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Please read the instructions and guidelines on this page before proceeding to the online grant portal.

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Apply for a Better Communities Grant

 

Rochester Area Foundation’s Better Communities Grants advance initiatives that impact lives and our communities in the long term.

We wouldn’t be able to reach nearly as many children if we didn’t have support from the Rochester Area Foundation. Thank you for all you do. – Sara Holger, Project Get Outdoors

 

There are two Better Communities Grant cycles each year. Eligible nonprofits are limited to one application per grant cycle. In general, RAF will not award a grant to an organization that we funded during the previous grant cycle.

 

2025 Fall Grant Cycle Timeline

If you have questions or would like more information, contact Ellen Hegge at ellen@rochesterarea.org

 

Fall Cycle

  • January 28, 2025 – Letter of Intent Opens

  • February 13, 2025 – Letter of Intent Due

  • February 19, 2025 – Organizations moving forward to the application stage are notified

  • March 12, 2025 – Written applications due

  • April 7-11, 2025 – Follow-up conversations if applicable

  • May 1, 2025 – Notification of Awards

  • Early May – Spring Grant Showcase

  • November 2025 – Interim Grantee Group Conversation

  • April 2026 – Final Grantee Group Conversation

How to Apply for a Grant:

Getting Started

How it works:

A grant applicant creates an account in the Online Grants Manager, and then logs on to that account to start a new grant application. Your application can be saved as a draft, and when you log on again it’s easy to return to that draft, make edits, and submit the application. Each account maintains a record of the application history that you can access at any time.
Once a grant is awarded, the Online Grants Manager allows grantees an easy way to see the status of their grant, check due dates, and submit electronic grant reports right from their account.

**We recommend that you carefully read the instructions and reference materials found on this page before registering and starting your first application.

Creating your online account

All applicants are required to create an account. We suggest creating your account well in advance of the grant deadline to avoid any last minute issues. At the time of registration you are required to enter the following information:

  • A username that is an email address
  • Your contact information
  • Your organization’s information, including the EIN/Tax ID number (required)
  • Contact information for the organization’s Executive Officer

 

Managing your online account – for organizations

The first person to register enters the organization’s information, which creates the organization profile. It’s important to enter this information accurately at registration, because after this point the organization profile can only be edited by Community Foundation staff. For an organization to easily view its full history of grants and requests, we recommend consolidating all applications into one user account. 

Letter of Intent

All 501(c)3 organizations who would like to apply for a Better Communities Grant need to submit a letter of intent by the stated deadline. This letter of intent is a very brief summary of your grant project. RAF staff and the Grant Distribution Committee will review LOIs to ensure they are consistent with RAF Grantmaking priorities and inclusion criteria (see below).
If you have questions or would like more information, contact Carrie Moscho at carrie@rochesterarea.org or 507-424-2402.

What do I do if my LOI is accepted?

If the Grant Distribution Committee approves your letter of intent for a grant, congratulations! You will be notified and asked to submit a application to the foundation. The application gives you an opportunity to share more details about your project, your organization, your goals and outcomes for the project, and other supporting materials. You will also have the opportunity to submit letters of support from partner organizations or community members.

You will be sent instructions to access the application when you are notified that your application is moving forward.

Click here to download a pdf of the application

grant eligibility

Applicant must:

1) be a nonprofit organization, exempt from Federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or a governmental body, including schools and municipalities, or have an appropriate fiscal sponsorship agreement

2) conduct business without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual preference, age, marital status, disability or national origin

3) be a nonprofit located in the RAF catchment area of 30 miles around Rochester, or be applying for grant funding to serve communities within our catchment area.

Grant Ineligibility: What Better Communities Grants Will Not Fund

In general, Rochester Area Foundation does not award cycle grants to the following:

  • Individuals
  • Endowments
  • Capital Building Campaigns
  • Annual Campaigns
  • Proposals That Duplicate Existing Services
  • Political Activities
  • Religious Activities
  • Projects That Discriminate
  • Replacement of Government Funding
  • Deficit Funding

grantmaking priorities

RAF is committed to assuming a leadership role in grantmaking to address community concerns for which sufficient resources currently do not exist. The Board maintains the Foundation’s service radius of 30 miles outside the Rochester city limits. Applications requested from organizations outside this area will only be evaluated if the project primarily serves our catchment area.

scope of funding

Grant requests between $2,500 and $25,000 will be considered. Approximately 50% of grant applications are funded at some level. We are rarely the sole financial supporter of projects, as we expect organizations to also seek additional resources to accomplish project goals. For examples of grants that have been funded in the past, visit Recent Grants.

Grant evaluation

Grants will be evaluated using the following criteria. Here are some examples for each.

Creativity/Innovation

  • Preferred: Project design and/or delivery is new to the community; has potential to address need at lower cost and/or address root cause(s) that create need.
  • Not Preferred: Expansion of existing project.

Community Impact

  • Preferred: If successfully implemented, project has the potential to be transformative within project target area.
  • Not Preferred: Will have minimal impact on project target area.

Feasibility

  • Preferred: Agency has capacity; proposed budget is sufficient to meet goals; diverse funding support is probable; low risk of failure.
  • Not Preferred: Agency has no or minimal track record with proposed budget; budget does not appear adequate to meet goals; Foundation is looked to be majority funder; or risk of failure is medium to high.

Collaboration

  • Preferred: Project planning and delivery involves multiple agencies which strengthens application.
  • Not Preferred: Project involves only applicant agency in planning and delivery.

Financial Plan

  • Preferred: Well thought out financial plan that shows how project will be sustained after first year. Financial resources are secured or highly probable for three years.
  • Not Preferred: Financial plan relies on funding that is unsecured; agency has few resources and no contingency plan if funding falls short.

Leadership

  • Preferred: Strong board of directors; board is representative of community; management staff have experience to implement project.
  • Not Preferred: Board of directors is inexperienced in governing; management staff is new or there are key vacancies waiting to be filled.

Alignment with Rochester Area Foundation Priorities

  • Preferred: Proposed project supports attainment of the mission of the Foundation.
  • Not Preferred: Proposed project is outside of any of RAF’s mission.

Overall Impression

  • Preferred: Proposed project is clearly described; need for project is compelling; outcomes are clearly defined and processes to measure are outlined.
  • Not Preferred: Difficult to understand what is being proposed; need for project has not been documented; and/or outcomes are not measurable.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

If you have questions about the Rochester Area Foundation’s grant process, contact our Community Impact Officer, Carrie Moscho at carrie@rochesterarea.org or call her at 507-424-2402.

See the Grantseeker FAQ for more detailed questions.

See our recent Better Communities Grants.