GRANTS

The Suffolk Foundation’s Community Grants Program works with qualifying nonprofit organizations to benefit the communities of Suffolk, Virginia, and the surrounding area of Western Tidewater. We are looking for projects that target health, education, the arts, human needs and services, environmental and animal welfare, and youth and elderly programs.

Our online grant application opens on September 1 each year and must be submitted by 3:00 PM, October 15. If October 15 falls on a weekend, the grant application is due by 3:00 PM on the last workday prior to October 15.

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ELIGIBILITY

Nonprofit, public charities that are tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) are eligible to apply for a grant. The proposed project or program must serve residents of Suffolk and/or Western Tidewater.

Grants may be awarded in a wide range of categories, such as:

  • Human Needs
  • Arts, Culture, and Humanities
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Health

Priority is given to projects and programs that:

  1. Reach a broad section of the community, and/or that target needs that are not being served by other resources
  2. Improve the quality of life for families or neighborhoods
  3. Provide practical approaches for dealing with current pressing community problems
  4. Promote collaboration and resource-sharing among organizations
  5. Yield substantial benefits for the costs involved
  6. Meet demonstrable local capital needs
  7. Encourage matching gifts or added funding from other sources

Foundation grants and funds are not generally available for:

  1. Non-tax-exempt organizations
  2. Individuals
  3. Deficit financing
  4. Debt reduction
  5. Research
  6. Event-underwriting
  7. Religious purposes
  8. Seminar/conference registration or travel
  9. Annual fund drives
  10. Hospitals and similar health-care facilities
  11. National or international organizations or purposes
  12. Ongoing operating support, in particular administrative personnel costs
  13. Programs normally the responsibility of the government

Responsibilities of the Grantee

  • Grant recipients will be required to file two reports: an interim report due by September 1, and a final report due by December 1.
  • Any charity accepting a grant from the Suffolk Foundation agrees, by acceptance of the grant, not to provide any benefit to anyone or any organization in exchange for the grant.
  • Grants are to be used by grantees exclusively in furtherance of charitable purposes and cannot be used for the private benefit of donors. The Foundation will investigate allegations of improper use of grant funds for the private benefit of donor-advised funds.
  • Any proposal addressing education of public school students or private school students must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement from the school superintendent or headmaster.

Our online grant application opens on September 1 of each year and must be submitted by 3:00 PM, October 15. If October 15 falls on a weekend, the grant application is due by 3:00 PM on the last workday prior to October 15.

Click here to begin your application.

To discuss your proposal or learn more about our grants program, contact us:
757-923-9090 or gro.noitadnuofkloffus@eciffo.