Macon Violence Prevention Grant Program

Deadline: Friday, May 10 | Noon

**Applicants are required to attend a mandatory MVP Grant Program Orientation before they can apply for a grant.

Please click here to register for one of the scheduled orientations.

Purpose

The Community Foundation of Central Georgia in partnership with Macon-Bibb County established this grant program to support local charitable organizations [501(c)(3) public charities and faith-based organizations] in their efforts to reduce violent crime in our community. The Macon Violence Prevention Grant Program aligns with the County’s Macon Violence Prevention Strategic Plan to support organizations in their work to reduce and ultimately prevent violent crimes. Through this program, the Community Foundation will consider applications for community-led projects and services that are designed to reduce and/or prevent violent crime in Macon-Bibb County.

Funding Priority

The Macon Violence Prevention Grant Program will give priority to charitable organizations [501(c)(3) public charities and faith-based organizations] that demonstrate the ability to achieve one or more of the following community-led strategies from the MVP Strategic Plan:

Improving Macon’s education system from early childhood through adult education
Investing in mental health resources and consumer participation
Providing more supervised activities for youth
Providing support, education, and accountability for parents
Providing more resources to intervene in situations involving domestic violence
Increasing access to transportation

More detailed descriptions of each priority can be found in the Macon Violence Prevention Strategic Plan.

The Macon Violence Prevention program WILL NOT fund:

Organizations that are not tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) public charity of the Internal Revenue Code
Grants to individuals
Operating, program, and construction costs at schools, universities, and private academies unless there is significant opportunity for community use or collaboration
Organizations or projects that discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation
Political campaigns or direct lobbying efforts of 501(c)(3) organizations
Post-event, after-the-fact situations or debt retirement
Annual appeals, galas, or membership contributions
Fundraising events such as golf tournaments, walk-a-thons, and fashion shows

Criteria Used to Review Applications

Consideration/Summary

WILL NOT CONSIDER FUNDING

HESITANT TO CONSIDER FUNDING

WILL CONSIDER FUNDING

1. Statement of the problem and alignment with one or more of the Macon Violence Prevention Strategic Plan’s Community Priorities

Addresses specific priority area of MVP Strategic Plan

Applicant does not adequately state the problem; no evidence-based justification for the project—little or no discussion of connection between proposed project and the Macon Violence Prevention Strategic Plan’s Community priorities. The applicant does not include a clear statement of work to be completed or make a compelling case.

Discussion of connection between proposed project and the Macon Violence Prevention Strategic Plan’s Community priorities. The applicant fails to make a compelling case.

Applicant clearly states the problem and provides a strong rationale for grant funding, clearly explaining activities and outcomes. There is a clear connection between the proposed project and the Macon Violence Prevention Strategic Plan’s Community priorities. The significance of the proposed activities is clear and well defined.

2. Program Capacity, Project Design, and Implementation

Demonstrates the ability to achieve program outcomes that reduce risk factors and/or enhance protective factors.

Project design is vague and not clearly linked to project goals. Organization does not demonstrate capacity to achieve program outcomes that reduce risk factors and/or enhance protective factors.

Adequate project design with procedures and activities is defined, but project is unclear, lacks innovation, and is not clearly linked to project goals. Organization demonstrates little to moderate capacity to achieve program outcomes that reduce risk factors and/or enhance protective factors

Strong and innovative project design with procedures and activities that are well defined, fully explained, and link to project goals. Organization demonstrates great capacity to achieve program outcomes that reduce risk factors and/or enhance protective factors

3. Data-Driven

Demonstrates the ability and/or a plan to collect program performance and impact data

Proposal does not include any methods to assess participants, evaluate the project, and does not incorporate feedback from participants (and if applicable parents or partner organizations) to improve programming.

Proposal includes at least one method to assess participants or evaluate the project and has a good plan for data collection, receives feedback from program participants, but does not have a clear plan to incorporate it to inform program design and delivery.

Proposal includes a solid data collection plan, and a variety of methods to assess participants, elevate and celebrate individual and community agency, benchmark success and challenges.

Data plan reflects continuous feedback and incorporation of information from community, stakeholders, and program participants to evaluate the project and inform program design and delivery.

4. Financial Management and Budget

Demonstrates the ability to account for grant funding and leverage other financial and/or in-kind support from other community partnerships.

Key expenses are neither described nor justified. The method for arriving at budgeted expense categories/ amounts is not provided.

Some expenses are described and justified. The method for arriving at budgeted expense categories/amounts is unclear or requires inference.

Key expenses are fully described and justified. The method for arriving at budgeted expense categories/amounts is clearly explained. Budget is directly connected to project description, goals, and timetable. Budget demonstrates commitment to money flowing to the hands of program participants and other residents that are asked to assist with program implementation.

5. Collaborative Approach

Demonstrates the ability to partner with other public agencies and/or nonprofit organizations to support crime prevention and/or reduction efforts. Provides a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for each collaborating partner.

Critical project partner is missing from the project plans, or at least one collaborative partner’s contribution to the project is unclear. No MOUs provided.

Proposal shows some indication of appropriate collaborative partners. Applicant has provided MOUs for some partners, but not all.

