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2023 Social Services Community Grant: A Place-Based Approach

Social Services GrantThe Social Services grant opportunity is now closed to nonprofits deeply rooted in under-resourced neighborhoods, have a clear understnding of their community's needs, and provide a comprehensive range of services to enhance the quality of life for residents. This funding will provide one (1) year of support. Funding for 20 to 30 nonprofits with one-year grants ranging from $20,000 - $30,000 is anticipated. The application closed on October 6 at 11:59 pm and organizations will be notified in December.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Program Diversity: Nonprofits must offer a wide range of social services that meet their community's comprehensive needs. This includes, but is not limited to, food distribution, workforce assistance, senior citizen programs, healthcare, youth programs, housing/home repair, and/or financial assistance. Nonprofits focused on a single issue or offer a single-focus program will not qualify.
  • Geographical Focus: The nonprofit's efforts must be focused on a specific geographic area, such as a particular zip code, community, or neighborhood. Organizations operating in multiple communities may apply but should focus the application to highlight their impact in a specific community/geographic area.
  • Physical Presence: Applying nonprofits must have a dedicated physical location within the community they serve, reinforcing their commitment and accessibility to residents.
  • Community Engagement: Applicants must be able to demonstrate their understanding of the unique assets and challenges of the community, as well as demonstrate how they actively involve residents, clients and local stakeholders in the planning and execution of programs and services.
  • Data Driven: Applicants should have a system for tracking participant uptake of services and a regular practice of looking at program data to improve service delivery.

Application Overview

  • To evaluate a nonprofit’s alignment with the objectives of CFT’s Social Services Community Grant, applicants will be asked to provide detailed responses related to the following statements:
  • Identification of the specific geographic area (zip code, community, or neighborhood) that the applicant seeks to serve. If the organization serves multiple communities, explain why the organization is focusing on the selected community.
  • Explanation of the assets and needs of the residents in the targeted geographic area, and any important features of the built environment that impact programming.
  • Specific examples of how community stakeholders and residents are engaged in identifying community needs, and in the planning and execution of programs and services.
  • Explanation of the range of social services the organization offers and how they serve the diverse needs of the community.
  • Description of the primary operational location within the community, how accessible it is to community members, and how accessibility and proximity enhances service delivery.
  • Description of how many people are served, the type and intensity of the services they receive, and what data informs about the difference being made in the community.

General Eligibility Requirements

See below for our eligibility requirements.

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To apply for a CFT grant, your organization must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Have a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation from the Internal Revenue Service that has been active for at least two years as of September 1, 2023.
  • At least 50% of the population served must reside in one of the following counties:
Collin Cooke Dallas Denton Ellis
Erath Fannin Grayson Hood Hunt
Johnson Kaufman Montague Navarro Palo Pinto
Parker Rockwall Somervell Tarrant Wise

 

  • Individuals
  • For-Profit Businesses
  • Non-U.S. based organizations
  • Church and religious organizations’ programs that are focused on evangelism
  • Organizations who are providing a single service/program

How do I submit my proposal?

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You can submit your proposal through our online submission form, here, or by clicking the button below. We recommend using the downloadable version of the application when drafting your responses before uploading them into the online submission form, as there are limits to word counts for each question and the online form does not allow applicants to save work and return to it. Final answers must be submitted through the online application. Download the application here or under Resources on the right side of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Applications may request up to $50,000.

October 6 – Application closes
December 8 – Organizations will be notified of award or decline
December 29 – Anticipated date that payments will be processed to grantees

No, each organization may submit one application per grant cycle.

Yes, you may email program officer Alexander Haj with questions and schedule a call to discuss further if necessary.

Yes, there will be opportunities to discuss your application and receive feedback. Scheduling opportunities will be shared after organizations are notified of award or decline.

This grant opportunity is looking for organizations that are deeply integrated into one geographic area. Organizations will have the strongest match if they are focused at a zip code or neighborhood level. Organizations that are serving a large city like Dallas or Fort Worth, a full county, or a larger region would be operating at a scale beyond what this grant opportunity is seeking to fund. The more focused the geographic area, the stronger the connection with the criteria. Special consideration may be given to organizations operating in rural counties with low population density.

This funding opportunity is focused on the organization and will not be restricted to a specific program. Unrestricted funding can support general operations.

For organizations who serve multiple areas and address one geographic focus in their application – funding will be restricted to the geographic focus described in the application. It can support general operations and include things like salaries, equipment, software, programs, etc. impacting that geographic focus area.  
 

This grant opportunity is looking at organizations holistically, and how all the programs offered meet the community’s needs.

Since this is an open grant opportunity, all 501 (c)(3) organizations are allowed to apply, but if you are not able to clearly meet all the listed eligibility criteria, it is not recommended that you spend your limited time and resources on this application.

Submitting an application has no impact on your ability to apply or be funded in future open grant opportunities.

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