Purpose of the Fund for Omaha’s Greatest Need Grants

The Fund for Omaha is the Omaha Community Foundation’s largest competitive grant program.  The Fund for Omaha is designed to help nonprofits address community needs and to support effective solutions.  It also serves as one way the Omaha Community Foundation stays current with community and nonprofit needs.

The Greatest Need Grants program has evolved as a means for the Omaha Community Foundation to be responsive to the most pressing needs of the nonprofits in our community.  Applicants are invited to identify their organization’s greatest need and propose a plan to address it.  Greatest Need Grants will fall into three broad areas and applicants must choose one area under which to submit a proposal:

·        Capacity building.  The Omaha Community Foundation focuses on nonprofit capacity building as a way to strengthen nonprofits and our community as a whole.  Nonprofit capacity building is the improvement of capabilities, knowledge or resources, so an agency can achieve its mission more effectively.  Examples include:

• Organizational assessment and strategic planning
• Fund development
• Professional development and leadership training
• Board development
• Communications, including website design, branding, and community outreach

·        General operating expenses.  These are expenses related to the day-to-day operations of a nonprofit.  Examples include:

• Purchase of equipment not related to a specific program
• Staff salaries not related to a specific program
• Marketing or fundraising materials
• Financial audit
• Regular costs of staying in business, such as rent and utilities

·        Programs.  The Fund for Omaha will continue to make program grants through the Greatest Need Grants program.  These grants are intended to support new or ongoing programs that respond to a demonstrated community need.  Applicants are encouraged to include in the program budget a percentage of staff time required to run the program.  Examples include:

• Supplies, equipment, or other materials required for program
• Community-wide needs assessments
• Program-specific staffing needs

Successful applications will:

·        Make a compelling case for how meeting the described need will strengthen the agency and help the population it serves.

·        Support effective, proven, or promising solutions.

·        Describe what success will look like.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are those defined as public, tax-exempt organizations by Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that provide services in the Omaha metropolitan area.  This organization’s governing board must approve applications prior to submission.

Restrictions

The Omaha Community Foundation does not make grants in support of individuals, for political campaigns or lobbying efforts, for new small businesses established for personal gain or profit, to support annual fund drives, capital campaigns, to fund an agency’s deficit or endowment, to repay loans, to pay for expenses incurred in the past, or for the direct support of religious activities.  Secular activities offered to the community that are provided by religious organizations regardless of congregational membership or statements of belief may be eligible for grant funds.

Application timelines

There are two annual deadlines:  March 1 and September 1.  If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the proposal is due the following business day. 

Application Procedures

The Omaha Community Foundation has started accepting proposals via a web-based form available here.

Applications must be submitted online.  The deadline for submission for Fall 2010 is September 1, 2010.

Fund for Omaha Grants Committee

The Fund for Omaha Grants Committee is made up of 15 community and business leaders who have an understanding of and commitment to the greater Omaha area’s nonprofit community.  The Omaha Community Foundation uses a conflict of interest and ethics policy to ensure fairness in the distribution of available funds.  Committee members are chosen partly because they are involved members of the community and are likely to have affiliations that might pose conflicts of interest during the decision making process.  Our policy requires them to declare any conflicts.  For decisions that benefit an organization where they are a board member, they can join the discussion but must refrain from voting.  For decisions that benefit an organization where they or a family member are employed, they must refrain from discussion and voting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Spring 2010 Awards

• Brookside Church - $9,500 for program expenses:  Royal Family Kids Camp Omaha - Camps and Mentoring for Abused Children and Teens
• Camp Fire USA Midlands Council - $10,000 for program expenses:  after school programs
• Care-a-Van - $5,000 for operating expenses
• Compassion in Action - $10,000 for operating expenses
• Domestic Violence Coordinating Council - $5,500 for operating expenses
• Heartland Family Service - $4,750 for program expenses:  Mujeres Y Valores empowerment program for Hispanic women
• Interfaith Health Services - $5,000 for program expenses:  Latinas in Action
• Legal Aid of Nebraska - $10,000 for program expenses:  Access to Justice Self Help Center
• Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH) - $15,000 for operating expenses
• MICAH House Corporation - $10,000 for operating expenses
• Midwest Trailblazers - $10,000 for program expenses:  Outward Bound
• Nothing But Net Foundation - $10,000 for operating expenses
• Partnerships in Aging - $10,000 for program expenses:  needs assessment of 1-3 neighborhoods to develop a self-sustaining continuum of care for aging residents
• Prevent Blindness Nebraska - $2,807 for capacity building:  donor database
• RESPECT 2 - $4,875 for program expenses:  Bullying-Dating Violence:  Making the Connection workshop
• Ted E. Bear Hollow - $10,000 for capacity building:  event planning and volunteers
• Volunteers Assisting Seniors - $10,000 for program expenses:  Medicare Insurance Counseling