Proposal includes a well-defined plan identifying appropriate collaborative partners, each of which add value to the program. Applicant has provided MOUs for all partners.

6. Outreach, direct service, and/or case management

Clear methods for implementation of the program are outlined in the application

Proposed work does not provide any evidence–based interventions and has no focus on outreach/engagement strategies, direct services nor intensive case management (or other affiliated interventions).

Proposed work mentions some aspect of evidence–based interventions, outreach, direct service, and or case management but does not provide details on implementation.

Proposed work provides evidence–based interventions and has a clear focus on outreach, direct service provision, and/ or case management.

7. Organization supports opportunity and inclusion for all

Organization through the proposed project works to eliminate inequities and disparities

Application does not address how the organization and/or project will address eliminating inequities and disparities.

Application mentions aspects of eliminating inequities and disparities, but does not provide details on how this is implemented.

Application has a clear focus on opportunity and inclusion, and clearly addresses eliminating inequities and disparities.

Geographic Restrictions

Grant applicants must be based in Macon-Bibb County. In addition, projects and services must also be carried out in Macon-Bibb County. Priority will be given to programs that will work in the areas of the County that have the highest crime rates.

Required Documents

You will be required to upload the following documents as PDF files. For samples, click on the links below.

A. Financial Documents:

Project Budget Summary – The project budget MUST be completed on this form. Using any other form will make your application incomplete. This should include all revenue sources (requested, pending, and received) and expenses for the specific project.
Financial Statements prepared by an accountant for the prior 3 fiscal years. (Audited Financial Statements including an audit report are preferred.)

If you do not have an accountant, you will need to prepare a balance sheet and an income statement for each of your organization’s last 3 fiscal years. Examples of the required statements are below:

Balance Sheet (Statement of Financial Position) – Assets, Liabilities, and Net Assets – for the most recent fiscal year end. This DOES NOT have to be submitted on the template form, but we have provided an example for your use.
Income Statement (Statement of Activities) – should summarize the income and expenses and resulting surplus or deficit for each of the last three fiscal years. This DOES NOT have to be submitted on the template form, but we have provided an example for your use.

B. Application Attachments:

Board Authorization Letter – Statement from the organization’s Board of Directors authorizing the request and agreeing to complete the project if funded.
Board of Directors/Trustees List – Include directors’/trustees’ individual terms of office and their individual percentage of participation in the organization’s Board meetings.
Organization’s Current Annual Operating Budget – Report of the organization’s planned budget indicating projected revenue and expenses for the current fiscal year.
Current IRS Determination Letter – Indicate 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
Photo of your project or organization – One image that shows your project or organization in action.

Maximum Grant Amount

To ensure that impact and creativity are not impeded, there is not a minimum or maximum grant size. Please keep in mind that up to $800,000 will be awarded in this cycle and it is unlikely that one grant will be awarded the entire pool of funds. Also, an organization’s track record for successful program implementation and strong governance practices are factors considered for the grant awards.

Program Timeline

Date	Action/Deadline
April 4, 2024 \| 1:00 PM	Applicant Orientation
April 1st	Application window opens
TBD	Office hours held for technical assistance and application questions
May 10th \| Noon	Application window closes

Grantee Requirements

Applicants and grantees must be a 501(c)(3) or faith-based organization based in Macon-Bibb County. The proposed program must be delivered in Macon-Bibb County.

As a condition to submit an application and receive grant funding applicants and grantees agree to attend the following:

Orientation – Register Here
Monthly training and collaborative learning exchanges

Grantees must provide quarterly reports and attend a mid-year check-in to receive the second half of funding and to be eligible to apply for MVP grant funding and other CFCG grant programs in the future.

Grantees agree that during the term of the grant, and the three years following, to collect data and provide it to CFCG on the program. The grantee and CFCG will agree at the outset on the data to be collected.

Additionally, grantees agree to follow communication guidelines provided by CFCG when sharing information about the grant to the media and the organization’s constituents.

How to Apply

You will need a User ID and Password to access the application. Click here to register. Please note that it will take at least one business day to process a new registration for the Web Portal; do not wait until the week of the deadline to register. Once your registration is processed, complete the Macon Violence Prevention Grant Application.

Reporting Requirements

All Macon Violence Prevention Grant Program recipients must complete two types of reports: 1) Interim Progress Reports; and 2) Final Report. These reports will include a financial update that details how grant funds have been used. Final reports are due within thirty days after depletion of the grant funds, prior to submitting a new grant application, or no later than one year from the date your grant period began, whichever is earliest. For example, if you received a grant in the April 2022 cycle, the grant period begins July 1, 2022 and your final report is due no later than June 30, 2023. To be eligible for future grants, the Community Foundation must have completed final reports on file for all previously awarded grants when submitting a new grant application.

Beginning January 1, 2024, all CFCG Competitive Grant Program reports must be submitted in the online grants portal. No reports will be accepted by mail or in paper form. When a report is ready to be completed, you will receive an automatic email from the portal with details on how to complete the report.

Technical Assistance

If you have problems or need assistance completing the application, please contact the Community Foundation at 478-750-9338 or mvp@cfcga.org.

Apply Now