Please first review this document, How to Use Our Online Grant Application System. If you still need help, contact Carla Batts at 727-507-9668 or cbatts@afmfl.org.

Why, yes, we do! Please see our Grant-Writing Tips for some suggestions.

We set character limits for each question based on applicant feedback and our experience, which has shown us how much information is needed for us to understand your proposed project. The character counts are listed for each narrative question on all grant applications which require you to be clear and concise. It is not expected that you use all the space provided – answer the questions in sufficient breadth and detail, without adding or repeating information just to fill space.

Review the descriptions of our grant programs on our Current Funding Opportunities page – there are unique characteristics, priorities and eligibility requirements for each type of grant we offer, although our overall goals are the same. We encourage you to speak to someone on our team before applying. If we discourage you from applying, please consider this advice: based on our experience, we are trying to save you the effort of submitting a request that is very unlikely to be funded. Ultimately, though, you need to make the decision; our staff cannot decide for you which of your ideas to submit, or which grant program is the best fit.

There is a specific range available for each grant program; within this range, we encourage you to ask for what you need, and to request support for expenses that are realistic and reasonable for the project. Consider the scope and design of the project you are planning, what its total costs are, and what other resources you may have. Do not ask for the “top of the range” simply because that is the amount available; your proposed budget should demonstrate the need for the funds requested. On the other hand, be realistic about your expenses; do not ask for too little to successfully complete the project. For Tau Grants, you may request as little as $1,000. We do not count pennies; round your request off to at least $100. Finally, if you still aren’t sure, speak with the staff person overseeing the grant program to which you are applying.

Tau Grants are intended for organizations with total budgets of under $2 million. We consider many factors such as the applicant’s organizational capacity and other available resources, in light of the budget size.

Generally, Allegany Franciscan Ministries does not provide funding for direct services such as mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment or physical therapy, or for halfway houses and similar residential programs. Despite our recognition that these are valuable services, with our limited funding we have chosen to focus on other strategies for improving the health of our communities. We may address root causes or community indicators related to these issues that have an impact at a systemic level, such as advocacy efforts or a community-wide solution rather than providing for direct services to individuals offered by a specific program. Our ACOR Grants may support these types of services however, ACOR Grants have very limited eligibility. Please review the descriptions of grants awarded in the last year to get a better sense of the types of projects we might consider.

Again, Allegany Franciscan Ministries does not generally provide for afterschool, out-of-school and mentoring programs. We do believe these are critical and important services. However, we have found that other strategies for improving the health status of those who are underserved in our communities are usually a better fit for our mission. We might consider an afterschool program with a very well-integrated health and wellness component that addresses the families/community/neighborhood beyond the students in the program and expects to lead to better health outcomes for a vulnerable population. Our ACOR Grants may support afterschool and mentoring programs, however, ACOR Grants have very limited eligibility. Please review the descriptions of recent grants awarded to get a better sense of the types of projects we might consider.

Yes. However, a successful application from a non-local organization will need to demonstrate a very good understanding of, and connection to the local community. Collaboration and partnerships are always important to us, and this is even more important for an organization that is not based in the community it is planning to serve.

While Allegany Franciscan Ministries will consider supporting projects that impact one of these Common Good Communities, if the project is completely or largely limited to that community, we recommend that you first talk to the staff person for your region. Our available funds for both the Common Good Initiative and our competitive grant programs are limited, and we want to ensure we impact the larger regions we serve. We also want to ensure that resources within the Common Good Initiative are well-coordinated and prioritized.  If your organization is working within any of these communities we encourage you to reach out to the staff person serving that area.

Common Good Initiative investments in Wimauma, Lincoln Park and Overtown are made through a variety of funding mechanisms and processes. Each community has specific priorities and strategies which guide the investments. Please see the Common Good Initiative pages of this website for more information.

For Allegany Franciscan Ministries, “public agencies” refers to state, county, and local governmental agencies; these entities are not eligible for a grant from us. Public universities and colleges may not apply directly for funding. However, if a state university or college has set up a separate foundation, the foundation may apply for funds. The foundation must meet all our eligibility criteria, including 501(c)(3) designation. In addition, a public agency may be a partner in an initiative with another organization that serves as the lead agency; this project would be eligible.

Yes, nonprofit hospitals (or their foundations) may apply. However, please be aware that our preference is to support hospitals that are affiliated with Trinity Health. In addition, hospital-led initiatives that compete for grants from Allegany Franciscan Ministries do not focus on inpatient care; they are typically health education and outreach efforts that include significant collaboration or partnerships with community-based organizations. For Tau Grants, organizations including nonprofit hospitals or their foundations with a budget of $2 million or higher are not eligible to apply.

Organizations cannot apply for a Tau or ACOR grant if they have an active grant of the same type. However, grant partners with one type of active grant (e.g., Tau Grant) can apply for a different type of grant (e.g., ACOR Grant) in the same year.

This guiding principle is Allegany Franciscan Ministries’ intentional effort to create equitable opportunity and access to our funding for many diverse and exceptional organizations and programs. In addition, ACOR and Tau Grants are not intended to provide ongoing funding, thus we do not renew grants annually.

