Description, Funding, and Eligibility
Capacity Building Grants (up to $10,000) respond to organizational needs and are designed to help improve a nonprofit's ability to fulfill its mission.
Projects should support work in one of the following categories: Fundraising, Leadership, Communication, or Evaluation. Alternately, projects can meet emergency organizational needs that are critical for an organization to continue fulfilling its mission.
Projects should demonstrate a measurable change during the grant period: i.e. increase fundraising by 15% by hiring a fundraising consultant and making suggested improvements, OR create a program evaluation framework and apply this structure to evaluate two programs by July 2021.
Funding Priorities
This grant program focuses on increasing an organization's capacity in the following ways:
- Fundraising: purchasing a donor database or other CRM tool, hiring a fundraising consultant, or developing online giving. Note: We do not fund capital campaigns through this application.
- Leadership: board development, professional development, or strategic planning
- Communication: website redevelopment, internal communications, or communications plan development
- Evaluation: Impact measurement or program tracking
- Emergency Organizational Needs: unexpected expenses for which an organization was unable to prepare
Organizations may receive up to $10,000 through the Capacity Building Grant program within a 365 day period.
In order to receive a grant through this program, organizations must also have:
- An IRS Letter of Determination that shows the organization is a 501(c)3 public charity
- At least one current program with local impact in one of the following counties: Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, or DeSoto
- An approved/current profile in The Giving Partner, a powerful, searchable online database with over 700 profiles of charitable organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties.
Eligibility
Review Process
Applications that have been submitted by the 15th of the month will be reviewed in that month’s cycle. Applicants can expect a decision on their application by the 15th of the following month.
Example: An application submitted on September 14 will be notified by October 15. An application submitted on September 20 will be notified by November 15.
Please Note: Applications will not be reviewed in December (due to the holidays) or June (due to the close of our fiscal year).
- Press Release
- Blogs
- Videos
- Testimonials
- Articles
- Podcasts / Audio Recordings
Please reference our Press Kit to help draft your message and coordinate review with Hunter Carpenter, Manager of Communications and Marketing, at hcarpenter@cfsarasota.org.
Looking for examples? Check out the Stories of Impact below shared by our Capacity Building Grantees.
August 24, 2021
Friends of the Florida Maritime Museum Launch Website and Social Media
July 16, 2021
Harvest House Brings Trauma Intelligence Training for Staff
June 23, 2021
Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center Awarded Capacity Building Grant
March 31, 2021
The Building Blocks of Nonprofit Capacity
January 29, 2021
The Florida Center Receives Support to Benefit Vulnerable Children
October 9, 2020
Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center Launches New Website
July 16, 2020
Harvest House Launches New Website
May 14, 2020
Key Chorale receives Community Impact Grant from Community Foundation of Sarasota County
November 14, 2019
GLS is expanding its life-planning service to Manatee/Sarasota counties
Eligibility Requirements
Press Kit for Grantees
View Past Information Sessions
Register for an Upcoming Information Session
Community Impact Grant & Capacity Building Grant Information Sessions - February 2022
Community Impact Grant & Capacity Building Grant Information Sessions