Selected organizations have been invited to submit full proposals by Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 4 p.m.
Each year through Community Grants, we use funds endowed to our Foundation to address Greater Miami’s most pressing needs, while honoring the intent of funds donated to us. The COVID-19 pandemic and racial justice reckonings of 2020 led us to listen deeply and learn with our community about how to better help nonprofits in their work to build a stronger Miami. We are excited to share this year’s Community Grants program, which reflects the collective wisdom of so many of our staff, board, grantees, and community partners. Read our full message to the community.
Please carefully review the program guidelines and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), as the program has changed from previous years. The guidelines outline the 2021 program, application process, and how to connect with Foundation team members.
We welcome your feedback and look forward to working and learning together.
We’re happy to provide accessible and translated versions of the guidelines to support your application process. Please contact Valerie Crum, programs officer.
Selected organizations should review the full proposal program guidelines, budget template, and application worksheet for everything they need to submit their full proposal by Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at 4 p.m.
Have a question about this year’s program? This resource may be able to help.
We recommend reviewing this resource as a reference while developing full proposals.
What we’re funding
In 2021, we will invest a total of $1.25 million across the categories below.
- Access to Health and Wellness | $225,000 | Improve health outcomes by connecting people to quality health resources and education, reducing health disparities, or tackling contributing social determinants of health
- Economic Stability | $225,000 | Improve residents’ ability to meet local affordability challenges by helping them secure affordable, stable housing, recover from financial crisis, and/or increase earning potential
- Inclusion of People with Diverse Abilities | $150,000 | Expand opportunities for people with disabilities to lead purposeful, productive lives and be increasingly integrated into all aspects of community life. See our summary of this funding category here.
- Sustainable Environment | $150,000 | Develop a healthier, more livable community by preserving our unique environment, building resiliency amid climate change, and expanding local awareness and stewardship
- Thriving Youth and Families | $500,000 | Expand opportunities for youth to excel from early childhood to career through high-quality education, enrichment experiences and personal development that build resilience, or work that ensures their safety and stability. This can include support for adult caregivers so the whole family can thrive. Note: We welcome approaches that include the arts and creative expression to advance personal development.
What we’re prioritizing
Our priorities are what we will look for to evaluate a proposed program, project or community work. These priorities will serve as criteria during the review process.
- Advance equity of marginalized people and communities: We will prioritize working with marginalized communities. This includes approaches that tackle disparities around race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors. We will focus attention on people of color and the organizations they lead, particularly to address Black racial equity and justice given their deep roots in historic racism.
- Focus on progress: We will support work guided by tangible indicators of growth and progress for people and communities that are best suited to the type of work – whether it is direct services or advocacy and organizing work to change institutions and systems. The results will have strong potential to create timely and impactful opportunities for individuals and communities to advance and thrive.
- Build solutions: We seek approaches that identify underlying barriers or challenges that hold people or communities back from their highest potential. Strong approaches will strive to address the barriers and challenges in ways that can improve peoples’ current situations and help equip them for the long-term.
- Collaborate with community: Authentic relationships with the people affected by issues and disparities are vital to inform and shape the most effective work. We will prioritize organizations that intentionally gather and apply community guidance or leadership to add valuable insight into solutions.
- Sustainability: We seek to support organizations’ goals for high-quality, viable work while also investing in what each nonprofit needs to be strong and healthy. We will look for proposals that reflect how the nonprofit envisions that funds can be best used to power its proposed goals while also supporting its capacity.
Eligibility & Use of Funds
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants are nonprofits with an active 501(c)(3) status as a public charity or projects with an established fiscal sponsor that has this status. The proposed work must primarily serve Miami-Dade County residents. If you have a current grant through any Foundation program, you must be in compliance with that grant to apply.
Grant Size: Our maximum grant award is $40,000.
Types of Funding: For greater flexibility, nonprofits can select from two options. For both types, nonprofits will have discretion in proposing how funds are used to advance their goals that align with the program guidelines.
- Program Support: Funds to support a particular program or initiative you propose to start, sustain or grow.
- Mission Building Support: Funds can be used more generally to advance organization-wide work and goals that drive your mission, rather than a specific program or project. Or, there may be some key aspect of your operations or infrastructure that is holding you back from achieving your overall mission and aspirations. Your proposed goals would focus on how you seek to be a stronger community resource. The funds can be used for more general expenses, but they should help you unlock your potential for greater community impact.
How to Apply
Community Grants is a two-stage process: an initial Idea Stage and a Full Proposal Stage for invited applicants based on review of the submitted applications.
Review and Application Process: Selected organizations have been notified of their invitation to submit a full proposal. Organizations applying for program support will need to use the Foundation’s budget template and full proposal application worksheet. The Foundation will engage full proposal review committees to guide grant selection to ensure rich perspectives from people with personal and professional experiences related to each funding category.
Timeline
- Idea Stage Applications Due: Friday, February 26, 2021, at 4 p.m.
- Full Proposal Invitations Released: Friday, April 2, 2021
- All full proposals must be submitted by Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 4 p.m.
- Estimated Notification of Grant Awards: Mid-June 2021
- Grant Period: June 15, 2021, through June 15, 2022