Community Grant Program - NOW OPEN

Applications are due @ 11:45 pm on November 30, 2019.  No late applications will be accepted.
Applications are only accepted through our electronic portal. The link to the portal can be found below.

How to apply:
1) Click here to go to our Grant Portal
2) Clicking on the link above will take you to a log on page.  If you are a new user, you will need to create an account. Previous grantees will use their previous log on information.
3) At the top of your screen, click on Apply. Select the Community Grant Program 2020-2021 application to begin.

​If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at 304-253-3806 or info@bafwv.org

Community Grant Process
Using the pooled income from our discretionary funds, Beckley Area Foundation addresses the community's most pressing needs and promising opportunities.  BAF makes annual discretionary grants to charitable organizations serving Raleigh County in the areas of:

• Education
• Health and Human Services
• Arts
• Public recreation 
• Civic beautification
• Economic Development

Eligibility 
The Foundation considers grant requests from organizations which are:

• Designated as a non-profit under Section 501-c-3 of the Internal Revenue Code or are a public institution, school or municipality.  An IRS determination letter verifies 501-c-3 status.
• Programs funded must benefit Raleigh County. While the proposed program itself must serve Raleigh County, the applicant organization is not required to be headquartered in Raleigh County.
• Project or program must occur within the defined grant period: April 1, 2020 — March 31, 2021.
• Submission of an application, including all required documents and information, by the application deadline.  Deadline is November 30th 11:45 p.m.

BAF places priority on the following types of projects:

• Innovative special projects not part of the ongoing maintenance or operation of the organization.
• Seed money for pilot projects or for a new organization designed to respond to unmet or emerging community needs.
• Projects that either serves a significant number of residents or reach a group of under-served residents of Raleigh County.
• Capital and equipment needs.
• Matching grants to provide leverage for additional funding.
• Projects that empower organizations to obtain on-going financial support from other sources.
• Sudden or urgent needs where prior planning for such needs could not reasonably have been made.

At the current time, no more than $7,000 per year will be awarded to an individual organization through the discretionary grant process.  The Distribution Committee tends to look favorably upon those requests that show additional sources of project funding.  

Grants are not considered for:

• Projects outside the grant period of April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021
• Political Purposes or Lobbying
• Sectarian religious programs
• Annual Campaigns
• Endowments
• On-going maintenance & operating expenses

After your request is submitted, it is reviewed by staff before being assigned to the Distribution Committee.  It is vital that information for the contact person be correct.  It is critical for the contact person to respond promptly to emails or phone calls from BAF staff requesting supplemental information to help clarify or expand an understanding of your application. A clear and concise description is central to the Committee's knowledge regarding your organization and its appeal for assistance.  Next, the Distribution Committee considers all proposals and makes recommendations to the BAF Board of Directors, who make the final approval on all award recommendations.  This will occur in late February. Applicants will be notified as soon as possible about decisions regarding each grant request.  
 
When applicants are notified of their grant award they are required to complete two (2) follow-up documents.  The first is a grant acceptance contract which must be returned within two weeks. The second document is a final report which is submitted upon completion of the funded project. Failure to submit these reports in a timely manner will negatively impact the organization’s grant eligibility for the next funding cycle.