Grant Guidelines

Grant applications for the 2010 cycle are due or postmarked by Monday, March 15th, 2010. Grants are awarded based on priorities established by OICF through an assessment of community needs. All grants are made for charitable purposes according to OICF guidelines.

Who qualifies for OICF Community Endowment Fund Grants:

  • Applicants must be qualified nonprofit organizations (usually Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) organizations). No grants are made to individuals, private foundations, or for-profit enterprises.
  • We are precluded from making grants to any religious organization if the funds would be used in whole or in part for religious purposes.
  • Grants are not made to any group that discriminates on the basis of age, color, race, national origin, gender identity, marital status, sensory, mental or physical ability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
  • No grants are made to conduit organizations which pass funds through to other organizations for distribution to ultimate beneficiaries of their own choosing (e.g., United Way).

What types of projects are funded:

  • One time, non-recurring expenditures, specific capital needs, and project-related expenses for programs are given equal consideration.
  • In 2010, OICF will consider applications to cover a small percentage of a nonprofit’s critical or general opearting funds if the applicant can demonstrate compelling and unusual need.
  • OICF encourages nonprofit applicants to work collaboratively in developing projects to benefit the Orcas Island community. If an application is being made for a collaborative effort, it must include letters of support from all organizations involved.
  • Requests for funding for projects of two or three years’ duration will be considered. Funds may be dispersed yearly, subject to reporting, due diligence and other requirements imposed by OICF.
  • No grants are made for political purposes.
  • No grants are made for general fund drives, for endowments, or for fundraising expenses or charitable appeals.

Other Considerations:

  • Grant approval is based on an evaluation of the significance of a project, its purpose, its likelihood of success, and its potential benefit to the Orcas Island community.
  • OICF has limited funds available, and a large number of requests for valuable projects. While recognizing that multi-year funding may enable an organization or a project to succeed, we discourage nonprofits from applying repeatedly for continuing funding of the same project. If an applicant predicts that a project will require more than one year to succeed, we encourage the applicant to apply for a multi-year grant. This is merely one factor in evaluating the merits of a grant proposal.
  • Please be concise when composing the application, and supply all requested attachments. The I.R.S. Letter of Tax-Exempt Determination must be included, unless it is already on file with OICF (we’d be happy to check for you).
  • If your organization has filed an application within the last few years, and the application included the organization’s mission statement, history and accomplishments, you need not provide this information again unless it has changed.
  • We do require current financial statements and annual budget. 
  • We may ask to review your organization’s most recent IRS Form 990, but please do not submit the 990 with your application.
  • OICF wishes to help nonprofits become as healthy effective and efficient as possible, and be good stewards of community resources.  If your organization is applying for general operating funds, at least one representative (current board member or staff) must, within the previous calendar year, have attended a professional development training program relating to management, governance, fundraising or finance.  Training programs need not be OICF-sponsored.   The organization must be able to explain how it has applied the training to its operations.

2010 Grants Cycle Schedule:

  • The grants committee will pre-review draft applications if they are submitted via e-mail by March 1, 2010.
  • The 2010 Grant Application package must be postmarked no later than Monday, March 15, 2010.
  • Applications will be reviewed in late March and April. A knowledgeable contact person from your organization should be available from March 22 through April 12, if possible.
  • A member of the grants committee will contact your organization to schedule a meeting and site visit, if applicable.
  • Grant recipients will be notified by mid-May 2010
  • Grant checks will be presented at the Awards Reception in late May or early June 2010.
  • Grant reports for 2010 grants will be due approximately February 1, 2011.

To Apply for an OICF Community Foundation Endowment Fund Grant:

Please download the OICF Grant Application Form.  Keep one completed copy for your files and mail one (a) copy, including all attachments, to:

OICF Grants Committee
P.O. Box 1496
Eastsound, WA 98245

You can also deliver the completed application package in person to our office on Prune Alley above Ama Tara.

Questions? Please contact the Grants Committee Chairperson: Moana Kutsche at (360) 376-7087 or Send an Email! You can also contact our Executive Director, Hilary Canty, at (360) 376-6423 or Send an Email!