Eligibility

Interested organizations may apply for a grant for their project in Fort Valley and the immediate surrounding area.

Funding Priority

The Foundation will consider applications from nonprofits, higher education, and faith-based organizations only for non-sectarian, community outreach programs.

Geographic Restrictions

Grants will be made only to organizations for projects in Fort Valley and the immediate surrounding area.

Average Grant Amount

The average grant amount is $2,500.

Frequency an Organization can Apply

The Community Foundation of Fort Valley Fund’s Community Grant Program will only consider one proposal from any one nonprofit during a twelve-month period.

Grant Award Schedule

After the application deadline, CFCG staff will perform due diligence on all grant applications. The due diligence process may include a conversation with the grant contact to gather further information that can help the Board of Directors make their decisions. The Community Foundation of Fort Valley Fund’s advisory committee will propose grants to the CFCG Board of Directors for final approval. Community Grant applicants are notified in writing, typically within three months of the application deadline.

How To Apply

You will need a User ID and Password to access the application via CFCG’s Web Portal. 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 Community Foundation of Fort Valley Fund’s Grant Program application. You will be required to upload the following documents as PDF files:

Project Budget Summary – should include all revenue sources (requested, pending, and received) and expenses for the specific project.

Board Authorization Letter – should be a statement from the organization’s Board of Directors authorizing the request and agreeing to complete the project if funded.

Board of Directors/Trustees List – should 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 – should be a report of the organization’s planned budget indicating projected revenue and expenses for the current fiscal year.

Current IRS Determination Letter – should indicate 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. If no designation, a statement detailing the status of an application with the Federal Government or future application plans may be submitted, along with a statement of charitable purpose.

Most Recent Financial Audit Report or Most Recent IRS Form 990 – If your organization has both, please submit the Financial Audit Report.

Reporting Requirements

All recipients of a grant from the Fort Valley Nonprofit Grant Program must submit a final report detailing the outcome of the project and how the grant funds were used.  Final reports are due within sixty days after depletion of the grant funds, prior to submitting a new grant application, or no later than one year from the deadline date of the cycle in which you applied for your grant, whichever is earliest. For example, if you received a grant in the August 15, 2023, cycle, your final report is due no later than August 15, 2024. To be eligible for future grants, the Community Foundation must have completed final reports or final letters 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.

How to talk about your grant

Here are a few important communication guidelines for your Community Foundation of Fort Valley funded project.

Terminology:  In all materials, describe your funding as a grant from the Community Foundation of Fort Valley Fund.

News Releases:  Promote your project with a news release to the local media. If you’re inviting the media out to cover your project or event, please invite us too by sending the information to grants@cfcga.org. We would also like to share your news releases with our contacts, please include grants@cfcga.org as a release contact.

Social Media: Spread the word about your project through social media channels such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. You can find the Community Foundation on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, under the name CFCGA, and on Instagram under “cfcentralga”. We encourage you to tag us in your posts.

Logo:  You are welcome and encouraged to use the Community Foundation of Fort Valley logo on any collateral materials about your project, including websites, email blasts, brochures, and posters. You can download our logo by clicking here. A copy of any materials created should be submitted with your final report.

How these grants are made possible

These grants are made possible by the Community Foundation of Fort Valley Fund.  Many generous donors have contributed to this fund to support Fort Valley.

Previous Grant Recipients

2020 CFFV Community Grant Recipients

• Southern Valley Ranch and Rescue for the Hay Building project
• Rehoboth Life Care Ministry, Inc. for ‘Restoring Oral Health for Middle Georgians’
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia for the Mentoring for Change project
• Fort Valley United Methodist Church for the ‘Helping Grandparents as Parents’ program
• Peach County Board of Education for the REACH GA Scholarship & Mentoring Program