The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program provides $10,000 in funding for resident-driven groups in small cities and towns to start the Community Heart & Soul model.
Donor Name: Community Heart & Soul
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: Ongoing
Size of the Grant: $10,000
Details:
The Benefits of Community Heart & Soul for Small Cities and Towns Heart & Soul communities experience a range of social and economic benefits Pride in the town builds
- Residents Identify common ground and feel more connected
- Volunteeris increases
- New young leaders emerge More residents run for local office
- Economic Conditions improve
- Investment in the town increases
- New local Businesses are started
- Town officials gain a deeper understanding of what matters to residents
- Towns are better prepared to respond to emergency situations
Funding Information
Grant funding requires a $10,000 cash match from the participating municipality or a partnering organization.
Funding Criteria
Communities should demonstrate their readiness and commitment to using Community Heart & Soul to plan for their community’s future. Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:
- Demonstration of appropriate timing and relevance for applicant community.
- Ability to initiate Community Heart & Soul within six months of grant approval.
- Strong leadership demonstrated by a dedicated team of residents with a clear plan to further engage and involve community members.
- Evidence of strong and specific commitments to Community Heart & Soul from the lead organization, governing body, and fiscal sponsor.
- Ability to raise local dollars to support Community Heart & Soul. A 1:1 cash match is required. The full match does not need to be secured at the time of application.
- For applications involving more than one municipality, the narrative must demonstrate the reasoning for a multitown effort and describe how towns intend to collaborate.
- A lead applicant (or organization serving as the fiscal sponsor) must be designated to receive grant funds.
Eligibility Criteria
Only applicants meeting the following requirements are eligible to receive funding through the Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program:
- Resident Leadership: Community Heart & Soul efforts must be planned and led by at least five residents who are directly affiliated with and reside in the community that the grant intends to serve.
- Geography: U.S. cities and towns with populations between 2,500 – 30,000 are eligible for funding. Communities close to but outside this specified population will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applications involving more than one municipality are eligible. Federally recognized Tribes and U.S. Territories may apply.
- Applicant Organization: Applications must designate a lead organization that will play a significant role in supporting Community Heart & Soul. There are three main types of eligible applicant organizations: 1) local governments; 2) 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations considered a “public charity” by the IRS; and 3) informal resident-led groups. 501(c)(3), nonprofit organizations must be in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service regulations.
- Fiscal Sponsor: A fiscal sponsor must be designated in order to receive the grant funds.
Cities and towns that have already started or completed Community Heart & Soul are not eligible for seed grants.
For more information, visit CHS.
