The Lancaster County Community Foundation is currently accepting applications for its Community Bridge Builders Program to promote bold, visionary and collaborative that honor differences between people, promote greater levels of understanding, and enhance civic dialogue.
Donor Name: Lancaster County Community Foundation
State: Pennsylvania
County: Lancaster County (PA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/14/2023
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $25,000
Details:
This program supports and promotes visionary projects seeking to bring historically or recently divided groups into harmony with one another.
Lancaster County is filled with creativity, compassion and caring, but they know not every resident feels a sense of belonging here, whether it is based on skin color, sexual orientation or identity, disability, religious belief, or other factors. They challenge the county’s CBO leaders to identify new programs to advance appreciation for–and welcoming of–varying perspectives.
Project Examples
The aim of this grant opportunity is to allow for social innovation and idea generation from the within the community. The Community Foundation is deliberately placing minimal parameters around what these programs might entail. They are issuing a challenge for the best visionary projects seeking to bring historically or recently divided groups into harmony with one another. The following are examples are hypothetical.
- A synagogue, church, and mosque share meeting space and set up regular meetings to listen to one another and work together on a shared project.
- A CBO serving rural Lancaster County residents who are mostly white and an organization serving mostly BIPOC residents create opportunities to share volunteers for assisting with programs and events at both sites.
- An interfaith association of clergy creates an interactive LGBTQ+ listening/Q&A opportunity for congregations wrestling with how LGBTQ+ concerns fit into their theology and practice of faith.
Funding Information
Grants range from $10,000 to $25,000 with $150,000 in funds total.
Eligibility Criteria
- Serve Lancaster County residents without discrimination
- Current 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS
- Registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations unless otherwise exempt per the Institutions of Purely Public Charity Act
- Complete IRS Form 990 Annually
- Annual Audit or a financial review by an independent CPA within the last 12 months
- In good standing with all existing awards and contracts with the Lancaster County Community Foundation
- Provide organizational Non-Discrimination Policy meeting all federal requirements as it applies to your type of organization
- Be aware of the Community Foundation’s Anti-Hate policy
Community Foundation will not Typically fund
- Creation of a new organization
- Schools
- Capital campaigns/capital costs (equipment, building costs, maintenance)
- Political campaigns
- Expenses incurred before the grant is awarded
- Cemetery associations
- Religious causes that further a specific belief/agenda
For more information, visit Community Bridge Builders Program.
