Policies and Procedures for Distribution of Funds from
Unrestricted Endowments and Field of Interest Funds

The following policies, procedures and guidelines govern the process by which the Williamsburg Community Foundation (the Foundation) makes grants from the GENERAL FUND, UNRESTRICTED ENDOWMENT FUNDS and FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS.

The mission of the Foundation is to enrich, enhance and enliven the quality of life in greater Williamsburg through grants that support a broad range of community enrichment opportunities and respond to changing community needs.

The greater Williamsburg area means the City of Williamsburg, James City County and York County.

As a general rule, the Foundation will make a grant to an organization only once in a three-year period.

The Foundation will give special attention to projects that have a broad community benefit, that will provide enrichment or enhancement to large and diverse numbers of community residents, and that are conceived to demonstrate the potential benefit of an innovative program to the community-at-large.  top

The Foundation will make grants to nonprofit organizations and government entities located within its service area that are consistent with and advance the mission of the Foundation. As a general rule, recipients must be certified tax exempt within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3), of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Foundation will not make grants for unspecified support of annual operating budgets, annual appeals, general campaigns for capital purposes or endowment campaigns.

Grants will not be made for religious purposes, but may be made to religious organizations for non-proselytizing projects with a broad-based, inclusive community benefit. Grants will not be made for political or partisan purposes. Grants will not be made to individuals.

The Foundation will not make grants to organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age, sex, or national origin.

The Foundation will expect applicant organizations to be controlled by an uncompensated, voluntary governing body, to operate according to generally accepted accounting practices, to submit its books of account and financial statements to the scrutiny of an annual review by an independent certified public accountant to conduct its fundraising activities in an ethical manner and to operate with high managerial standards. top

The Foundation will expect grant applications to follow and comply with its published application form and to be complete in all respects.

Grant applications that do not conform or that are incomplete will not be considered.

All grant applications will be referred to and reviewed by the Distribution Committee.

In its review of grant applications, the Distribution Committee will consider:

a. Whether the request is consistent with the mission of the Foundation;

b. The degree to which the request provides a benefit to the community-at-large and/or a substantial and diverse segment of the community's population;

c. Available assessments of need, strategic plans or other independent, objective studies or reports that may have a bearing on the need or priority of the project in the community;

d. Consultations with other funding sources, planning or evaluating bodies that my have knowledge of or interest in the project;

e. Whether the project is duplicative of another existing program, and if so, is there a substantial unserved, or under served, population in spite of the existence of the same or similar program;

f. The perceived ability of the applicant to fully implement the proposed project, including an assessment of securing full funding for the project;    top      

g. Whether a grant by the Foundation will, with documented certainty, leverage additional funds from other sources for the project;

h. The possibility that one or more other funding sources may be more appropriate resources than the Foundation;

i. Evidence of the fiscal, managerial and programmatic viability and effectiveness of the applicant; and

j. The priority of the project in relationship to other current applicants, given the funds available for distribution.

The Distribution Committee will make recommendations for funding to the Board of Trustees, which shall make the final determination with regard to each application. The Distribution Committee will provide to the Board of Trustees a summary of those applications that it determined not to recommend for funding.     top

The Foundation will expect all successful grant applicants to provide, in writing, a report on the utilization of the grant, including an evaluation of its effectiveness and a financial accounting.

As a general rule, the Foundation will not make multi-year grants or commitments.

In the event of an emergency request, the Distribution Committee will review and make recommendation to the Executive Board for action.