GRANTS guidance

As an organization, AAWGT is committed to supporting work that improves the quality of life for women and families in Anne Arundel County and to partnering with nonprofits who share this vision.

Like you, we care about healthy lives and safe places to live — we worry about food deserts — we see the growing need for emergency responses for housing and food, for access to equitable health care, and for safe, secure homes and a healthy environment for all women and families.

Like you, we care about education in all its forms, starting with the very youngest — and the importance of literacy and mentoring for people of all ages.

Like you, we are concerned about violence of any kind — domestic violence, gun violence, and bullying.

And, like you, we care about breaking the cycle of inequity in society, in organizations, and in practice.

For several years, AAWGT has worked to imbed the principles of DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) and Trust-Based Philanthropy within our organization and our grantmaking process. We are committed to being a positive force for DEIA through the work we fund. And, while maintaining our all-important focus on improving the quality of lives of women and families in our county, we believe that you, as a nonprofit, bring a firsthand understanding of how best to address this.

November 15, 2023 – Grant application is made available in PDF format for preview only.

January 2, 2024 – Online portal (Foundant) opens for organizations to apply for 2024 grant.

January 9, 2024 – Grant Applicant Workshop on Zoom. Two identical sessions will be held at 9:30am and 1:30pm. To receive the Zoom link, registration is required. For the morning session register HERE and for the afternoon session please register HERE.

February 1, 2024 – Application must be submitted by 11:59pm when the online portal will close.

July 1, 2024 – Grant year funding begins.

• Only non-profits with gross annual revenue less than $1,000,000 (excluding in kind revenue) are eligible to apply. Please use the revenue number from your most recent 990 if possible. Organizations operating under the nonprofit umbrella of a larger state or national organization will be required to submit their local affiliate revenue (required to be under $1,000,000) as well as the revenues reported by their parent organization.
• An organization may submit only one application.
• Funding is limited to two consecutive grant cycles after which the organization becomes ineligible for the following two grant cycles.
• Your proposal must be responsive to our mission: improving the quality of life for women and families located in Anne Arundel County.
• We only fund programs or projects which provide benefits or services to women and/or families located in Anne Arundel County.
• If applying to continue a currently funded program, the application will need to show that the current program has demonstrated substantial progress toward success by the application due date.
• Your organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit at the time it applies, after the grant is awarded, and for the duration of the funding cycle.
• If your organization is not a nonprofit, you may also apply by affiliating with a sponsoring 501(c)(3). Your organization could also have access to a Group Exemption by virtue of its affiliation with a church. If so, you will need to provide us with a letter dated this fiscal year from your parent organization that establishes the right of your organization to use this Group Exemption.

Section II. Organization Information: This section asks for basic information about your organization and also asks for the gross annual revenue to be sure that your organization meets our criteria for having revenue under $1,000,000.

Section III. Required Numbers: Applications will not be accepted if the numbers requested are inaccurate or incomplete.

Know and confirm the following three numbers for your nonprofit organization — they are REQUIRED!

• Federal Employee Identification Number (EIN) – this identifies your organization as a nonprofit. Your EIN will look like this: 00-0000000.
  Website to verify: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/.
• Maryland Charity Registration number (CID) – this identifies the organization with MD Office of Secretary of State.
  Your MD Charity number will look like this: 00000
  Website to verify: https://onestop.md.gov/list_views/62f3e1797f7e3200016a3dab.
  Organization must be listed as “Registration Status: Current”
• Business Entity Number – this identifies your organization with the MD Department of Taxation and Assessments.
  Your Business Entity number will look like this: InitialLetter00000000
  Website to verify: https://egov.maryland.gov/BusinessExpress/EntitySearch
  Organization must be listed as “This business is in good standing”

Section IV. Proposal Information: (Please keep your responses as concise as possible – we accept bulleted information.) The first questions are designed to give the reviewers a brief overview of your organization.

• When answering the DEIA question, be as specific as possible – we seek to understand if/how you are working to operationalize DEIA in ways that go beyond staff and board diversity.
• The amount you request must be between $5,000 and $25,000. The questions in this section get to the heart of your proposal. Through them, we are seeking to better understand the specific need you are addressing and how our funding will help you meet that need. Your past experiences and the knowledge you have gained in working within the community are important to us and should be included.
• The Optional question provides an opportunity for you to share anything we have not asked but you feel is important in understanding your organization and/or your proposal.
• And finally, the Summary you provide should capture the most important aspects of your proposal. Your summary will be used, exactly as written, in presenting your proposal for the final membership vote.

Section V. Financial Information: We request two items: a Proposal Budget explaining how the dollars requested will be spent (please use the template provided) and a current Operating Budget for your organization. You are encouraged to consider applying for general operating expenses as well as program expenses.

Section VI. Data Questions: Please check the appropriate category(s) in each of the four sections.

Section VII. Contact Information

Section VIII. Electronic Signature: Don’t forget to electronically sign and submit the application!

What We Do Not Fund

• Organizations that discriminate by race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, or national origin
• Capital projects, including new construction, expansion, renovation, or replacement of existing buildings
• Endowments
• Sponsorships or fundraising drives/events
• Banquets, receptions, or similar events
• Political activities or lobbying
• Sectarian religious activities
• Grants to individuals

Next Steps: AAWGT members will evaluate your application in a careful process. Successful proposals will be placed on a ballot for membership vote in mid-May. Applicants eliminated throughout the process will be promptly notified.

Still Have Questions?

For questions about grant requirements or the grants process, email grants@givingtogether.org
For technical or software questions, email GrantAppHelp@givingtogether.org and include a telephone number.