Volunteer to be a Community Grant Reviewer

Rochester Area Foundation (RAF) is searching for a diverse team of community reviewers to assist in the review of nonprofit applications to our Better Communities Grants.

Community grant reviewers assist us with reading and scoring grant applications, and they are an essential part of our decision-making process. As members of Rochester area communities, reviewers can provide valuable insight on the needs of the community through both lived and learned experiences.

Throughout the process, reviewers are also able to learn about the inspiring impacts of nonprofit organizations. Many reviewers express admiration for the way organizations work to create positive change in the people and communities they serve.

Effective reviewers have: Knowledge of or experience in our community, a desire to voice their opinion, and computer literacy/access.

Overview

RAF hosts annual competitive grants in four areas:

• Youth and Education (Spring)
• Vibrant Communities (Spring)
• Basic Needs and Economic Mobility (Fall)
• Historically Marginalized Communities (Fall)

Each reviewer can select a focus area. The process to award these grants to eligible 501c3 nonprofits consists of an application from the nonprofit, community and RAF staff review, and RAF Board of Trustees approval.

What can you expect?

Grant reviewers can expect to read an average of ten to fifteen applications during a three-week period. Depending on how long it takes for you to read through and evaluate applications, this process can take 5-12 hours over the course of those few weeks.

All grant reviews are completed online; reviewers need to be comfortable working online and have access to a computer, laptop, or other mobile device with internet access. Grant reviewers must also attend a two-hour in-person meeting to discuss the evaluations and make award decisions. Childcare will be provided.

There will also be opportunities for grant reviewers to meet with grantees in the year following their award to learn more about their organizations, and their successes and challenges. These meetings will be scheduled based on the availability of the grantees, but grant reviewers are encouraged to attend.

Because of the importance of grant reviewers in our process, we require all volunteers to attend an information session at the beginning of the cycle (2 hours), complete implicit bias training (1.5 hours), and fill out a conflict-of-interest form.

Grant Reviews are done in two cycles:

• Spring Cycle (Youth and Education, Vibrant Communities) – Community Reviews occur during April
• Fall Cycle (Historically Marginalized Communities, Basic Needs and Economic Mobility) – Community reviews occur during October

Want to be a reviewer?