GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONPROFITS

HOMELESSNESS TRUST FUNDS

2010 GUIDELINES FOR GRANT SEEKERS*

Introduction
The Homelessness Trust Funds were established in 1988 at The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation to serve as an endowment for assistance to homeless individuals and those in danger of becoming homeless. Each year, grants are made from the interest income generated by the fund while the principal remains intact. Grants are made to organizations for distribution to eligible individuals. The original donors to the Homelessness Trust Funds placed geographic restrictions on the grants. An advisory committee oversees the funds and all grant decisions.

Only one grant per eligible/selected agency will be awarded. Organizations with more than one location must determine which location will apply or how one grant may be split between the different locations.

Guidelines

1. Applicant must have current 501(c)(3) status.
2. Applicant must have primary office in Jackson County, Missouri or Kansas City, Missouri.
3. Applicant mission statement must be directed towards assistance to homeless persons or those at imminent risk of becoming homeless.
4. Applicant must offer services on a regular basis as of the date of grant application to persons who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless.
5. Applicant must be a participant in the MAACLink Homelessness Network. For more information, contact Stephanie Pruitt at the Mid America Assistance Coalition by calling 816-561-2727 ext. 113.
6. Applicant will be required to send those who will perform the MAACLink data entry function to one of two MAACLink trainings in September.
7. Applicant must be a dues paying member of the Homeless Services Coalition of Greater Kansas City. You can download the Membership Application from the Homeless Services Center Web site at www.hscgkc.org. For more information, contact Brian O'Malley at 816-924-7997.
8. Applicants who have a previously received Homelessness Trust Fund grant must show a zero-balance in the MAACLink database by July 1, 2010 to be considered for a subsequent grant.

Eligible Activities
Grant funds may be spent for any of the following activities:

1. Obtaining and/or reproducing clients' personal identification documents
2. Obtaining work-specific clothing
3. Commercial storage for clients' personal possessions
4. Client transportation
5. Obtaining emergency medicines for client
6. Obtaining prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses for client or other durable medical equipment.
7. Other emergency assistance needs of clients (excluding rent, mortgage and utility deposits and payments; home repair expenses; and normal agency operating costs).

Recipient Guidelines

1. Persons receiving grant funds shall verify that they understand themselves to be residents of Kansas City, Missouri, or Jackson County, Missouri.
2. Recipients shall have a combined gross income of not more than 150% of the federal poverty guidelines and shall be homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless.

Maximum Grant Amounts
Each applicant may request a grant of up to $3,500. Historically, the average grant award has been approximately $3,000. No more than one application will be considered from any applicant.

Announcement of Awards
Applicants will be notified in writing of the decisions of the Homelessness Trust Funds Advisory Committee in late August or early September 2010.

Application Deadline
Thursday, July 8, 2010, by 5:00 p.m.

Important Dates

Procedures for Grant Seekers

1. Review your organization's nonprofit profile to ensure that all information is current. For questions about updating your profile or having REVIEWED status, please contact the Donor Relations and Education Team at 816-842-0388 or webmaster@gkccf.org.
2. All proposals must be submitted online by 5:00 p.m. CDT on the due date through the internet grant application module (iGAM).
3. The iGAM grant application will be made available 6 to 8 weeks prior to the deadline.

iGAM Instructions

1. iGAM does NOT work in conjunction with nonprofit search.
2. When the iGAM grant application is made available (6 to 8 weeks prior to the deadline) the link will be posted here.
3. When the iGAM grant application is made available you will be prompted to create a username and password, unless previously done so.
4. Users are encouraged to create a single username and password for your organization to be shared among staff.
5. Save the iGAM My Account to your web browser favorites to access draft and submitted applications: www.grantrequest.com/SID_1164?SA=AM. This address is new, as of February 15, 2010.
6. A compatible web browser must be used, either Internet Explorer version 6 or higher or Fire Fox version 1.5 or higher and have cookies enabled.
7. Once logged in, users can view pending and historical applications, but not applications saved under other usernames.
8. If you have questions regarding iGAM, please contact the Donor Relations and Education Team at 816-627-3425 or grants@gkccf.org.

If you have any questions about the grant competition, please contact LaVon Colhour, at 816-627-3400 or colhours@gkccf.org.

*2011 grant application information to be posted in December 2010.

Revised August 14, 2010