Overview

Due to current commitments, new grants are generally for one year only and in the range of $5,000 - $15,000. Applications are limited to requests for support of financial literacy and reading literacy programming for both youth and adults. For requests that would fall outside the stated grant range, applicants should contact staff prior to submitting an application at [email protected].

Eligibility Requirements

CommunityAmerica seeks to partner with organizations who demonstrate the following:

• Must be a 501c3 organization in good standing.
• Applying organizations, or the project being submitted for support, must be located within CommunityAmerica Credit Union’s primary field of membership. This is defined as counties in Missouri and Kansas where CommunityAmerica operates a physical branch presence and where the majority of our members live and work. Local chapters of national organizations may apply.

The following are types of programming that will be considered:

• Programs that provide children and youth with financial literacy education.
• Programs that help families or groups break the cycle of debt and encourage financial stability.
• Programs/projects focused on work and life skills essential to self-sufficiency.
• Programs/projects related to increasing reading literacy in children and adults.

Preferences

The following are a series of preferences used by CommunityAmerica Credit Union in evaluating programs/projects and potential partners:

• Focus on increasing the number of individuals and/or families who are achieving financial success.
• Evidence based approach and the ability to track results, short- and long-term, of clients served.
• Past performance of the organization in achieving similar results for the clients served.
• Stability and demonstrated track record.
• Evidence of strong leadership within the organization behind the proposed program.
• Organizational capacity to undertake the proposed program/project.
• Costs associated with the proposed program are justified by the results the program proposed to achieve for the individuals it serves.
• Demonstrate collaborative nature.
• The presence of other funding commitments for the program and evidence that it is a sustainable model.
• Demonstrate that a majority of clients served are from CommunityAmerica Credit Union’s field of membership.
• Be open to identifying and providing volunteer opportunities, both for service opportunities and for positions of volunteer leadership, from the CommunityAmerica employee base.

Grant Restrictions

The Foundation will not provide funding for:

• Grants to individuals, including scholarships.
• Debt retirement or operating deficits.
• Equipment expenses, unless the equipment will directly improve the organization’s ability to provide and deliver services.
• Multiple grants within the same 12-month period (one grant per organization, per year).

Reporting and Recognition Requirements

• The grantee organization agrees to the possibility of a check presentation with representatives of CommunityAmerica and CommunityAmerica Foundation for publicity purposes.
• The grantee organization agrees to seek publicity for the grant, as possible, within the parameters of their own recognition guidelines and to communicate that recognition plan upon acceptance of the grant.
• The grantee organization agrees to recognize CommunityAmerica Foundation via a minimum of two social media posts during the year following the grant, to be coordinated with CommunityAmerica’s brand marketing team and using the appropriate CommunityAmerica hashtags (will be provided to the nonprofit partner).
• CommunityAmerica Foundation will require a final report within one year from the award of the grant.

Deadlines

Grant applications suspended in 2021.

Updated: 01/01/2021