Organizational Development Grants offer support for nonprofits to retain a consultant to help strengthen themselves organizationally.

Organizational Development Grants are available to organizations throughout the Community Foundation’s four-county service area of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties. Their purpose is to help organizations increase their capacity to govern and achieve long-term sustainability. Grants are made up to $5,000 and may cover up to 70% of the total cost of the consultant’s services.

These grants may be used to address issues such as:

  • Strategic planning
  • Organizational structure
  • Board/staff relations
  • Governance training
  • Board/staff policies and procedures
  • Asset development planning
  • Marketing/public relations/communications planning
  • Merger and/or consolidations
  • Fiscal management
  • Social Justice Planning

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding an organization must:

  • Be a nonprofit organization with a tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code, and are not classified as a private foundation;
  • Serve the people who live and/or work in the Community Foundation’s four-county service area;
  • Attend an Impact Information Session within 12 months of application;
  • Have a current, up to date profile on The Giving Marketplace;
  • NEW: Have a social justice statement in place;
  • Additional eligibility requirements may apply.

Limitations

  • The grant can be used only to retain a consultant.
  • Organizations may only apply for an Organizational Development grant once during our fiscal year, which runs July 1 – June 30.
  • Organizational Development Grants can only be approved once for each development area.
  • Your grant application must include a detailed proposal from the consultant with budget and payment schedule.
  • The grant is paid to the organization.
  • Grant funds may not be used for previous commitments or contracts/agreements already incurred with a consultant.
  • The grant award may cover up to 70% of the consultant’s proposal. For example, if the consultant’s total project cost is $6,500, the grant award would be $4,550, or 70% of the request. The organization is required to cover the balance of the project cost with their funds.

Application and Selection Process

The first step in the application process is to attend a Impact Information Session to learn more about our grantmaking process and determine which programs would be suitable for your organization.

These grants are considered on an ongoing basis and do not follow a fixed review schedule. The Grant Advisory Committee meets on an as-needed basis and makes a determination on a complete grant request in about four to six weeks. We encourage organizations to plan accordingly.

If you are interested in applying for an Organizational Development Grant, please contact Lisa Hodge for additional information.