Greater Mercer Grants

Posted by Princeton Area Community Foundation on August 1, 2016

Princeton Area Community Foundation Invites Applications for Greater Mercer Grants

The Princeton Area Community Foundation, a public charity serving central New Jersey, works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent charitable funds that help their communities meet the challenges of changing times. The community foundation incorporates social justice into its grantmaking by supporting programs and organizations that strive to create opportunity for and with people with the fewest societal resources. In addition, PACF seeks to build the strength and capacity of communities and bring about lasting change over time by meeting immediate needs and investing in programs and organizations for long-term impact.

As part of this mission, PACF is accepting applications for its Greater Mercer Grants program, which supports programs that benefit residents of Mercer County, New Jersey. Grants will be awarded to organizations or for projects that fall within one of two categories:

1) Organizations That Address the Needs of Low-Income Individuals and Families: Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations whose applications demonstrate they are capable of making a sustainable difference in the lives of low-income individuals and/or families in Mercer County. Applications can be submitted for program support or operating support.

Program support of up to $25,000 will be awarded to support one or more project areas, including economic self-sufficiency, education, health, housing, nutrition, safety, supportive services, or youth development. Operating support of up to $50,000 is available to organizations that demonstrate strong management, including use of best practices in program delivery, financial management and good governance, keen thinking about capacity, and a strong strategic focus as evidenced by having a current board-approved strategic plan in place. Grants are limited to organizations with a focus on serving Mercer County residents.

2) Building Strong Communities: Grants of up to $50,000 are awarded to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations for efforts designed to build or enhance communities by addressing a problem, strengthening networks, and/or taking advantage of a shared opportunity among multiple municipalities or within a single borough, city, or township in Mercer County. Projects can address planning, economic development, civic engagement, philanthropy, volunteerism, care of the environment, and the arts, among others. Projects in these areas are eligible for support, as are activities that bring people together to explore and address barriers to relating to each other. Ongoing activities, as opposed to one-time events, receive priority.

To be eligible, applicants msut have tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, they must be registered with the State of New Jersey as a charity, unless they are a faith-based organization or a school that files itr curricula with the Department of Education and is exempt from the provisions of the New Jersey Charitable Registration and Investigation Act.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the PACF website.

DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

http://pacf.org/receive/gmg/