requirements

Requirements & Frequently Asked Questions

  • Applications are accepted between March 1st and April 30th of each year.

  • Applications are evaluated between May and September.

  • Applications selected for award will be notified between October and November.

Application Requirements

If your organization meets all 3 of the requirements below, we invite you to apply:

  1. The organization must be recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS under section 501(c)(3) of the Code, as of the date of the application.

    Organizations may not apply using another organizations tax-exempt status.

  2. A total annual budget of less than $1,500,000,

  3. The program for which you are requesting funds does one or more of the following:

    • Provides facilities or services not fully covered by public funding,

    • Provides essential services for older adults, people with disabilities, or limited financial resources,

    • Promotes economic self-sufficiency for people experiencing homelessness or limited financial resources,

    • Provides access to employment opportunities, workforce development, job training or readiness support,

    • Develops programs that help children, youth, or older adults thrive,

    • Supports organizations and ministries that put Christian principles into action in their communities.

Our Focus

The Foundation gives preference to qualifying organizations with programs that:

  • Provide facilities or services that are not fully covered by public funding,

  • Strengthen the educational, cultural, economic, spiritual and social well-being of our communities,

and where the Foundation's support would make a significant difference.


The Foundation does NOT consider requests for:

  • Research

  • Long-term operations support

  • Building fund campaigns

  • Debt reduction

  • Endowments, or

  • Programs that influence legislation or elections

EQUAL CONSIDERATION

The Christian Foundation welcomes applications from all qualifying nonprofit organizations without regard to the population(s) they serve, including:  race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other legally protected characteristics. 

Applications are considered based on:

  • The service provided to an underserved population,

  • The extent to which they contribute to the educational, cultural, economic, or social betterment of society, and

  • Their support of Christian values, however they may be interpreted.

The Christian Foundation supports organizations, projects, and programs that do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other legally protected characteristics.  In addition, the Foundation does not knowingly award grants to organizations that discriminate.

Application Timeline

  • March 1st Our Grant Application and Interim Report forms open

  • April 30th Our Grant Application and Interim Report forms close (5pm MT/7pm ET)

  • May - Aug Application review period

  • September Annual meeting and final application review

  • Oct - Nov Grant award notifications

Top 5 Reasons for Declined Applications

  1. Missing or incorrect financial statement(s) for the relevant fiscal period.

  2. The totals in the Financial section of the application do not match the financial statements provided.

  3. The applying entity does not meet our criteria for acceptance.

  4. The applying entity does not have its own 501(c)(3) letter. 

  5. The applying entity did not file the required Interim Grant Report if funds were awarded the prior year.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What happens if I cannot submit the application prior to the deadline?
    You will need to wait until the following year to submit your application.

  • What file formats do you accept for the attachments?
    Only PDF files are accepted.

  • Our 501(c)(3) status is pending. Can we submit an application using another organization’s tax exempt number in the meantime?
    No; only organizations with an approved, active tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status may apply.

  • Our organization is fiscally sponsored. Can we submit an application?
    No; we only accept applications from organizations with their own 501(c)(3) status.

  • Our organization was just launched this year so we don’t have historical financial statements yet. Can we still apply?
    The Foundation has helped new organizations, so it never hurts to apply. While there are no guarantees your request will be funded, going through the application process would provide great experience in the event you plan to reapply in the future.

  • When are the grant awards announced?
    Grant awards are announced by November 30th. Funds are issued no later than December 31st.

  • How much is awarded to selected grant recipients?
    Grant amounts vary but are typically between $2,000 - $15,000.

  • What types of projects and programs do you fund?
    We prefer to support specific projects and programs that meet our qualifying criteria, rather than requests for general capital projects or operating expenses.

  • What percentage of grant requests are funded each year?
    Roughly 25% of applications are approved annually for funding.

  • Do you fund organizations outside of the United States?
    No, we do not fund organizations or programs outside the United States.

  • Who do I contact if I have questions or need assistance?
    Please e-mail us with any questions.

  • When will we find out if we were awarded a grant?
    Applicants are notified between October and November regarding award status.

  • Why was our application declined?
    The most common reasons for declined applications for qualifying organizations are missing or incorrect financial statement(s) for the relevant fiscal period(s), or incorrect totals in the Financial section of the application that do not match the financial statements provided. Emails are sent to those whose applications were denied.