Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Organizations meeting any of the following are eligible to apply:

• 501(c)(3) public charity non-profit organizations (see answers to questions below for additional details)
• Organization with a fiscal sponsor who is a 501(c)(3) public charity non-profit organization registered with the IRS (additional information is below)
• Local governments (including public schools)
• Fire and rescue departments
• Religious entities, including churches, congregations and other houses of worship, applying for program/project support (additional details are below)

Organizations must offer programs and services without discrimination based on age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.

Yes. If the IRS has classified your 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status as a public charity your organization is eligible to apply. Your IRS determination letter will specify whether or not your organization is classified as a public charity.

No. There are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt classifications that are not eligible for grant funding from NCCF, such as 501(c)(3) private non-operating foundations. 

Your organization must be classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the IRS to apply for grant funding from NCCF.

No. Only organizations that have already received a determination letter from the IRS are eligible to apply.

If you have applied and are still awaiting your letter of determination, your organization will not be eligible. You are only eligible at the time you receive the official letter from the IRS.

If you received this letter within the last year, we recommend attaching a copy to the application.

Yes. If your organization or project uses a 501(c)(3) public charity as a fiscal sponsor, your application’s supporting documentation must include a letter from the fiscal sponsor that verifies the relationship. If a grant is awarded, the fiscal sponsor will be responsible for receiving the funds and distributing them.

Items to include in letter:

• FEIN of the sponsoring organization,
• A description of the agreement between the parties regarding financial and legal responsibility for the purposes of the requirements of the grant,
• A description of how the responsibilities for the program or project will be managed,
• Date when the relationship was established, and
• Signatures from a representative from the fiscal sponsor and organization/project

If you’re using a fiscal sponsor, the fiscally sponsored project/program should be the primary applicant. Please answer all application questions from the perspective of the program/project you’re applying for and not from the perspective of the fiscal sponsor.

NCCF defines a religious entity as a house of worship such as a church, synagogue or mosque.

Please contact our team if you have questions about whether your organization would be considered a religious entity by our standards.

No. Religious entities are only eligible to apply for program/project-specific funding to support social outreach and charitable service programs to benefit the community at-large. They may not apply for general operating support.

NCCF and its affiliates raise funds from a diverse constituency and, as a result, charitable funding cannot be limited to the promotion of a specific religion.

No. Faith-based organizations whose core functions/operations promote religious doctrine or are restricted to members of a particular faith are only eligible to apply for program/project-specific funding to support social outreach and charitable service programs to benefit the community at-large. They may not apply for general operating support.

NCCF and its affiliates raise funds from a diverse constituency and, as a result, charitable funding cannot be limited to the promotion of a specific religion.

If your program is a program/function within a religious entity, the religious entity will need to be listed as the applicant organization. The application proposal must be for your specific program/project. For example, a house of worship that holds its own after-school or back-pack buddies programs.

Your organization may be a separate entity from the religious entity but not have its own 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, meaning your relationship with the religious entity is what qualifies your organization to receive funding.

Eligible proposals

• A food pantry accessible to the public that does not promote doctrine WOULD be eligible.
• A recovery center that is accessible to the public and does not promote doctrine to those staying there. While there may be optional religious programs, such as a prayer circle, if there is a suitable non-religious alternative, such as an exercise class, this program/project application WOULD be eligible.

Ineligible proposals

• A food pantry accessible to the public but requires participants to receive or read a religious pamphlet or sit through a religious presentation would NOT be eligible.
• A free counseling service that is open to all but has a curriculum that is based on the teachings of a specific religion would NOT be eligible.

General operating support is funding that an organization uses for its core/general operations which allows the organization to continue to operate and meet its mission. Grants for this purpose may be used for any cost that keeps the organization operating, unless otherwise restricted at the time of the grant, which generally permits some flexibility for the grantee. Please note, NCCF does not fund annual fund and capital campaigns through this grant program.

Program/project support is funding for specific programs or projects/initiatives. Grants for this purpose only cover costs directly related to the program/project for which the application is made.

Yes, your organization may apply for grants in any of the affiliate programs, if your organization serves the counties of that affiliate or giving circle.

Your organization may also apply for more than one grant within a grant cycle for an individual affiliate. In these cases, we recommend communicating your priority project to the appropriate NCCF Program Officer in case the board is only able to fund one of your initiatives.

Yes, if the school is listed as the applicant. In this situation, the school is the eligible applicant to the grantmaking program. If an award is made, the school would receive the grant and would be responsible for distributing the funds to the appropriate program. You are responsible for ensuring the school is willing and able to accept the grant funds and obligations should the application be funded.

No. Grants are not awarded for reimbursement of costs already incurred. Grants are only available for work/costs which occur after the submission deadline of your application.

Yes. If your organization serves multiple counties, we recommend that you submit a program/project application, instead of a general operating support application. Local boards are more likely to fund your proposal if you include specifics about how funds will be used in the local area.

Grants are not awarded for the following: 

• Annual fund or capital campaigns
• Political purposes or lobbying
• Activities that are restricted to members of a particular faith community or promote a specific religious doctrine
• General operating support for religious entities
• General operating support for registered 501(c)(3) public charities who are faith-based organizations and whose core functions/operations promote religious doctrine or are restricted to members of a particular faith
• Loans
• Reimbursements (This program does not support reimbursement of costs incurred prior to the deadline for submission of your application. Your request may only include costs that will occur in the future, after the submission deadline of the application.)
• For the direct benefit of named individuals
• Re-granting by the applicant organization

Grants are restricted against expenses that fall within an active (or planned) capital campaign. Capital expenses that are not part of active (or planned) campaigns are allowable.

Grants will not be made in the case where the grantee will then use the funding to facilitate its own grant program.

A common example is an organization applying for funds to provide college scholarships. In this scenario, the organization would be awarded funds while the college would be providing the programming, making this an application for re-granting. This application would be declined.

This stipulation does not restrict programs that distribute funds to support basic human needs, including medical expenses, home repairs, food, rent and utility assistance.

Operating budget information can be a helpful tool for reviewers to see how a project fits into the overall operation of an organization. These questions are specific to the interests of the local board in learning about your organization’s financial status and management.

No. The budget templates provided within the application are required and are the only budget format accepted. Reviewing the same budget format for each application allows our committees to compare organizations consistently, for the benefit of everyone involved.

Only one budget template is required per application. When you begin your application, you will elect to apply for Program/Project support or General Operating Support. Depending on your selection, the application will then prompt you to download the appropriate budget template. If you are applying for a specific program/project, use the NCCF Program/Project Budget template and if you are applying for general operating support, use the NCCF Organizational Budget template.

If you opted for a general operating support proposal, we will also accept a copy of your most recent 990 or 990-EZ.

Please ensure that you are using the correct budget template for your application type.

If the program for which you are applying is one that is always ongoing and does not have beginning and end dates, then you would enter your organization’s fiscal year dates as the program/project begin and end dates. Please clarify and share additional details regarding begin and end dates in the narrative responses within your application.

Grant recipients have one year from the date of the grant to spend funds awarded by NCCF affiliates.

In most cases, grants decisions are announced a little over two months after the close of the application cycle. If you have questions about a specific affiliate’s timeline, contact the appropriate NCCF program officer.

Yes. An online follow-up report will also be due within nine months of the date of the grant. Grant recipients will receive information via email with instructions for completing the online grant report when they receive their award announcement, and again prior to the deadline.