As a general rule, the Foundation considers the following elements when reviewing Standard Competitive Grant requests:

• The project serves an obvious community need or clearly benefits the community of Yellow Springs or Miami Township.
• We do not generally provide more than one Standard grant to an organization within a 12-month period.
• We encourage collaboration with local groups. Letters of support/participation from other community organizations add value to the proposal.
• Any compensation (fees, stipends, honorarium, etc.) must be reasonable.
• Capacity building and operational support costs are allowable in Standard grant applications (for example, budget line items for computers, equipment, staffing and administrative costs, facilities costs, etc).
• Requests associated with a local nonprofit organization should have written approval and support from that organization.
• Each project will be considered according to its own merits.
• Core funding areas, but not entirely limited to:
  • Arts
  • Affordable housing
  • Collaborations Among Nonprofit Organizations
  • Community
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Farmland preservation
  • Health & Wellness
  • Peacekeepers
  • Seniors
  • Social justice, Food Security, etc.
  • Village and College collaboration

What We Generally Do Not Fund

• Projects that are narrowly focused in impact and number of participants
• Individuals (for personal benefit)*
• Operational deficits or reduced or lost funding
• Sectarian** activities of religious organizations
• Annual fundraising drives, ceremonies
• Hospitals, universities, and colleges for internal programs
• Matching grants (unless local dollars are needed to fulfill a condition for a state or federal grant)
• Multi-year or large-dollar requests (unless they are Grants Committee and Governing Board initiatives)
• Publications, books, reports, research papers

*A fund exists to support individual residents of Yellow Springs and Miami Township through directed and applied grants, and program spending from the distribution for relief assistance, with the intent of supporting a positive change, helping prevent negative turns of events, and initiating active steps towards improvement for the individuals (families). See YSEQUITY.

**Sectarian: Strong support of specific religious beliefs, doctrines, etc. that can cause problems for other groups.