Ozzy’s Fund
Background
Ozzy is a cat that was rescued from an Atlanta, Georgia parking lot in 2003. He was only four weeks old and weighed only a few ounces, and his right eye was lacerated. He had obviously been abandoned and left to die. However, Ozzy’s story did not end that day. He was rescued and is a healthy and much loved cat who rules his household. We cannot think of a better rescue story or any animal who is more deserving of having a Fund named in his honor.
Purpose and Funding Priorities
The purpose of Ozzy’s Fund is to support initiatives directly affecting the lives of animals in central Georgia and throughout the state. Applications should promote the welfare of animals of all kinds and facilitate projects within the areas of:
- Animal Rescue and Adoption, including vet care and fostering
- Spay/Neuter Programs
- Preventing Animal Cruelty
- Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) Programs
Grants will be considered for any nonprofit group whose mission is animal rescue and adoption, spay/neuter or TNR. However, programs directed towards public awareness (education), media/marketing campaigns, and fund raising will not be considered by the fund.
Geographic Restrictions
Grant applicants must be providing direct service to animals in Central Georgia or throughout the state of Georgia.
Grant Amounts
Grant amounts may vary, but will not usually exceed $2,500.
Funding Cycles
CFCG will review grant applications semi-annually in July and January. Decisions will typically be made within two months of the application deadline.
Grant Award Schedule
The application deadlines are noon on June 30 and December 31. Decisions are usually made and announced in July for the June deadline and January for the December deadline.
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 Ozzy’s Fund application.
Reporting Requirements
All recipients of a grant from Ozzy’s Fund must submit a final letter detailing the outcome of the project and how the grant funds were used. Final letters 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 June 30, 2023, cycle, your final report is due no later than June 30, 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 grant from Ozzy’s Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.
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 welcomed and encouraged to use the Community Foundation of Central Georgia 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 funded by Ozzy’s Fund, The Carrie Johnson Wheeler Endowment Fund for Animal Welfare.