In early September, we asked community members to provide feedback on EHF’s Building Connections Initiative. Through an in-person meeting, a virtual meeting, and an online questionnaire, we received a wealth of feedback that we’re incorporating into our grantmaking application process and into the structure of the program itself.
We wanted to share how we’re incorporating this feedback to honor the time community members spent engaging with us in the pre-launch phase of this initiative. Here is some of the feedback you’ve given us and how we’re moving forward.
Community feedback: Consider an eligibility phase of the application and understand that it takes time, energy, and resources for organizations to apply.
Our response: We understand that it takes time, energy, and resources from organizations to apply for grants. With that in mind we are making efforts internally to create a streamlined application process. We are also always open to providing individual staff feedback and accommodations to applicants. If you need support in your application, please email grants@empirehealthfoundation.org.
We are implementing a two-phased approach that starts with an eligibility and pre-application phase. This will allow us to collect initial information from interested organizations before moving on to the full application. Our intent is to limit the time and labor of applying for organizations that are not a fit for this grant opportunity. Organizations that are eligible as grassroots, by and for organizations representing EHF’s prioritized communities — BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, rural, and low-income communities — will receive an invitation to apply after the initial eligibility screening.
Community feedback: Limit essay questions and provide alternatives to the written word for application questions.
EHF response: You got it! We won’t ask more than six short answer questions. We anticipate asking three short answer questions for our eligibility screening and five for our full application. We’re also open to alternative formats for submitting answers to questions. For example, rather than cutting and pasting statements from your website feel free to drop us a link. Also, we are open to receiving responses to short answer questions via video or through a conversation with EHF staff.
We also encourage applicants to use AI or other tools that aid in generating your application. One of our main goals in this grant process is to ensure this is a low-barrier process that does not require organizations to hire outside grant writers.
Community feedback: $50,000 a year does not support a FTE staff member, the funding needs to be more for our organization to be interested.
Our response: This initiative will offer general operating grants, but is not necessarily designed to directly support a staff member. Our intention with the grant funding from this program is to build community capacity for non profit organizations and create space for organizations to participate in collaborative and healing experiences with their peers in the local nonprofit ecosystem.
We will also be offering additional grant funding opportunities to grant cohort members and eligible organizations throughout the year. These additional funding opportunities will support efforts like technical assistance, storytelling, and policy and advocacy.
Community feedback: What will the reporting requirements be for this grant?
Our response: We envision annual conversational check-ins with partners that will involve sharing a few key indicators of program activities. We won’t require extensive written reporting or expense accounting. The evaluation process and criteria will be shaped collaboratively with the grant-funded organizations. We want to create a process that provides value to the organizations participating and creates the potential to bring additional resources to our community partners, but is not overly burdensome or time consuming.
We also envision a storytelling session as part of the annual reporting. This session will be driven by the organizations themselves and an opportunity for organizations to highlight an aspect of their work they are most excited about. We hope to use this touchpoint to create content that is valuable for our partner organizations and gives the community insight into the vital work our partners do on behalf of community.
Community feedback: I want to know more about what the cohort convened by this project is meant to accomplish and what EHF’s goals are for this project before I know how my organization would be interested in engaging in the Building Connections Initiative.
Our response: We’re wrote an additional blog focused on this question! Check it out here.
Community feedback: What will the review process look like? What criteria will be considered?
Our response: We will feature an additional blog on the review process and criteria.