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Tau

Allegany Franciscan Ministries’ FY24 Tau Grants will support unrestricted general operating or organizational capacity building needs for nonprofits that provide services to the following marginalized groups: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), LGBTQ+, and/or persons with disabilities. 

Two column chart describing examples of capacity building and general operations activities.

Priority Criteria

Priority will be given to organizations focused and actively working on one or more of the following issues:
  • Access to Healthcare: Healthcare access is the ability to obtain healthcare services such as diagnosis, prevention or treatment that’s affordable and convenient. * Examples may include organizations focused on providing health services to underinsured or uninsured patients or assisting with health insurance enrollment.
  • Civic Engagement: Civic engagement refers to the ways in which citizens participate in the life of a community in order to help shape the community’s future. * Examples may include organizations focused on movement building, re-entry efforts, electoral participation, or advocacy.
  • Economic Mobility and Opportunity: Economic mobility can be defined as how an individual’s financial well-being changes over a certain period of time. Generally, well-being is defined in terms of income, earnings, or assets. * Examples may include organizations focused on job training/placement, entrepreneurship, social assistance, or financial literacy.

Eligibility

To be considered for funding ALL of the following criteria must apply to the organization:
  • The organization did not receive Tau Grant funding in Fall 2021 – Spring 2022 or Fall 2022 – Spring 2023
  • At least 50% of the organization’s population served falls within the marginalized groups identified
  • At least 25% of staff leadership (leadership team as you define it) includes individuals who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or persons with a disability
To be considered for funding, the organization must meet the following basic requirements:
  • Have received a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service confirming its exemption from federal income tax under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
  • Serve residents of one or more of the following counties: Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Hillsborough and Pinellas.
  • Be willing and able to comply with all requirements of the Allegany Franciscan Ministries Grant Agreement*

*See Sample Agreement

Limitations

  • Organizations with an operating budget of $2 million or over are not eligible (this includes hospitals and universities).
  • Not available for individuals, public agencies, capital projects (buildings, van/automobiles, etc.), or endowments.
  • Not available for organizations who have received Tau grant funding in Fall 2021 – Spring 2022 or Fall 2022 – Spring 2023.
  • Organizations cannot receive multiple funding support from the Tau Grant program in FY24 and other capacity building cohort-based opportunities offered by Allegany Franciscan Ministries (excluding ABFE Racial Equity Leadership Program); organizations can only receive funding through one of these opportunities.

Application Process

The online application may be accessed through the Grant Portal link at bottom of this page. If this is your first time applying, review the Portal FAQs & Instructions information first.

A maximum of one request can be submitted per organization for the fiscal year.

If a prior application from the organization has been declined, we strongly recommend you speak with Brittney Frazier, Allegany’s lead for Tau Grants, before submitting another request (see below for contact information and link to schedule office hours).

Receipt of the application will be confirmed by automated email.

  • Informational Webinar* August 22, 2023 at 10 am
  • Application Available Monday, January 22nd
  • Office Hours January 22 - February 15
  • Deadline Wednesday, February 21st
  • Deliberation Period Feb. 22 - March 15
  • Decisions Announced Week of March 18th
  • Feedback Period March 25 - April 5

*View the presentation recording and slides from our FY24 Tau Grant Informational Webinar.

Total Awards

We anticipate making up to 26 grants total (13 per cycle) with individual grants up to $15,000 for a one-year term. There will be an equal amount of funds allocated for both cycles.

Past Grants Awarded

Reference Documents

FY24 Tau Grant Application Questions*

*Application questions are provided in advance for reference only. Applications must be submitted online using the Access Grant Portal button at the bottom of this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

St. Francis of Assisi adopted the Tau symbol as his signature on letters. For St. Francis, the Tau was a loving symbol of God’s intense relationship of love and 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.

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, and to remind us of our commitment to those who are
experiencing poverty and those who have been historically marginalized.

For Allegany Franciscan Ministries, “public agencies” refers to state, county, and local governmental agencies; these entities are not eligible for a Tau 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. Beyond these two specific grant programs, we are open to partnerships with public agencies.
Organizations cannot apply for a Tau 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, Tau Grants are not intended to provide ongoing funding, thus we do not renew grants annually.
For Tau Grants, a maximum of one request can be submitted per organization in the current fiscal year (July through June) so if your request is denied, another cannot be submitted until next fiscal year.

Questions?

Contact or schedule office hours with Brittney Frazier for grant program questions and Carla Batts for grant portal questions.

The Tau Grant Program is being revised for FY25. Information will be announced in late summer of 2024.

Grant Portal Information

Applications must be accessed and completed through our online grant portal. Returning and new applicants and active grant partners can access the grant portal here.

Contact Carla Batts at [email protected] for questions about Grant Portal.

View Portal FAQS & Instructions
Access Grant Portal
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