Disaster Relief Fund Grants – Frequently Asked Questions

The following are eligible to apply:

• Nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) public charities (the organization’s IRS determination letter will specify whether or not an organization is classified as a public charity)
• Organizations with a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) public charity nonprofit organization registered with the IRS (additional information is below)
• Local governments (including public schools)
• Faith-based entities (additional eligibility details below)

No. Only organizations that have already received a determination letter from the IRS are eligible to apply. If an organization received its determination letter within the last year, we recommend attaching a copy to the application.

Yes. If an organization uses a 501(c)(3) public charity as a fiscal sponsor, the 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 and distributing the funding.

Items to include in letter:

• Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) of the sponsoring organization
• Description of the agreement between the parties regarding financial and legal responsibility for the purposes of the requirements of the grant
• Description of how the responsibilities for the program will be managed
• Date when the relationship was established
• Signatures from a representative from the fiscal sponsor and organization/project

If using a fiscal sponsor, the fiscally sponsored organization should be the primary applicant and respond to application questions from the perspective of the fiscally sponsored organization.

Yes. NCCF recognizes the important charitable works of faith-based organizations. However, faith-based entities may only apply for funding to support social outreach and charitable service programs that benefit the community at large, and that are not restricted to members of a particular faith community and do not promote religious doctrine. Donations to the NCCF Disaster Relief Fund come from a diverse constituency and, as a result, grants from the fund cannot be limited to the promotion of a specific religion.

If the project is a program/function within a religious entity, the religious entity should be listed as the applicant organization. The application proposal must be for a specific program/project. For example, a house of worship that operates its own after-school program may apply if they meet the eligibility criteria.

If an organization is a separate entity from the religious entity but does not have its own 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, the relationship with the religious entity can qualify the partner organization to receive funding. In this case, the religious entity acts as the fiscal sponsor. Review the fiscal sponsorship information above for additional information.

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. Organizations must be classified as public charities by the IRS to apply for grant funding.

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 religious doctrine
• General operating support for religious entities
• Loans
• Reimbursements (this program does not support reimbursement of costs incurred prior to the deadline for submission of your application. Requests 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

Capital expenses that are not part of active or planned capital campaigns are allowed. Grants cannot be made for expenses that fall within an active or planned capital campaign.

Re-granting means a grantee plans to use the funding for its own grant program. This is not an allowable expense for this program. Organizations using an application process to distribute funds to people in need may be granted a rare exception if the distribution is core to its mission and values.

No. Grants will not be awarded for the repayment of loans or for expenses already incurred by the organization.

No. Grants are not awarded for reimbursement of costs already incurred. Grants are only available for costs occurring after the submission deadline.

No. Grants will only be awarded for activities and associated expenses that will occur in the future, after the submission deadline of the application.

Yes.

Please note: Organizations that received a grant from the NCCF Disaster Relief Fund in February 2026 may apply, but final grant reports for that program or project must be submitted by the due date of Feb. 19, 2027, to be considered for an award from this round of funding.

No, NCCF will not accept applications submitted after the NOON eastern timdeadline on Dec. 14, 2026. We recommend submitting your application well before the deadline. We are unable to accept applications received after the deadline, including late submissions due to technology issues.

No. The budget template provided within the application is required and is the only budget format accepted. Reviewing the same budget format for each application allows us to compare organizations consistently, for the benefit of everyone involved.

Use the NCCF Program/Project Budget template.

We suggest providing information about the group of people tasked with making decisions, including financial decisions about programs, on behalf of the school or organization. In many cases, this may be the members of the school district’s board of education.

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

Yes. An online follow-up report will be due within one year 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, with a reminder sent prior to the deadline.