The Community Foundation of Otsego County Awards 2023 Cycle is now open for applications.
Donor Name: Community Foundation of Otsego County
State: New York
County: Otsego County (NY)
Type of Grant: Award
Deadline: 06/15/2023
Size of the Grant: $20,000
Details:
Strengthening Our Community
To strengthen our community, it is critical that they reverse longstanding trends of declining population and increasing median age of citizens. Retaining their young people (and their families) and attracting new young families will lead to a healthier economy and will provide more resources to address current problems such as food insecurity, mental health, affordable housing, and transportation.
For 2023, CFOC has allocated up to $50,000 for awards that lead to reversing these trends. The targeted maximum award is $20,000. They encourage, but do not require, applications that demonstrate creativity, innovation, collaboration, supporting diversity, and involving young people.
Some topics that might win awards:
- Starting long-term programs that target young audiences (e.g., entertainment, social connections, sports, job opportunities, community engagement)
- Finding creative solutions to meeting the housing needs for this segment of their population (research, design, and data collection will be considered)
- Using their tourism values to convert visitors to residents.
- Expanding child-care services
- inspiring entrepreneurship, business incubation, and collaborations that support small businesses, job skill development, and/or other strategies.
Strengthening Our Nonprofits
To strengthen our nonprofits, in 2022 they concentrated on increasing the capacity of nonprofits to deliver new or expanded services. This year, Foundation will allocate up to $50,000 toward programs that:
- Encourage collaboration among two or more nonprofit organizations.
- Explore ways to operate more efficiently.
- Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
The targeted maximum award is $10,000.
Immediate Needs
Addressing longstanding needs does not happen overnight. They remain concerned about many issues including but not limited to:
- Poverty
- food insecurity
- affordable housing
- transportation related to jobs or medical services
- substandard housing
- affordable childcare
- social isolation of the elderly
- mental health challenges
- and many other areas of immediate need.
Foundation’s third area of awards addresses these existing needs. Here, foundation allocates up to $50,000 toward nonprofit programs in these areas. They encourage, but do not require, applications that leverage their awards as matching grants.
The Foundation invites applications by Otsego County nonprofit organizations that address one or more of these needs. The targeted maximum award is $10,000.
Field of Interest Funds
In addition to these three primary themes, CFOC also has funding available in a few areas of specific interest. Designated funds allow us to make smaller grants in the following areas:
- Awards from Advocates of Springfield to benefit the Town of Springfield (up to $400 each; contingent on adoption of 2023 Spending Policy) – opening soon.
- Awards from Greater Otego Library and Education Fund to benefit the Town of Otego (up to $1,500 each)
- Awards that address needs in Schoharie County– scheduled to open in the second half of 2023
Eligible Applicants
- To apply for an award or grant, applicants must be nonprofits that are qualified as 501c3 organizations in good standing. If your organization does not qualify, it is possible to align with a fiscal sponsoring organization that does qualify. Please contact us for further information.
- Applicants must submit complete applications. It is important that all answers be completed with all attachments responsive to the questions asked.
- Applicants may apply for more than one program but an aggregate award limit of $20,000 will apply to each applicant. Any request in excess of $10,000 will be decided by their full Board of Directors.
For more information, visit CFOC.
