Kyrias Foundation, Inc

Types of Grants


The Foundation prefers to provide seed money for innovative projects and programs or “step up” money to expand programs or to build organizational capacity.  The following types of grants may be awarded:


Capacity Building

Funding that strengthens an organization so that it may better fulfill its mission.


Capital

Funding for construction or equipment.


Challenge

The Foundation and grant seeker agree on a program or operating goal for the grant seeker to reach; the Foundation rewards successful accomplishment of the goal.


Matching

The Foundation agrees to match an amount that the grant seeker receives through fundraising.


Operating

The Foundation may invite an operating proposal from a grantee with which we have an established grant history.  Mature organizations may be eligible for operating support upon establishing a threshold of core competency.  Developing organizations may be eligible for operating support upon successful completion of a start-up or seed grant, after demonstrating a threshold of competency.


Project/Program

The Foundation awards a grant for a specific initiative or endeavor, not for general operating purposes.


Seed Money

The Foundation awards a grant to help launch a new project, program or initiative.


ELIGIBILITY


The KYRIAS FOUNDATION, INC. will:


  • make grants to tax-exempt organizations with 501(c)(3) classifications from the Internal Revenue Service;
  • make grants to municipalities;
  • make grants to faith-based organizations, however, proposals will only be considered if: (1) services benefit all, regardless of religion; (2) service provided is not religious in nature; and (3) there is no proselytizing associated with the service;
  • make grants to civic organizations (proposals must be project-based and of a charitable nature, and the organization must have a fiscal agent that is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization);
  • make grants to public and private schools for projects that exceed the school’s budget funding;
  • offer scholarships for college-bound students;
  • not consider requests for endowments or general fundraising;
  • not consider requests for loans or grants to individuals that will benefit that individual or any single individual or small group of people;
  • not make grants for research or give support to conferences, seminars, media events, or workshops unless they are an integral part of a broader program;
  • not generally make grants for college and university based programs;
  • not provide support for the production and development of television and media programming;
  • not provide support for political campaigns, events or projects intended to influence legislation or public perception of legislation or public policy.


Certain grants will require matching funds to be considered.


SCOPE OF FUNDING


The Foundation generally offers grant awards between $5,000 and $50,000; requests for smaller or larger amounts may be considered.


Priorities


In evaluating proposals, the following criteria will be considered:


  • Response to a Need -- Does the proposal aim to meet a specific need in the community? Perhaps it “plugs a hole” for a population or service that has been overlooked in the past. If so, what is the need and how do you know there is a need (i.e., statistics, past work, etc.)?


  • Capacity Building -- Does the proposal help to build long-term capacity (skills and resources) in the community, the organization and/or to a particular sector or segment of the population? The Board also considers the impact of the grant on the organization (i.e., for smaller organizations, the grant may have a larger impact).


  • Collaboration -- The Board sees many proposals for similar purposes, and it is sometimes difficult to know why multiple proposals exist and who is best equipped to receive funding. The Foundation appreciates the ability of organizations to work together and to share resources towards a common goal.


  • Geographic Scope -- The Board is very aware of the Foundation’s limited (but growing) resources and the great number of community needs and programs to address those needs. With this in mind, the greater the geographic scope and/or the population the proposal reaches, the better. This is not to say that a proposal for a very targeted focus will not receive funding; however, reach and scope are considered. The Foundation will also seek to achieve geographic “spread” as much as possible.


  • Innovative Approach -- New models and approaches to community needs are encouraged. The Foundation values proposals from grassroots organizations and/or for seed money to start a project or program. The Foundation also values proposals that act as a catalyst for future activity in meeting a community need.


  • Leveraging Resources --While this is not a high priority, the Foundation appreciates seeing that its funding will help to secure matching funds or challenge grants, or that it will attract future funding and/or other resources