ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT APPLYING TO C&S FOR GRANTS
- How do I know if my organization is eligible for support from C&S?
- What is the focus of C&S grants and what can my organization ask for?
- What is not funded by C&S?
- What can United Way member agencies request?
- When are deadlines and when are decisions made?
- How often may my organization apply?
- Will C&S accept my request if it is mailed, emailed or faxed?
- What are some tips to writing a successful application for support?
- Do I have to complete my online application during one session?
- What happens if I get stuck?
How do I know if my organization is eligible for support from C&S?
Your first step is to take a brief eligibility quiz on our web site. To request a contribution, your organization must be a federally tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) charitable organization, a school, a library, or a public agency and meet other criteria that are important to us. Meeting base eligibility criteria does not guarantee a grant or other award.
What is the focus of C&S grants and what can my organization ask for?
C&S grants are focused in four areas: hunger, children and community, the environment, and encouraging volunteerism/civic engagement. In our corporate headquarter communities of Keene, NH and Brattleboro VT, we also offer in-kind printing services and sponsorships for large-scale, highly public events.
C&S does not make grants including but not necessarily limited to:
- Organizations beyond 20 miles of our locations
- Capital Campaigns
- Multi-Year Requests
- Endowment Campaigns
- Individuals
- Scholarships
- National health organizations or their statewide/regional branches
- Religious organizations
- Fraternal, veterans or political organizations
- Travel expenses
- Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual preference
- Sports teams
- Golf tournaments
- Organizations with less than 2 years of direct service to the community
- United Way member agencies *
(* with the exception of those that focus on hunger)
What can United Way member agencies request?
Modest food donations through our Mini-Grant program. This is because C&S holds an annual workplace campaign to inspire our employees to give to United Way, and because the company provides matching funds.
What are the deadlines and when are decisions made?
- Mini-Grants: Deadline is the 1st of each month with decisions on or around the 10th of each month
- Printing: Ongoing, with monthly decisions. Printing services are targeted to nonprofits in and around Keene NH and Brattleboro VT; see printing donations for details.
- Major grants: By invitation only to our national partners.
How often can my organization apply?
Every other year. The reason for this is because we want to help as many groups as we can.
Will C&S accept my request if it is mailed, emailed or faxed?
Sorry, no. C&S only accepts applications online.
What are some tips to writing a successful application for support?
Be descriptive about the results your organization gets and why your work in the community is important. Tell us a story that is supplemented with facts and figures about your group's accomplishments. Be compelling.
Do I have to complete my online application during one session?
No; you can start the application and choose to save and finish it at another time. Select the “Save and Proceed” button as you complete each section.
What happens if I get stuck while I am completing the application?
Just click the “Need Support” button on the bottom of each page of the online C&S application.