To apply for a grant at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, please read and follow the steps below:
1. Determine organization eligibility.
To receive a grant from the Community Foundation, the organization must be a nonprofit organization with current 501(c)(3) status from the IRS. Governmental entities or organizations who have completed arrangements with a 501(c)(3) to act as their fiscal sponsor may also be eligible to apply, depending on specific grant program guidelines.
2. Determine the grant program(s) you will apply to.
Grant Opportunities Chart – This downloadable chart provides details about grants opportunities based on organization age and size.
Grant Opportunities and Deadlines – This page provides an overview of the available grants and includes links to each opportunity. We encourage you to review the grant guidelines, application, and scoring tools for specific grants programs to determine if an intended request matches the grant criteria. These pages also contain examples of the online grant applications and templates for required forms.
3. Create an online account.
GOapply is our online grant management portal. In GOapply, you can submit online applications, check the status of applications, review grant histories, and submit final reports.
All users will need to create a new account in the new system. To create an account, go to the GOapply login page online. Choose to register as an “organization” and complete the information requested to connect yourself to that organization.
4. Update your Organization Profile.
After logging into GOapply, update the Organizational Profile. Do this before you begin the online application, as this information will automatically populate into your application.
5. Complete the online grant application.
Online applications open approximately one month before each grant deadline. All deadlines are 4:30 p.m. Central Time. You can review a list of submitted applications in GOapply or download a copy for your records as needed.
6. Please contact us if you have any questions.
If you are new to the grant application process or have questions, we encourage you to talk to a Program Officer. Our Program Officers can help determine which fund(s) you are eligible to apply for and are glad to discuss proposals before you submit them.
For the Program Support Grants and Linn County Grants, contact Sanjana Raghavan, Program Officer, at sanjana.raghavan@gcrcf.org or 319.200.2279.
For the Organization Support Grants and Rapid Response Grants, contact Casey Baustian, Program Officer at casey.baustian@gcrcf.org or 319.774.2378.
For the Endowment Challenge Grants and Competitive Donor-Advised Funds, contact Rochelle Naylor, Senior Program Officer at rochelle.naylor@gcrcf.org or 319.774.2373.
For grant portal, awards, reports or electronic payment questions, contact: Bernadette Gladish, Grants and Programs Manager at bernadette.gladish@gcrcf.org or 319.774.2374.
NOTE: If your application is determined by the Community Foundation to be ineligible due to incompatible project timelines, not meeting the grant’s eligibility criteria or other reasons, a Program Officer will contact you.