Grantmaking Procedures

WGA's Two Grantmaking Processes

Most of WGA's grant money is awarded in an annual grantmaking cycle, beginning January 1 and ending in late October. Grant applications for the annual cycle are by invitation only.

Smaller Discretionary Grants (maximum $5,000) are awarded throughout the grant cycle. Any eligible organization may apply for projects that meet certain criteria.

WGA makes grants to eligible organizations for programs/projects that will improve the lives of women and girls in five counties in Northeast Florida: Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns. Grants are made in WGA's four Fields of Interest: Pre K - Grade 12 Public Education, Economic Empowerment, Physical and Mental Health and Violence and Crime Intervention/Prevention.

  1. Annual Grant Cycle:
    Grant applications in this category are accepted by invitation only. Each year, the Grants Committee selects focus areas within one or more of WGA's four Fields of Interest, identifies potential grant recipients working in those areas and invites them to submit one- to two-page letters of interest (LOIs). If chosen for the next step, a prospective recipient receives a formal request for proposal (RFP). Available grant dollars are awarded in the annual grant cycle, which begins in the first quarter of the year, with notification of grants in early November.
  2. Discretionary Grants:
    A smaller pool is used to support activities that address emerging needs or test new ways of solving ongoing problems. Individual grants may not exceed $5,000. Any eligible organization may submit, at any time between January 1 and September 1, a request that meets the criteria for Discretionary Grants. Once a program has been funded from the discretionary pool, it cannot be funded again from that pool. However, assuming the initial effort has been successful, it would be eligible to be considered for continuation funding from WGA's general grant pool, following the normal grant cycle.

Further details about eligible organizations, the four Fields of Interest, and the two grant processes follow.

Eligible Organizations

  1. Organizations must be physically located in and serve one or more of the five counties of Northeast Florida.
  2. Applicants must be qualified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS or classified as a unit of local government.
  3. Areas generally NOT funded:
    • Capital and endowment campaigns, fund-raising events and primarily food programs.
    • Excessive or unrelated operating expenses; however, operating support may be considered if it supports a given program and/or enhances the capacity of organizations to grow.
    • Travel and conferences; however, expenses may be considered if expense is related to supporting professional development/training of a program's staff to build capacity.
    • Projects that promote religious or political views.

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Fields of Interest

Using the results of ongoing community research to guide us, WGA develops initiatives as priorities for funding in a given year in one or more Fields of Interest. The Fields of Interest are based on the WGA-funded research report Voices Heard, the community's recently published Blueprint for Prosperity and Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) studies.

What follows is a definition of each Field of Interest with some examples of potential initiatives.

PreK-12 Public Education

Educational attainment is closely correlated to one's economic success and well being. Examples of possible initiatives are:

  • Programs that prepare girls to enter school ready to learn. These could be directed toward girls and/or their parents/caregivers and/or providers
  • Programs that deliver gender-specific, quality after-school and/or summer academic and/or enrichment experiences (for example, art, music, fitness)
  • Gender-specific literacy programs for girls or for parent/caregivers and/or providers and their daughters
  • Efforts to ensure girls' graduation from high school and to prepare them for continued schooling and/or job success

Economic Empowerment

Many factors influence women's abilities to achieve financial independence. Among them are workforce participation, earnings and educational attainment. Examples of possible initiatives are:

  • Gender-specific women's literacy programs
  • Job-skills training and continuing education leading to increased earning power of women
  • Programs for women business owners to ensure the growth and success of their firms
  • Efforts that encourage women and/or girls to pursue non-traditional career opportunities
  • Programs that enhance women's and/or girls' personal financial management—budgeting, saving, investing

Physical and Mental Health

The majority of factors that contribute to the health and well being of women and girls are life-style related, but problems may be exacerbated by inadequate access to quality, affordable healthcare services. Examples of possible initiatives are:

  • Programs that improve access to and use of prenatal health care and risk reduction for all pregnant girls/women
  • Programs that provide physical and mental health information to women and girls
  • Nutrition and health education programs to address issues such as obesity and/or eating disorders
  • Programs that address issues that lead to pregnancy among unwed mothers, family planning for women and/or programs that educate women and girls about the growing problem and risks of STDs
  • Programs that address issues that lead to substance abuse among women and girls

Violence and Crime Intervention/Prevention

Women and girls experience many forms of violence. In addition to the immediate results of victimization, there are often longer-term impacts. Victimization often plays a role in delinquent and criminal behavior by women and girls. Examples of possible initiatives are:

  • Programs that promote healthy child/parent interaction in order to prevent child abuse and neglect
  • Programs that address issues that lead to spousal and elder abuse
  • Programs for women and/or girls who have been victims of violence
  • Gender-specific intervention services to address the increasing number of females in the criminal justice system
  • Programs that address resources to improve the personal safety of women/girls
  • Systemic reform efforts to improve outcomes for girls in or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system

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Annual Cycle

Focus areas within the four Fields of Interest are selected annually for special attention, and the Grants Committee invites potential grant recipients working in those areas to respond to requests for letters of interest (LOIs). If chosen, they receive requests for proposals (RFPs). The process begins in the first quarter of the year, with notification of grants in early November.

Term of Grants

Typically grants will fall within one of the following categories:

  • Grants to pilot the first year of a program (venture capital)
  • Grants for the second year of a program that needs further testing before WGA will commit to multi-year support
  • Multi-year grants with one of the following characteristics:
    • Funding of a pilot program for more than one year to ensure that the program demonstrates the capacity to achieve results and be viable for future funding from WGA and/or other sources
    • Multi-year grants several years to support programs that have demonstrated results and impact and have sustainability strategies underway. Maximum available dollars for multi-year grants will be determined annually by the Grants Committee

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Discretionary Grants

A smaller pool is used to support programs/projects that address emerging needs or test new ways of solving ongoing problems. Individual grants may not exceed $5,000. Any eligible organization may submit, at any time between January 1 and September 1, a request that meets the criteria for Discretionary Grants.

Eligibility of Programs/Projects

  • Must meet WGA's grantmaking guidelines.
  • Programs/projects could include any one or a combination of the following:
    • Research in one of WGA's fields of interest, design of a new program, pilot of a new program, test an existing program with a new target population.
  • Once a program has been funded from the discretionary pool, it cannot be funded again from that pool. However, assuming the initial effort has been successful, it would be eligible to be considered for continuation funding from WGA's general grant pool, following the normal grant cycle.

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Application Process

  • Proposals may be received at any time between January 1 and September 1.
  • A proposal may be initiated by an agency or by WGA.
  • Decisions will be made and the applicant notified of the outcome within 30 days of receipt of the application.
  • Applications should be limited to two or three pages and include the following information:
    • Organization name, address, phone, fax, contact person, email address
    • A brief profile of the organization
    • A description of the project, including how it fits the criteria for WGA's Discretionary Grants
    • The project's goals and expected outcomes (quantitative and qualitative)
    • The major activities that will achieve the project's goals
    • How you will know if the goals are achieved
    • The target population for the project
    • The total project budget and what portion is being requested from WGA
    • Other agencies, if any, collaborating on the project
    • How you see the project being consistent with WGA's goals and guiding principles
    • Discretionary grantees will be asked to submit a closing report at the end of the grant period

Proposals may be submitted electronically at any time during the grant cycle to applications@jaxcf.org. Questions should be directed to the vice president for grantmaking services at The Community Foundation.

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