We do not require specific levels or percentages for different expenses. We ask that you develop a budget, and request support, for expenses that are realistic and reasonable for the initiative. These will primarily be direct costs attributable to the project. However, we believe that indirect costs are necessary for a project’s success, and we will support those expenses within reason (indirect costs are general or administrative expenses that are necessary to effectively deliver a project or program, but that are not readily identified with and attributable to a specific project.) We do allow organizations to identify costs that may be considered indirect; typically, we will honor that if it is outlined in the budget narrative.

Not directly. If your need is to provide “slots” in your program for additional participants, we understand that you may think of this expense as scholarships. Although we may be willing to support the service you provide to these individuals, we are interested in knowing about your actual costs. So rather than applying for “scholarships” you will need to request support of a portion of program expenses, such as staff, facility, supplies and transportation.

An annual, audited financial statement is expected for Common Good Initiative investments only from organizations with a budget of $1 million or higher. It provides some assurances to us regarding financial management and internal controls, as well as a snapshot of your organization’s financial position. We understand that some organizations have valid reasons for not having an audit, but in the interest of good stewardship of our grants, we require that an audit be done for every year during which a grant is active.

Appropriate audit expenses within reason may be included in project budgets. If you do not have an audit, you may consider working with another organization to serve as fiscal agent for the grant (see the question below in these FAQs for more information about fiscal agents). If you do not have an audit, please be sure to speak with the Allegany Franciscan Ministries’ staff person for your region before submitting a funding request to discuss your organization’s specific situation.

Please see the answer above. An annual, audited financial statement is expected for Common Good Initiative investments only from organizations with a budget of $1 million or higher. If you do not have an audit, contact the staff person for your region as soon as possible about whether approved alternative materials can be accepted. An audit is not expected for organizations applying for a Tau, ACOR or St. Clare Grant.

Audits in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) require the use of accrual basis accounting rather than cash basis accounting. As a result, we would expect that the independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA) completing your audit would follow this approach.

A fiscal agent is not the same thing as a registered agent or a treasurer. It is always an organization, not an individual.

In some cases, an organization desiring to apply for a grant from Allegany Franciscan Ministries does not meet all the eligibility criteria (for example, does not yet have its 501 (c)(3) designation). In other cases, the organization may be eligible, but does not have the capacity to complete all the requirements for a successful grant. We encourage these organizations to seek out a community partner that does have capacity and meets all eligibility requirements, to serve as a fiscal agent for the grant. The fiscal agent will then be the official applicant. Have a conversation with the appropriate Allegany Franciscan Ministries staff person regarding this arrangement prior to completing an application.

If a grant is awarded, Allegany Franciscan Ministries will enter into an agreement with the fiscal agent, and will hold the fiscal agent legally responsible for the grant, including financial management, all reporting, and all other requirements. Allegany Franciscan Ministries recommends that the fiscal agent enter into a subcontract with the organization. The fiscal agent may or may not have any additional involvement with the grant other than managing the funds and ensuring that conditions of the grant agreement are met. The fiscal agent may charge a reasonable administrative fee for their services; this fee is an acceptable cost to include within the grant budget.

Please see above for description of fiscal agent. A lead agency may be identified for a particular grant when there are multiple organizations collaborating on the grant. The partners will choose one organization to serve as the lead. Much like a fiscal agent, this organization will be the official applicant, and will be responsible to Allegany Franciscan Ministries for all aspects of the grant. Typically, as a lead agency, it will have additional programmatic responsibilities as well.

Allegany Franciscan Ministries recognizes that it is very challenging for community-supported organizations to predict the future, or to know what funding sources may be available. At the same time, we are unlikely to continue to support a program through multiple funding cycles. Our hope is that effective projects meeting a community need will be able to continue, even after our funding ends. We do not ask a question in our grant applications specifically about sustainability. We encourage you to consider the future of the program and what you might do to ensure that it continues, and we may engage in a dialogue about this with you at some point during the application process.

No, please contact the appropriate staff person at Allegany Franciscan Ministries. Our directors, ACOR Grants committee members, and Common Good Initiative Council will refer all calls regarding applications back to the staff. Your relationship with a director, grants committee member or council member will not impact our decision regarding your application.

Do NOT submit letters of support with your application. We also strongly advise against submitting or attaching video links or other supplemental information with the application.

St. Francis of Assisi adopted the Tau symbol (the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet) as his signature on letters. For St. Francis, the Tau was a loving symbol of God’s intense relationship of love, summarizing the mystery of faith. St. Francis had the symbol carved on the walls of his cell as the sign of genuine hope and faith in God’s faithfulness, and often painted it on the walls of places he stayed.

The Tau is used as a symbol of the Franciscan Order; the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany have incorporated the Tau into their logo. Allegany Franciscan Ministries uses this symbol as part of our logo and as the name for our Tau Grant program, to connect us to St. Francis and the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, remind us of our commitment to the economically poor and marginalized and to wish God’s blessings on all.

We do not share copies of past successful applications. This is not because we wish to keep the application secret in any way; rather, we believe that the written application is just one component of a successful request. Trying to mimic another organization’s request would be a disservice to telling the story of your project. We suggest you refer to our Grant Writing Tips for help with constructing a good written request, and the lists of grants awarded to get a better sense of the types of projects we might consider. Be aware that just because we have funded a specific project in the past does not mean that a similar project would be funded in the future.