Apply for a Grant

Before Getting Started

Completion of the Letter of Inquiry Form is the required first step in applying for a grant from the Supporting Our Sisters Fund. Through the Fund's grantmaking program, we serve to provide funding for innovative, new or ongoing projects of charitable, nonprofit agencies or public charitable activities that fall within our identified grantmaking priorities and that meet local needs. Please read all of the information on our Supporting Our Sisters Grantmaking page before beginning the process of applying for a grant.

Step One:
The Letter of Inquiry Form must be submitted to the Supporting Our Sisters Steering Committee in order to be considered for funding. Click here to access the form.

This form is designed to be completed on-screen and submitted online. The form cannot be saved for retrieval at a later time, so you should not begin entering data until you can devote sufficient time to completing the entire form in one sitting. Some applicants find it helpful to print a blank copy of the form to complete by hand as time permits, and then use this "rough draft" to make completing the form online faster and easier.

The Letter of Inquiry Form helps in determining whether a funding request qualifies for consideration before the applicant invests time and effort in completing a complete grant application. Completed Letter of Inquiry Forms will be reviewed by the Steering Committee. Thereafter, selected Letter of Inquiry applicants will receive a formal invitation to submit a complete grant application. Completed Letter of Inquiry Forms should be submitted online by July 25, 2011.

Upon submission, you will receive an email confirming receipt of your letter of inquiry. Included in this confirmation email will be a recap of the information you provided in your Letter of Inquiry Form. Please retain a copy of the email for your records. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Laura Harmon, director of the Spencer County Community Foundation.

Step Two:
The information provided below is intended only for those organizations that previously submitted a Letter of Inquiry Form and have been invited by the Supporting Our Sisters Steering Committee, in writing, to submit a complete grant application. Organizations selected to submit a complete grant application must follow the instructions below.

Grant Application Form
The Grant Application Form is designed to be completed on-screen and then submitted online. The form cannot be saved for retrieval at a later time, so you should not begin entering data until you can devote sufficient time to completing the entire form in one sitting. The form is provided below:

Grant Application Form

Supporting Documents
The following documents must be electronically attached to the Grant Application Form. Provide the following documents (as a Word or PDF document) as instructed in the form:

Attachment 1: Mission statement and nondiscrimination policy

Attachment 2: Project Budget Worksheet (click here for the form)

Attachment 3: Project timeline

Attachment 4: Organization's annual operating budget (showing both projected income and expenses for the year)

Attachment 5: Organization's most recent financial statement

Deadline and Submission Instructions
The grant application must be electronically submitted to the Supporting Our Sisters Steering Committee no later than Friday, September 2, 2011. Upon submission, you will receive an email confirming receipt of your grant application. Included in this confirmation email will be a recap of the information you provided in your Grant Application Form. Please retain a copy of the email for your records.

Member of the
Community Foundation Alliance

Spencer County Community Foundation
Lincoln Commerce Center • 2792 North US Highway 231 • PO Box 3 • Rockport, Indiana 47635 • Phone 812.649.5724