Apply for a Grant

Community Impact Grants

The Community Foundation of South Lake opens it’s annual Community Impact Grant Cycle (competitive grants) during June of each year. We will no longer hold a January grant cycle. Details for our cycle will be provided below. 

Each year the Community Foundation of South Lake evaluates the focus areas for our Grant Cycle based on the needs in the community. Once decided upon, it will be announced here on our site and via our Facebook page.  Grants to local non-profit organizations derive from the income and interest accumulated from our unrestricted funds. In order to be eligible to apply for funding, your non-profit must meet our grant requirements listed below. If you have any questions regarding grants, email Brittany@cfslc.org.

Community Foundation of South Lake County Grant Guidelines

Applicants are required to attend the Grant Workshop scheduled prior to the opening of each grant cycle. All grant applications are completed through our online grant site unless otherwise noted.

• Grant funding must serve residents of South Lake County tax district; includes cities of Clermont, Montverde, Groveland, Mascotte, Ferndale, Minneola, and Stuckey.
• Must be an active and in good-standing 501(c)(3) organization.
• Awards up to $25,000
• Must have been an active organization for at least 3 years (and provide 1 year of financial history).
• Must attend the mandatory Grant Application Workshop. 
• Must fully complete the application including required attachments.
• Applicants are encouraged to attend our Non-profit Sustainability workshops and activities throughout the year.
• Must adhere to parameters provided for each grant cycle and/or type.
• A representative should be able to attend the Award Presentation in October.

Usual Grant Cycle Timeline:

June – July: Grant Workshop and Submit Applications
August – September: Application reviews and evaluations
September: Funding designations and notifications to applicants
October: Grants awarded to applicants

2019 Grant Cycle Criteria (2020 Grant Cycle Criteria to be provided.)

Grant proposals will be reviewed and rewarded based on targeted focus areas:

Education: We know that education is vital to successful futures as it provides knowledge and skills required for advancement. Grants will be awarded to organizations with a direct focus on educational opportunities for youth and/or adults. Programs must be directly educational and show evident impact/outcomes.

Homelessness Prevention: We know that the first defense to homelessness is helping to prevent it. Grants will be awarded to programs with focused efforts to provide assistance, programming and/or services that directly or seemingly indirectly help individuals and families avoid the system of being homeless with evident impact/outcomes.

Homelessness Intervention: Unfortunately, some people have already fallen victim to homelessness. Grants will be awarded to programs that focus efforts on housing, programming and/or other services that address helping families who are currently experiencing homelessness with evident impact/outcomes.

The BIG Idea Grant

The BIG Idea Grant is based upon funds available. We regret to inform you that, The Foundation will not have a BIG Idea cycle for 2020. 

The Community Foundation of South Lake is calling non-profit organizations to ‘think big’ to make a lasting impact to our community, to collaborate with other non-profits and entities to make a real difference. The needs of our neighbors are many times much greater than what the eye can see or even what they may voice. It is often times a combination of adverse situations that cause a drastic situation.

We would like to see our non-profits come together to combat areas of need, in a collective impact way, creating streamlines of services or support.

The Big Idea must serve South Lake County and prove evidenced needs in the community. Collaborations need to be well thought out, planned, and have intentional impact goals that can be measured.

Collaborative Examples include:

Sample A Feeding organization, partners with Goodwill and a food truck association to establish a mobile grocery to bring fresh produce and low-cost stables to low-income neighborhoods.

Sample B Health organization, partners with Boys and Girls Club, a church, and a farmer to build community gardens and a sustainable food infrastructure (including a tilapia farm).

• Next dates for The Big Idea are TBD.
• Award range of $25,000 to $50,000
• Requires a letter of intent (2 page max) outlining the program, as well as, partnerships and funding opportunities.
• Collaboration is required.
• Invitations for full applications are offered upon approval of the Letter of Intent.

ALL Grant Requirements

Grants made competitively through our Grant cycle are limited to:

• Tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations certified by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code
• Grant must be for the direct benefit of the South Lake County Community which includes communities within the Hospital Tax District and encompasses: Clermont (south to 4-corners included), Ferndale, Groveland, Mascotte, Minneola, Stuckey, and Montverde; please note, this does not mean your organization cannot be from an area outside the tax district, just the grant must directly benefit the South Lake community. Grants from our Family of Funds are not subject to this limitation.
• Minimum of three years of financial and program data. Financial data must be provided, and IRS 501(c)(3) tax return for a 12-month period prior to application.
• Public schools are eligible to apply; funds must be granted to the school, which can then be distributed accordingly.
• Public libraries are eligible to apply.

What We Don’t Fund Through Grant Requests

The following requests are not eligible for funding from the Community Foundation of South Lake unrestricted pool of assets:

• Organizations that are not tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
• Endowments
• Capital Campaigns
• Fundraising expenses, sponsorship, or thrift stores
• Infrastructure improvements when the land/building is not owned by the organization
• No support for religious organizations for religious purposes
• Lobbying, activism, or litigation
• Grants to individuals (rent, utilities, etc.)

If you have any questions pertaining to Grants, please contact Brittany, by calling 352-394-3818 or Email Brittany@cfslc.org.