Western New York Foundation’s Small & Capacity Building Grant Programs

The Western New York Foundation is accepting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) for its Small & Capacity Building Grant Programs.

Donor Name: Western New York Foundation

State: New York

Counties: Allegany County (NY), Cattaraugus County (NY), Chautauqua County (NY), Erie County (NY), Genesee County (NY), Niagara County (NY), Wyoming County (NY)

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 11/29/2021

Size of the Grant: $10,000

Grant Duration: 12 Months

Details:

Small Grant Program

• The Small Grant Program is an easy-to-engage-in, competitive grant program. Applicants may apply for a grant award between $500 and $10,000. These grants are generally made for a 12-month period only.
• The Small Grant Program supports exploration of strategic partnerships and capacity building requests that lead to greater capacity and improved productivity. Funding is for specific activities or projects designed to strengthen an organization’s governance, leadership, technology, programmatic and administrative capacity.

Capacity Building Grant Program

• The Capacity Building Grant Program is a highly competitive program. Applicants may apply for a grant award over $10,000; the average grant award range is between $10,000 and $50,000. The Capacity Building Program supports exploration of strategic partnerships and capacity building requests that lead to greater capacity and improved productivity. Funding is for specific activities or projects designed to strengthen an organization’s governance, leadership, technology, programmatic and administrative capacity. Initiatives rank higher if they:
  • Assist in making good and positive strides during a critical period of growth.
  • Strengthen the ability to program and impact more families in the WNY region.
  • Strengthen the ability to work with a broader range of constituents and allies.
  • Attract new financial partners, favorably affect earned revenue numbers, or enhance fee-based revenue streams.
  • Reflect a comprehensive approach or are a key component of your organization’s strategic plan for long term sustainability
  • Foster collaboration

Eligibility Requirements

• Grants are limited to non-profit organizations which have obtained tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code
• All applicants must have three years of 990 filings in order to be eligible to apply for a grant
• The foundation support small to mid-size organizations. Small to mid-size being defined as organizations with budgets between $250,000 and $6,000,000.
• Grants are limited to agencies that are physically headquartered in one of the seven counties of Western New York: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara and Wyoming.
• Grants for the following types of groups and uses are not made:
  • Religious Organizations for Religious Purposes
  • Political Organizations, Campaigns Allegany, and Candidates
  • Medical & Science Sector
  • Higher Education Institutions
  • Private, Charter, Public, and Religious Schools
  • Municipal and Government
  • Grants or Loans to Individuals
  • Fund-Raising Events, i.e. Sponsorships, Tables, Dinners, and Telethons
  • Endowments
  • Scholarships
  • Capital Campaigns
  • Operating Expenses
  • Programming
• Please note that it is their normal practice to schedule a meeting with applicants after receiving and reviewing their proposals, schedules permitting. This is exploratory in nature and does not in any way indicate a predisposition of the Board toward approval.
• The Foundation will allow the submittal of one application per 501(c)(3) organization at a time.
• Applicant must be current on all grant reports due to the WNY Foundation
• Organizations who have been granted an award may reapply to the Foundation two (2) years following the final payment of a grant.

For more information, visit Small & Capacity Building Grants.