The Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) is seeking proposals for its grant program to help not-for-profits do world-changing work.

The mission of CICF is to mobilize people, ideas and investments to make this a Community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential—no matter place, race or identity.

The teams at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), The Indianapolis Foundation and Hamilton County Community Foundation, have studied the growing body of research that tells a dismaying story about the American Dream. Studies from The Brookings Institution, nationally, and locally in partnership with Indy Chamber and The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP); Stanford researcher Raj Chetty; and several others, confirm three things: 

• There is a growing gap between the affluent and poor in Central Indiana.
• The chance of making it out of poverty is slim, and the chances of doing better than your parents are declining.
• Race has a profound impact on opportunity

Types of Grants

• RESPONSIVE GRANTS
  • These grants are in direct response to community needs and support opportunities, ideas and programs that have been developed by not-forprofit partners to address those needs.
  • Responsive grants allow for capacity building, project-based or program requests, and general operating support requests.
• DONOR-ADVISED FUND GRANTS
  • These grants are made based on the priorities identified by donor-advised fund holders. Alignment with donoradvised funds is identified by community leadership and effective philanthropy staff and only at the request of donors and/or after an application has been formally submitted through an open application round.
• LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE GRANTS
  • These grants are in significant alignment with community leadership initiatives identified in the 2019-2024 strategic plans for Marion and Hamilton counties.

CICF will NOT support

• Capital requests
• Organizations that are NOT tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) Public Charity of the Internal Revenue Code
• Grants to individuals
• Organizations or projects that discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation
• Political campaigns or direct lobbying efforts by 501(c)(3) organizations
• Post-event or debt retirement
• Projects aimed at promoting a particular religion or construction project for religious institutions

Criteria

CICF assesses each funding request using the criteria listed below.

• Proven Success
  • measurable outcomes
  • track record of achieving goals
• Strong Leadership
  • clear mission
  • board leadership represents community served
  • fiscally responsible organization
• Collaboration
  • works with partners to leverage efforts
  • innovative approaches
• Cultural Competency
  • behaviors, attitudes, policies that allow for effective interaction with a diverse community
  • work viewed through a lens of racial equity
• Sustainability
  • resources necessary to maintain the work
  • growth strategy

For more information, visit CICF.