Lamar Gives 365 Grant Schedule

August 15 —Application is live for nonprofit organizations to apply for a grant.
November 15 at 12:00pm (noon) — Application deadline
TBA — Grant Finalist Event & Recipient Presentations

Eligibility and Funding Priority – Who can apply and for what?

501(c)(3) nonprofits organizations, schools, government entities, higher education institutions, or religious organizations may apply for non-sectarian community projects in Barnesville-Lamar County. Applicants who wish to apply must have a final report on file with the Community Foundation for all previously awarded grants, if applicable.

Please note:

• Applications must be completed online available through the Web Portal.
• Lamar Gives 365 will consider applications from faith-based organizations only for non-sectarian, community outreach programs.
• If your organization’s application is selected as a finalist, a representative of the organization will be required to give a 2-minute presentation of the proposed project at the Lamar Gives 365 grant finalist event in February. The two minute time limit is strictly enforced.
• If your organization is awarded a grant, the Lamar Gives 365 membership may conduct an informal follow up during the grant period. At the completion of the project you will be required to submit a final report.

Geographic Restrictions

Grants will be made only to organizations for projects serving Lamar County citizens.

Grant Amount

The maximum grant amount for Lamar Gives 365 is $4,000.00.

Frequency an Organization can Apply

There are no restrictions on how often an organization can apply to Lamar Gives 365.

Grant Award Schedule

The application deadline is noon on November 15^th. The grants will be announced by mid-February. All grant funds must be expended by November 15th of the year in which the grant is awarded.

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 application. You will be required to upload the following documents as PDF files. You may click on the links below to see a sample.

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 Lamar Gives 365 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 November 15, 2023, cycle, your final report is due no later than November 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

In all materials, describe your funding as a Lamar Gives 365 Grant.

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 Barnesville-Lamar Community Foundation on Facebook, and we encourage you to tag us in your posts.

Logo:  You are welcome and encouraged to use the Lamar Gives 365 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 contributions of the Lamar Gives 365 members. These contributions are split each year so that half is spent on grants in the year of the gift and the other half is put into an endowment for the future.

Previous Grant Recipients

2020 Lamar Gives 365 Grant Recipients

• Barnesville First United Methodist Church | Ramps of Love | $3,150
• Friends of the Library, Milner | LED Informational Signage | $2,000
• Gordon State College | Spark Mentoring | $2,700
• Hope Tree Ministry | Local Food Bank | $3,000
• Lamar County Family Connection | Emotional Wellbeing Support | $3,000
• Lamar County Fire & Rescue | Forcible Entry Door Simulator | $6,250
• Lamar County Health Department | Bringing in the New | $6,360
• Lamar County Middle School | REACH Scholarship | $5,000
• Lamar County Parks and Recreation | First Aid Kits | $1,338
• Lamar County Senior Center | Address Signs for Safety | $1,500
• Rock Springs Clinic | Medical Equipment Acquisition | $3,100
• Towaliga CASA | CASA Training & Volunteer Mileage | $2,000