Mini Grants & Emergency Grants

Mini Grants

The Foundation provides an opportunity for partners to apply for mini grants ($10,000 or less) when the standard grant cycles may not align with urgent,  community needs. Mini grants can serve as a catalyst to grow or stabilize initiatives with a small amount of funding and may help in planning or implementing multi-agency, collaborative initiatives. While mini grants must meet the Foundation’s eligibility criteria, they follow an expedited approval process.

Eligibility for mini grants include:

• Must originate from a community need.
  • Does the community want what you are proposing?
  • How do you know? Who have you engaged with to learn/listen?
• Must be implemented in the Foundation’s service area for portfolio funding
• Must fit the Foundation’s grantmaking priority areas for portfolio funding.
• Must be awarded to an organization with a qualified 501(C)(3) status.

To apply for a mini-grant, please first reach out via email to Kelleigh Boland, the Director of Grantmaking and Strategy at kelleigh.boland@jeffersonrf.org stating your intention to apply. After sending the email, please complete and submit a Letter of Intent (LOI).

A member of the Foundation team will follow-up after the LOI submission is received with any questions and to discuss next steps. Please note that submitting a Letter of Intent or a proposal does not guarantee funding. The Foundation has limited resources and may receive more requests than it can fund.

Emergency Grants

The Foundation provides an opportunity for partners to apply for emergency grants to respond to immediate crises such as disasters, abrupt policy changes, or the sudden closure of essential services. Additionally, emergency grants can support time-sensitive opportunities, such as leveraging matching funds or enabling organizations to participate in key projects or initiatives.

Emergency grants can be requested for organizational operating funds and/or for needed equipment/technology/supplies during times of crisis. While emergency grants must meet the Foundation’s eligibility criteria, they follow an expedited approval process.

Eligibility for emergency grants include:

• Must demonstrate the community and any related organizational need for the emergency grant which should include:
  • Justification that a timely approach is required and necessary.
  • Quantitative and qualitative data demonstrating the community/organizational need and the proposed specific course of action.
  • Indication of capacity to implement in a timely manner as proposed, if appropriate may include legal authorizations, bids, agreements, or other documents which would demonstrate readiness.
  • Letters of support from partners.

• Must be implemented in the Foundation’s service area for portfolio funding.
• Must fit the Foundation’s grantmaking priority areas for portfolio funding.
• Must be known partners of the Foundation and offering demonstrated and well-documented services to increase health and well-being within the Jefferson Regional service area.

To apply for an emergency grant, please first reach out via email to Kelleigh Boland, the Director of Grantmaking and Strategy at kelleigh.boland@jeffersonrf.org stating your intention to apply. After sending the email, please complete and submit a Letter of Intent (LOI).

A member of the Foundation team will follow-up after the LOI submission is received with any questions and to discuss next steps. Please note that submitting a Letter of Intent or a proposal does not guarantee funding. The Foundation has limited resources and may receive more requests than it can fund.

Given the nature of an emergency request, if an emergency grant is awarded, grantees will be asked to demonstrate grant spending or obligations in the first quarter of the grant via a report to the Foundation.