Montgomery County Announces $1 Million in Grant Funding for Small, Emerging and Volunteer-Led Nonprofit Organizations to Support Grassroots Projects

For Immediate Release: Monday, July 24, 2023

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and the Montgomery County Council have announced that $1 million in grants is available through the new Community Projects Fund to assist small, emerging and volunteer-led nonprofits in implementing community focused projects, initiatives and events. The first round of grants, totaling $250,000, is open now. The opportunity will be reopened later in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) with at least $250,000 available in each quarter to support new community needs and opportunities.

Awards will be prioritized to nonprofit organizations with fewer than three employees and annual budgets of $250,000 or less. Nonprofits do not need to be based in Montgomery County to apply, but all projects must occur within the County or be exclusively focused on County residents.

The Community Projects Fund is intentionally flexible to allow nonprofits to identify their own needs and new programming best suited to support their communities. The full program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the online application, a link to a recorded online information session, links to additional training events and other resources are available on the Montgomery County Office of Grants Management – Grant Application Platform. The Community Project Fund will reopen for new proposals on Oct. 1, Jan.1, 2024 and April 1, 2024.

Applications can be submitted by eligible nonprofits until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20.

Applicants with questions about the application process should contact Ali Hoy in the Office of Grants Management by calling 240-773-3384 or by email at ali.hoy@montgomerycountymd.gov.

“An important reason for launching the Community Grants program was to give small and emerging nonprofits better opportunities to access County resources,” said County Executive Elrich. “These opportunities are critical to gaining experience managing grants, building a track record of success and being able to successfully go after larger funding opportunities from the County, State and Federal government. We also need to acknowledge and reward our volunteer-led nonprofits who do amazing things for Montgomery County with tiny amounts of funding thanks to their commitment and passion for service.”

FY24 Community Project Fund award amounts will vary with a minimum award of $5,000 and a maximum award amount of $25,000 over a six-month performance period.

“The nonprofit sector is critical to maintaining a strong social safety net in Montgomery County,” said County Council President Evan Glass. “I am pleased that the County is pursuing reforms to improve the grants process for our nonprofit partners. As the County makes these important changes, we must ensure that we work alongside our nonprofit partners. Nonprofits are instrumental partners for our County and their engagement in this process is key.”

Grant applications will be reviewed by an independent committee organized by the Office of Grants Management. The committee will include neutral, qualified individuals from Montgomery County Government who are selected for their experiences in the Community Grant program’s subject area, grants administration or project management. The panel members will review and score applicant proposals on a 100-point scale based on the criteria and priorities established in the Community Grant program, with cumulative ranking informing the final awards.

For information on  grant opportunities for larger nonprofit organizations and longer-term programs, see the July 14 press release on the FY24 Community Grants program.

 

Release ID: 23-320
Media Contact: Jennifer Garfinkel 240-962-1506
Categories: Grants