Community Grant Program

Open Call for Funding

 
The South Robertson Neighborhoods Council (SORO NC) is pleased to announce an Open Call for funding applications for local nonprofits and LAUSD schools that serve stakeholders within the SORO NC Boundaries.
 
SORO NC is launching an open call for applications for Neighborhood Purposes Grants (NPG) funding in the hope of finding the most worthy projects in our community to fund. We seek to learn about exciting new projects and organizations, and support important causes in our community.
 
This fiscal year (July 2015-June 2016) SORO NC is looking to fund a maximum of $5,000 for NPGs within the community. We encourage potential applicants to carefully read the following guidelines before submitting.
 
Please note that this year, we will be gathering all qualified submissions and evaluating proposals against each other in order to make the most effective use of our public funds for the betterment of the community. It is important that you write a competitive and thoughtful grant, and ensure that you submit all required paperwork to have the best shot at securing funding.
 


Important Dates

 

Submission to the open call for funding opens on October 1, 2015 and submissions must be made by close of business (6pm) on January 15, 2016.

 
SORO NC’s Board will decide on final grant recipients on Thursday, February 18, 2016 at their general board meeting. Successful applicants will be notified immediately, and paperwork will be submitted to the City of Los Angeles for direct funding to successful applicants. Please note, submitted projects for which funds are requested must be completed prior to June 30, 2016.
 


Eligibility

 
  1. You must be a non-religious 501(c)3 organization that serves the community of stakeholders within the SORO NC Boundaries OR an LAUSD school within our boundaries.
  2. If you are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, you must submit your IRS determination letter, IRS W-9, Project Budget, and your City of Los Angeles Business Tax Registration Certificate (BTRC). Applications without these documents attached cannot be funded
  3. NPG funding is only available to any stakeholder or project one time per fiscal year. The current fiscal year began on 1 July 2015 and ends 30 June 2016.
 
Inadequate, inaccurate or incomplete grant applications will not be considered.
Failure to submit complete paperwork as outlined in the application will cause your application to be rejected. If you have questions about the paperwork, you can direct them to treasurer@soronc.org. Please note we cannot be responsible for ensuring a timely response if you contact us after the 2015 holiday season, so plan ahead and contact us early with your questions.
 
We strongly recommend that you read the Neighborhood Purposes Grant Application which outlines the application process and requirements for submission of an NPG in full. You can find the document online at http://empowerla.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/NPG-Application-1-26-15-final1.pdf .
 


FAQs


What kind of projects does SORO NC fund?

We have funded a broad range of projects in the past, from school gardens and art projects to fresh fruit programs for elementary students, community resource and therapy centers, neighborhood events which are open to the public and more.
 
In general, we will prioritize projects that benefit a large group of SORO NC stakeholders, are open to the public, and contribute to improving quality of life for our community. But we’re definitely on the lookout for exciting new projects that we don’t yet know about, so don’t hesitate to apply if you think you meet the criteria outlined here and in the applicant packet.
 

How much will you fund?

No single NPG application can exceed $5,000 but we encourage you to apply with smaller numbers since we will seek to fund as many worthy projects as possible with the $5,000 we have allocated in this grant cycle.
 

Review Process

  • All eligible submissions will be reviewed by SORO NC’s NPG Ad-Hoc Committee, who will make recommendations for funding to the full SORO NC Board.
  • The full SORO NC Board will select the successful applicants during the SORO NC Board meeting on February 18, 2016.
  • Board-approved NPG applications will be forwarded to the City’s Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) for payment, and are subject to their approval.
  • Actual funding can take as long as three months, so please plan accordingly.
  • Any fraud will be investigated by the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney.
 

How do I apply?

  1. Each applicant will be required to submit a cover letter outlining their project, including a written plan for how you will publicize your project or event.
  2. Prepare the NPG application and letter, and assemble all required documentation as outlined in the application checklist.
    http://empowerla.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/NPG-Application-1-26-15-final1.pdf
    http://empowerla.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/PriorApprovalFundingRequestSUBMISSION-CHECKLIST.pdf
  3. Submit a single PDF application with all required and completed paperwork before the deadline of 6pm PST on January 15, 2016 to npggrants@soronc.org
  4. SORO NC’s NPG Ad-Hoc Committee will meet to review all submissions and decide whether they are accepted or rejected. They will also make recommendations for which projects should be funded by the board. This meeting will happen between January 15, 2016 and February 17, 2016 and will be noticed 72 hours in advance at www.soronc.org. All SORO NC meetings are open to the public.
  5. Be prepared to attend the SORO NC Board meeting on February 18, 2016 where accepted and recommended projects will have an opportunity to present their ideas in person to the Board and answer any questions. We strongly recommend that you attend this meeting in person.  
  6. Successful applicants approved by the Board for funding will have their paperwork submitted to DONE within 10 days of the board meeting, and DONE will be responsible for final approval of the grant.
  7. Upon completion of the project or event, we’ll ask you to come back to the Board meeting and submit a detailed letter outlining how the funds were spent, how the project/event was publicized, how many people attended or participated and other accounting of interest to show the appropriate use of public funds.
 


Questions?

 
Please send an email to npggrants@soronc.org or attend a SORO NC committee meeting most closely related to your project. Email addresses for the chairs of each committee can be found on their committee webpage.
 
Good luck and we look forward to seeing your submissions!

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