Program and Planning Grants
In place of Program and Planning grants for 2021, we are offering Flexible Funding grants. For more information, please contact a member of our program staff.
PATH Foundation’s Program and Planning Grants are 12-month grants for new or existing projects related to one or more of the Foundation’s four priority areas: access to health, childhood wellness, mental health, and senior services. Applicants may request funding for up to $100,000, though most grants will be lower. Unrestricted general operations are not eligible for funding in this grant cycle. Successful grantees must use funding within one year of award.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, religious institutions for non-religious purposes, or local government entities in Fauquier, Rappahannock and Culpeper Counties. The PATH Foundation will consider requests that reflect its mission, vision and values.
Review the Program and Planning grant criteria below to ensure that your organization’s project aligns with the grant program’s parameters. Download the Sample Outcomes Matrix and the Working Outcomes Matrix here.
Grant Criteria
The PATH Foundation recognizes that funding for programs and planning is very important to nonprofits. Careful strategic planning, board cultivation and the uninterrupted running of core organizational activities are essential to the success of thriving community institutions. Annual planning grants will be offered to nonprofits and public agencies with a track record of community impact and sound fiscal management.
Key Objectives:
- Provide financial support for effective and essential programs for nonprofits
- Encourage nonprofit boards and staff to engage in capacity building and leadership cultivation
- Facilitate critical, long-range strategic planning
The PATH Foundation will consider requests that reflect its mission, values and four areas of focus:
- Access to Health
- Childhood Wellness
- Mental Health
- Senior Services
Organizations and their proposals must be engaged in addressing one or more of these specific areas. Funding is given greater consideration when the application demonstrates the intersection of four areas: need, opportunity, potential impact and collaboration. The PATH Foundation strongly encourages applicants to base their requests on demonstrated project design, rather than the allowable funding maximum.
Applicants Must:
- Provide an IRS determination letter confirming that they are exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- The recipient can be a fiscal agent for others, as long as the purpose is charitable.
- Government entities may apply for planning grants but are not eligible for general operating funds.
- Organizations requesting funds for strategic planning may be established or emerging/new institutions.
- Proposals must benefit people and organizations within the Foundation’s service area of Fauquier County, Rappahannock County and Culpeper County.
- Applicants may submit only one application per grant cycle.
Types of Requests Not Supported:
- Grants to individuals, private foundations, event sponsorship, or fundraising
- Faith-based institutions for religious purposes
- Multi-year requests
- Short-term or temporary projects
In all cases, applicants will be asked to consider and address three key questions:
- What do you want to accomplish?
- How do you plan to do it?
- How will you measure your outcomes?
Funding and Reporting
Funding to successful grantees must be used within one year of award. Grantees will be required to submit two reports during the grant cycle: an interim progress report and a final analysis detailing process, outcomes and lessons. Additionally, the Project Outcomes Matrix must be submitted or updated before the end of the grant cycle.
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