting
July 15 for the August meeting
October 15 for the November meeting

Criteria

The La Crosse Community Foundation carefully screens requests for funds from community organizations for projects which enhance the quality of life. General categories of support include: education, health services, cultural activities, social services and civic projects. The Foundation gives priority to those projects which:

• Seek to meet a new or growing need of a broad segment of the community consistent with Foundation goals and priorities.
• Demonstrate need for extraordinary budget or one-time funds based on careful planning.
• Encourage additional funding or matching gifts from other donors, consumers or agencies.
• Provide realistic plans for future funding.
• Promote cooperation among agencies without duplicating services.
• Encourage self-help activities by the population served through the grant program or service.
• Utilize volunteers to the extent possible.
• Enhance or improve agency self-sufficiency and efficiency.
• Yield substantial benefits to the community for the resources invested by the Community Foundation through its grant.

The Foundation does not make grant awards to individuals. In general, the Foundation’s unrestricted fund does not make grants for:

• Support for ongoing operating expenses of well established organizations or debt retirement.
• To fund needs more properly funded through the operating budget of the applicant organization or by other sources.
• To mature endowment funds.
• For sectarian or religious purposes.
• For travel by individuals or groups.

Upon completion of the grant project, an evaluation is required to determine the effectiveness of Foundation support. The Foundation discourages more than one application from the same agency within a twelve-month period. Reconsideration of a denied proposal is made only with significant changes at the request of the Board of Directors.

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