Grants
Grants provide maximum community impact.
The Marshall Community Foundation reviews/awards grants quarterly and yearly based upon the size of the grant request. (Grant applications can be submitted at any time.) Grants are awarded to agencies across Calhoun County that benefit residents of the City of Marshall and surrounding townships. Grants are intended to be a flexible local funding opportunity that can respond to community needs.
Application priorities include, but are not limited to:
- Yields substantial community benefits for the resources invested
- Facilitates cooperation and enhances collaboration among organizations
- Avoids duplication of services
- Benefits the greatest number of people in the community and attracts volunteer resources
- Strengthens or improves the self-sufficiency and efficiency in areas such as, but not limited to:
- Capacity Building
- Workforce Development
- Represents innovative, start-up efforts
- Supports low income/underserved populations with:
- Access to Resources
- Poverty Intervention
- Food Insecurity
- Promotes youth development in areas such as, but not limited to:
- Student Performance
- Teacher Training
- Supplemental Programs
- Youth Mental Health
- Examines and addresses underlying causes of local challenges
- Seeks challenge or matching financial resources
The Marshall Community Foundation does NOT grant for:
- Legislative or political projects
- Religious or sectarian purposes
- Support for the same program year-after-year
- Requests that only benefit one or a few individuals
- Annual fundraising drives or capital campaigns
- Administrative costs for maintaining the present operation of an organization (i.e. general operating expenses), including, but not limited to, staff salaries, wages, benefits, office equipment, etc. Please note, salaries may be considered on a case-by-case basis only as related to direct program expenses, not daily operations.
- Education requests that supplant, rather than supplement, the ongoing operations of the school district, such as equipment or educational materials, including curriculum supplies and resources.
- Endowments or debt reduction
- Requests of $5,000 or greater with The Marshall Community Foundation being the only funding source
- Requests over $75,000
- The Marshall Community Foundation will only consider granting to organizations who have submitted final reports for all previous grants. Final reports must be approved by the Board of Trustees. The approval process may take up to three months.
Grant requests are reviewed by the Foundation’s Grant Review Committee (GRC), comprised of community volunteers and members of the Marshall Community Foundation Board. Also, all youth related grant requests are reviewed by the Youth Advisory Council (YAC). The Marshall Community Foundation Board of Trustees reviews the GRC and YAC recommendations and makes the final decision. Carefully read the directions below. If your grant application is submitted incomplete, it will not be considered.
- Review each question carefully.
- Answer all of the questions. For those questions that do not apply to your grant request, answer N/A.
- Upload all required documents (i.e. vendor bids and letters of support).
- Once you submit the application, you will be unable to go back to make changes.
Who can apply?
The Marshall Community Foundation welcomes and encourages grant applications from non-profit, tax-exempt organizations, schools, churches (for non-sectarian purposes, cities and townships in the greater Marshall-area and Calhoun County. With limited exceptions, grant requests should directly benefit residents of the City of Marshall and surrounding townships.
Application Process
Step 3
Profile
Create a Grantee Profile.
Step 4
Profile Documents
Upload required documents:
IRS Determination Letter
Board Roster
Most recent 990
Annual Operating Budget
Step 6
Grant Documents
Upload necessary letters of support and/or vendor bids.
Step 7
Submit Application
Complete and submit the grant application.
Who can apply?
The Marshall Community Foundation welcomes and encourages grant applications from non-profit, tax-exempt organizations, schools, churches (for non-sectarian purposes, cities and townships in the greater Marshall-area and Calhoun County. With limited exceptions, grant requests should directly benefit residents of the City of Marshall and surrounding townships.
Deadlines
Applicants must submit completed applications and all additional requested materials by the deadline indicated to be considered for the next grant cycle. Applications posted after a deadline, will be considered in the next applicable grant cycle.
| Deadline | Grant Review | Final Decision |
| January 1 | 2nd Tuesday in February | 4th Tuesday in February |
| April 1 | 2nd Tuesday in May | 4th Tuesday in May |
| July 1 | 2nd Tuesday in August | 2nd Tuesday in September |
| October 1 | 2nd Tuesday in November | 1st Tuesday in December |
Application Process
Step 3
Profile
Create a Grantee Profile.
Step 4
Profile Documents
Upload required documents:
IRS Determination Letter
Board Roster
Most recent 990
Annual Operating Budget
Step 6
Grant Documents
Upload necessary letters of support and/or vendor bids.
Step 7
Submit Application
Complete and submit the grant application.
Who can apply?
The Marshall Community Foundation welcomes and encourages grant applications from non-profit, tax-exempt organizations (in good standing with the IRS), churches (for non-sectarian purposes), cities and townships located in the greater Marshall Area and Calhoun County.
Requests will only be considered for:
Capacity Building
New Major Projects
Challenge Grants
Important Things to Note:
- If Impact Grant is awarded, requesting organizations/agencies may not apply for another grant for one year.
- Impact Grants will be distributed at the discretion of the Board of Trustees and will be based on available resources.
Timeline
| October 1 | Letter of Intent | Letters of Intent must be received. |
| December 1 | Approval or Declination | Letters of Intent will receive approval or declination. |
| February 1 | Grant Application | Grant applications must be received. |
| June 15 | Approval or Declination | Grant requests will receive approval or declination. |
Application Process
Step 3
Profile
Create a Grantee Profile.
Step 4
Profile Documents
Upload required documents:
IRS Determination Letter
Board Roster
Most recent 990
Annual Operating Budget
Step 5
Letter of Intent
Submit the Letter of Intent form outlining the scope of the project and include the following:
Proposed project’s impact to the community and how it will benefit those involved
How the proposed project will allow their organization to move forward and better assist those whom they serve
Financial stability of the organization
View Letter of IntentStep 6
Access Granted
Access to the Impact Grant application will be granted upon approval of Letter of Intent
Step 7
Grant Documents
Upload necessary letters of support and/or vendor bids.
Letter(s) of support from all agencies (other than applicant) that benefit from, or are involved in, this request. Letters must verify need
Three consecutive years of the organization’s 990
Bids/estimates from three vendors, if applicable
Any additional documents the requesting organization feels illustrates their financial health
The Foundation may request a copy of the organization’s most recent audit, if applicable.
Step 8
Submit Application
Complete and submit the grant application.
Step 9
Site Visit
Foundation staff will contact you to schedule a site visit and/or in-person meeting to be conducted by MCF staff and Board/review committee members.
Apply For A Grant
Once you have completed all the above steps, you are ready to start your application.
Grant Final Report
If you have received a grant and the project is near or at completion, please submit a final report.