General Policies

Grant Evaluation Criteria

The following questions will be taken into consideration when evaluating the request and in making decisions:

1. Is there an established need for the project for which the grant is requested?


2. Is it appropriate to make a grant for the requested purpose, or are there other more suitable sources for
   potential funding?


3. Are there adequate resources available to effectively respond to this need?


4. Does the grant application possess the capacity necessary to insure the success of the project?


5. Does the organization have adequate accounting and financial policies?


6. Is the organization seeking additional funding from other sources?


7. Does the project have the potential to continue beyond the Foundation’s funding?

Grant Policies

DCF awards grants to non-profit organizations, recognized as tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service, for charitable purposes as determined by the DCF Board of Directors.

Grants are awarded only to organizations:

1. whose programs benefit the residents of Dearborn County; and
2. which provide for a responsible fiscal agent and adequate accounting procedures.

Generally, grants are not made:

1. to individuals, except for educational scholarships (which are paid to the educational institute for the
   benefit of the individual);
2. exclusively for endowment creation (with the exception of endowment matching programs);


3. to fund travel expenses;


4. to sustain ongoing programs/projects; and


5. to fund salaried/contracted positions.

No grants are made:

1. to support political parties, campaigns, or issues;


2. specifically for sectarian religious purposes, but can be made to religious organizations for programs that
   benefit the general public;


3. for debt reduction of recipient organizations; and...
4.  to provide for programs, expenses and/or equipment committed to prior to the grant award date.

Additional Grant Policy Information:

1. Grant applicants may be required to submit additional information prior to a grant decision.


2. All grant applications are reviewed by the DCF staff and evaluated by a grant and/or advisory committee.


3. The grant and/or advisory committee may discuss the application with knowledgeable individuals outside the
DCF and may visit applying organizations to obtain supplemental information.

4. Recommendations will be presented to advisory committees when applicable and then to the DCF board of directors where final grant decisions are made.


5. All grantees must submit a copy of the executed grant agreement prior to any grant funds being released.


6. The Foundation staff is willing to assist grant applicants in choosing appropriate projects for which to apply.


7. The grant review process for some grant programs may take up to three months. Applicants should plan accordingly when considering the date of a project and the date of the grant submission.
8. All grantees must submit a final grant report within 30 days of completion of the project or by the final grant report date. Failure to submit a final grant report will affect future eligibility.”