Grants Committee Policies and Procedures
Note: Nonprofits are highly encouraged to speak with the Chief Executive Officer or Foundation staff
prior to submitting an application. Please call 757-397-5424
Grantmaking Policy
Proposals for grants are considered on the basis of supporting the Southeast Virginia Community
Foundation’s (SEVACF) Mission and its Fundamental Strategies which state that the Foundation’s
primary focus is on “programs that support all community-related causes in our area of influence.”
The Foundation’s Grants Committee oversees all grant making. The committee consists of no less than
five members of the foundation board or advisory council but it is recommended that an odd number of
people serve on the Grants Committee to allow for a majority vote, should one be necessary, though
consensus decision-making is preferred. The Grants Committee shall be chaired by a director who has
been appointed by the Executive Committee for a term of two years. The Board President and Executive
Director are ex officio members of the committee with no voting rights.
Only 501c3 nonprofit organizations serving the greater Hampton Roads area communities are eligible to
apply. Agencies receiving SEVACF grants must serve its population without discrimination based on
race, religion, gender, age, disability and national origin or sexual orientation.
The policy supports the philosophy and intent set by the SEVACF Board to make grants that have a
lasting and positive impact on the population served by the applicant organization. To that end, the
guideline is to recommend one-year grants. Organizations cannot apply for a grant more than once in a
12 month period. Each year, the Grants Committee makes recommendations to the SEVACF Board
based on its research and review of the grant applications, and the budget appropriated by the Board.
Programs must meet emerging needs, including the potential benefit of organizational capacity building
grants to support these programs. To ensure objectivity, the Grants Committee uses a 10 question score
sheet to evaluate each application.
Policies
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Grants will be made only to non-profit charitable organizations.
Grants will be made only to organizations that provide for a responsible nonprofit fiscal agent
and adequate accounting procedures.
Grants will be made only for projects/programs that are certified in writing by the chair and/or
the Executive Director of the organization’s governing body.
Grantees must submit final grant evaluations reports in a timely manner. If reports are
delinquent from a previous grant, current applications will not be considered. (Final grant
report attached)
Grant Guidelines
All grant requests must adhere to the following guidelines:
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SEVACF is interested in funding from its available discretionary funds charitable organizations
that can demonstrate projects planned with respect to the community’s overall needs. The
Board and Grants Committee, at their discretion, may direct unrestricted funds in a particular
grant cycle to a specific community issue (i.e., education, breaking the cycle of poverty,
women’s issues)
Grant applicants should keep in mind that priority is given to projects that:
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Address current pressing problems;
Reach a broad section of the community;
Demonstrate innovation;
Have a track record of success;
Encourage matching gifts or added funding from other sources;
Yield substantial benefits for the costs involved;
Promote cooperation among agencies within their fields of interest;
Agencies receiving grants must serve their population without discrimination based on race,
religion, gender, age, disability and national origin or sexual orientation.
Consideration will be given to requests that address current programs as well as newly
developed programs focused on meeting emerging needs, including the potential benefit of
capacity building grants to support these programs.
Grants will not be made for debt reduction. Grants for capital and endowment must
demonstrate a clear tangible impact on program and must leverage matching funds within the
particular organization.
The amount of grants awarded will be determined by the SEVACF Grants Committee. Any
future year commitments are contingent on some level of measureable performance and the
appropriations process.
Conflicts of Interest
It is very important that the Foundation’s grantmaking process be perceived by both the public and the
applicant, as fair and unbiased. Because board and committee members are active in the community,
potential conflicts of interest may arise from time to time. It is the Foundation’s policy to deal with any
conflicts of interest as openly as possible. A conflict of interest is defined as any activity or interest that
may cause bias for or against a particular grant being considered. Committee and board members will
disclose in writing and discuss potential conflicts and answer relevant questions. Once a conflict is
disclosed, members may, if appropriate (as determined by the Board or Committee), abstain from
further consideration of a particular application and will recuse him/herself from any discussion on the
application.
Confidentiality
All discussions about applicants and the decisions of the committee are strictly confidential. This means
that while committee members may discuss the nature of the review process in general terms, they may
not discuss the details of the privileged information that comes through the review process or different
Committee member’s opinions.
What We Don’t Support
The Foundation generally does not make grants for the following:
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Programs/equipment that were committed to prior to the grant application period.
Debt reduction.
Annual appeals or membership contributions
To projects/organizations benefitting individuals or a few persons;
Travel expense for individuals or groups
Support of public or private educational institutions or government agencies except in special
situations where support is essential to projects/programs that meet critical community needs;
Political purposes;
Capital and Endowment building unless matching funds are generated within the particular
organization
Religious organizations per se (However, projects that serve the community, regardless of
religious affiliation, are eligible for committee consideration).
Evaluation
In evaluating grant proposals the Foundation gives consideration to:
Project Quality: established community need, expected benefits, planning, similarity to other programs,
reasonableness of budget and grant request, other expected funding sources, potential to leverage
other grants.
Community Impact: number of people affected, potential impact, demonstrated community
need/desire for the project, collaboration with other organizations, volunteer commitment to the
project.
Project Management: staff and board experience, organizational ability to carry out the project, missionappropriate, long-range plan for the project and the organization, future of the organization.
The Foundation also takes into account whether the Foundation has adequate resources to effectively
respond to the request.
Grant Review and Recommendation Process
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Agencies are encouraged to review our grant making policies and schedule and contact staff
before submitting an application. The application is available in word format at sevacf.org.
Agencies submit grant applications to Ward Robinett, CEO, at ward@sevacf.org or through
regular mail to SEVACF, 5800 High Street West, Portsmouth, VA 23703
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Deadline for grant requests is March 15 for the spring grant cycle and September 15 for the fall
cycle.
15 days after the deadline: The Board sets the amount of funds available for disbursement, the
length of commitment and a grant cap prior to Committee deliberations. The board of directors
will provide the Grants Committee with guidance in regard to the types of requests to consider
during a particular giving cycle.
Staff must provide grant application summaries and the score sheet at least two weeks prior to
the Grants Committee meeting.
April and November: Grants Committee deliberates (includes reviewing grant application,
additional research and agency visits or presentations).
By Mid-April and November: Committee prepares a recommendation for grant funding to the
Board for approval.
Following the Board action, the Committee notifies all finalists, whether or not they have
received a grant.
May and December: Committee works with the Communications Committee and staff to
announce funding selections, volunteer and agency presentation opportunities to all Hampton
Roads residents and members.
Grants Committee follows up with funded agencies on a semi-annual basis.