Social Innovation Fund Grant Opportunity: Post # 2

Under "Read More" below you will find a full copy of my comments to the Corporation for National and Community Service's request for comments on the Social Innovation Fund NOFA.  Their NOFA was posted in late December 2009, and comments from the field are due January 15, 2010. 

In addition to providing input on their specific questions around how to define "low income communities," how to evaluate the intermediary foundation grantees, and how to evaluate the nonprofit subgrantees, I also included a request that they drop the minimum grant level from $5 million to $1 million.  Such a drop would enable community foundations like ours to apply as there is a 1- for - 1 dollar matching requirement imposed on community foundation (and other intermediary foundation) grant recipients.

It would be very disappointing if the mere level of potential SIF grants put us out of the running.  I'm sure I'm not the only foundation leader in this boat.  So if there is any chance you may be interested in trying for one of these amazing SIF grants, please send in your comments to the Corporation.  The link to the Social Innovation Fund, above, takes you to a page from which you can submit comments.  From that link, see the "Seeking Feedback on Draft Funding Notice" box to the right.

Social Innovation Fund Grant Opportunity: Post # 1

During the last half of 2009, the Corporation for National and Community Service advertised on its website that the Social Innovation Fund grant application, or NOFA, would be posted in mid-December.  They have finally posted a draft NOFA but are first seeking feedback from the foundation field on three aspects of the draft:  How they should define "low-income communities", how they should assess the intermediary foundations, and how they should assess the subgrantee nonprofits. 

While the Corporation initially stated that grants to intermediary foundations, such as community foundations like ours, would be between $1 million and $10 million, they have now increased the minimum grant level to $5 million.  Because an SIF grant award requires a dollar for dollar match by the intermediary foundation, this increase in the minimum grant level to $5 million creates an insurmountable barrier for many of us.  In my comments to the draft NOFA, I will be asking the Corporation to consider reducing the minimum grant level back down to $1 million, thereby enabling community foundations like ours to apply. 

If you are even remotely interested in applying for an SIF grant, please lend your voice to the dialogue and take some time to provide feedback to the Corporation on these issues.  It is not too late to influence their decisions on many things, including the minimum grant levels.  Comments are due January 15, 2010.