grants...

View Program/Operating grant proposals or
View Capital & Endowment Campaign grant proposals
on file at the Community Foundation. 
These lists are updated weekly as new proposals are received.

FOR GRANT SEEKERS

APPLY:  To apply for a program or operating grant from the Community Foundation and its family of funds, complete this form and send to grants@chescocf.org.  Email submissions preferred.

BACKGROUND:  The Community Foundation holds in trust over 340 charitable funds for individuals, families, corporations and nonprofits. Nonprofits are urged to submit one grant proposal annually.  It will be shared with the Grants Committee overall, as well as made available to each of our separate donor advised funds.

Over 95% of the Community Foundations grants are made through the generosity of each of our donor advised funds.  Our donors may choose to fund any of the proposed grant requests.  Funding is more of an art than a science, depending on the donor's interests and priorities.  While most of our grants are for general operating support, a donor tends to feel ‘connected’ through particular initiatives or programs of the nonprofit.

Electronic applications are strongly preferred.  Download our grant application, fill it out, and e-mail it to grants@chescocf.org.

A proposal is considered “complete” when the Chester County Community Foundation has received the Grant Proposal Summary Sheet, Grant Proposal Narrative, and Attachments.  (Attachments may be mailed if they are not easy to e-mail.)  The Community Foundation also accepts the Delaware Valley Grantmakers Common Grant Application Form found at www.dvg.org.

All grant applicants must be charitable, tax exempt organizations with 501(c) (3) certification. 

Questions?  Contact grants@chescocf.org or (610) 696-8211.

ADDITIONAL DETAIL:  Proposals submitted by Chester County nonprofits will be considered for 2 types of grants:

1) DONOR ADVISED & FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS:  As described above, proposals received at any time throughout the year are eligible for funding consideration from the Foundation’s Donor Advised Funds and Field of Interest Funds.  Grant decisions are made intermittently throughout the year.

2) FUND FOR CHESTER COUNTY STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE:  Proposals received by September 15 will be eligible for January funding consideration from the Foundation’s unrestricted grant making fund, the Fund for Chester County Strengthening Communities Initiative.

FOR GRANT MAKERS

CCCF Donor advised funds & FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDS

Make a grant from your CCCF Fund by downloading, filling out and returning our Grant Distribution Request Form.

Read our due diligence guide to help you make informed grant decisions. 

PRIVATE &  CORPORATE FOUNDATIONS
The Community Foundation frequently shares information with other foundations regarding the worthiness of prospective grant recipients in Chester County and the development of effective grantmaking programs.  Our central location in West Chester enables us to serve as a convener for information-sharing and collaborations on important regional issues.

Also, when private foundations or trusts seek administrative, due diligence, filing, and/or investment services, the Community Foundation can serve as a conversion foundation or provide separately managed services.