What Does the Community Grants Program Fund?

Grants must be written in support of communities within the THCF service area: Eastern Jackson County (East of I-435) in Missouri, suburban Jackson County (outside of KC metro), and Cass County. Funding requests are for activities that will take place in the next fiscal year. It is preferred that requests have a start date of November/December of the current year OR begin in January of the following year.

Applications to the Community Grants program must address one or more of the following issues:

• Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation
• Adult or Non-Traditional Education (not Children's Education)
• Community Betterment (improving neighborhoods, youth development and leadership, programs for seniors, transportation, violence prevention, racial equity, etc.)
• Health and Human Services
• Wildlife Conservation in Missouri – open to agencies statewide

Is My Organization Eligible to Apply?

Organizations that are 501(c)(3) nonprofits, units of local government, or public education institutions located in or serving individuals or communities in Eastern Jackson County (East of I-435), suburban Jackson County (outside KC), and Cass County are eligible to apply for Community Grants funding for Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation, Adult or Non-Traditional Education, Community Betterment, and Health and Human Services.

Organizations applying for Wildlife Conservation in Missouri funding are not restricted to serving the aforementioned THCF region. Wildlife Conservation applications from across the state of Missouri are encouraged.

Programs, projects, and general operating grant awards are eligible for funding for up to three consecutive years. A new application must be submitted each year. After three consecutive years of funding for a specific program or general operations, the organization becomes ineligible for one year. However, organizations are still eligible to submit proposals for different programs or services. Exceptions to this rule will be evaluated case by case.

What Is A Typical Community Grant Award Amount?

The average Community Grant award is $5,000-$7,000. Approximately $250,000-$300,000 is available annually through the Community Grants program.

Important Dates for Community Grants

Competitive Grants Application Workshop

Annually in February. Organizations that have not previously attended or applied for a THCF grant are encouraged to attend. Attendance is optional and will not affect final grant award decisions.

Community Grants

• Applications are due in late March
• Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by early October
• Grant checks will be issued in November at our annual Grants Luncheon
• All recipient organizations must submit a written final report to THCF at the conclusion of the program funded or twelve months from the date of the award.

Youth Advisory Council Grant Evaluations

THCF's Youth Advisory Council (YAC) students participate in our Community Grants program each year. Students review Community Grant proposals that serve the communities where they live and go to school. YAC members conduct site visits to applicant organizations during June and July. The members then share their findings and provide recommendations to THCF's Grants Committee. YAC also uses these site visits to determine how they will award their annual grant dollars from their Endowment fund.

If your proposal proceeds through the first round of reviews, your agency may be asked if it is willing to host a site visit to discuss your grant proposals with our Youth Advisory Council members. This is entirely optional and will not affect final grant award decisions if you choose to decline.

What Does The Application Include?

• Click HERE to download a Grants Budget Sheet that must be included in your application. This is not needed for General Operation requests.
• Click HERE to download a Grants Report Form. This form should be used to create an interim or final report. If you are a current grantee, a report will need to be submitted along with the application. This form will also be required for submitting final grant reports.
• Here is a SAMPLE of information requested on the Community Grants application.

Enter the Grants Portal