Greenlight Grants are small, quick grants awarded to local, nonprofit organizations in need of funding for special projects, program expansions, capital improvements or capacity building.
Donor Name: The Dayton Foundation
State: Ohio
County: Darke County (OH), Greene County (OH), Miami County (OH), Montgomery County (OH), Preble County (OH), Warren County (OH)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/03/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
They assist time-sensitive projects that make a significant difference in the outcome of a project. Greenlight Grants are not for ongoing operations.
Types of Grants
- Capacity-Building Grants
- The Dayton Foundation’s discretionary grants support projects that provide for more efficient use of community resources; promote coordination, cooperation and sharing among organizations; and reduce the duplication of services in the community. Through this process, Foundation aims to strengthen not-for-profit agencies and institutions by reducing operating costs, increasing public financial support and/or improving internal management. The goal is to help build organizational capacity so that the charity can work more efficiently and effectively and raise more dollars.
- Examples of Funded Grants
- Strategic marketing studies
- Community needs assessments
- Impact studies
- Software for development/fundraising programs
- Capital Campaign or Capital Improvement Grants
- To help an organization expand services and capacity
- Examples of Capital Campaign or Improvement Grants
- Capital campaign projects, including the purchase of real estate, construction, renovation and furnishings (Please note: A feasibility study for the capital campaign must have been completed for a nonprofit organization to be eligible to receive a discretionary grant.)
- Hard goods, such as special equipment, a bus or a walk-in cooler (Please note: There is a special van/bus policy that must be reviewed by the applicant.
- Office relocation expenses
- Technology upgrades (Discretionary grants do not fund computer hardware, such as desktop computers or printers.)
- Special Projects or Program Expansion Grants
- Grants may be awarded to fund new projects or initiatives, or provide seed funding for strategic growth or an expansion of an existing project or initiative to help an organization test or demonstrate new approaches and techniques for solving important community problems. They also may be awarded to help established organizations launch new projects for special purposes that could be representing a unique and unduplicated opportunity and meeting a significant community need, or to promote volunteer participation and citizen involvement in community affairs.
- Examples of Special Projects or Program Expansion Grants
- Opening of an additional adult literacy education site
- New afterschool reading program for children and parents
- Strategic growth plan and implementation
- Urban redevelopment of community and education garden
- New nature preschool programming
- Creation of health education and services for at-risk populations.
Funding Information
Greenlight Grants are designed to fund qualified grant requests from $500 to $7,500. This is a competitive grant.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a grant, your organization must:
- Be recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, according to the Internal Revenue Code.
- Be established for at least two years as a nonprofit organization and have a track record of sustainability.
- Benefit citizens in the Greater Dayton region (Montgomery, Miami, Greene, Darke, Preble and Warren (north) counties).
- Demonstrate a commitment to creating opportunities and access for all individuals in organizational practices.
- Demonstrate systemic collaboration.
- Address needs that are not met fully by existing organizational or community resources.
When evaluating projects for funding, they consider the following factors.
- Comprehensive program design
- Realistic expectations and the capacity to implement the project
- Appropriately trained staff and/or volunteers
- Financial resources to start and continue the project
- Unique and unduplicated opportunity that will affect a substantial number of people
- Size and potential impact of the project.
For more information, visit The Dayton Foundation.
