2026 Fall Community Grant Program – FAQs 

Projects must serve charitable purposes and align with one or more of The Endowment’s four pillars: Social & Health Equity, Community Development, Education, and Community Safety. Grant funds may not be used for religious purposes. 

• Your organization’s Articles of Incorporation 

• Your organization’s list of board members with affiliations 

• Your organization’s fiscal year operating budget for the current year 

• Your organization’s audited financial statements for the most recently completed fiscal year. If you do not have audited financial statements, you must provide unaudited financial statements for the last two completed fiscal years 

• If you are a 501(c)(3) organization, your organization’s Form 990 

• If you are a 501(c)(3) organization, your organization’s 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS (or equivalent if your organization is a local government or church) 

Yes, below are the additional fiscal sponsor documents you need to provide in addition to your organization-specific documents from Question #3. 

• Fiscal sponsor agreement 

• Fiscal sponsor’s Articles of Incorporation 

• Fiscal sponsor’s board list with affiliations 

• Fiscal sponsor’s fiscal year operating budget for the current year 

• Fiscal sponsor’s audited financial statements for the most recently completed fiscal year. If your fiscal sponsor does not have audited financial statements, they must provide unaudited financial statements for the last two completed fiscal years 

• Fiscal sponsor’s most recent Form 990 and IRS determination letter. 

No, an LOI is not required. If you wish to apply, please complete the application directly from the portal. 

No. All applications will be reviewed on an as-is basis. Applicants are encouraged to contact our Network Associate for support before submitting their application if they have questions about the application or required documentation. Once an application has been submitted, no revisions can be made to the application or any uploaded documentation. 

Applications to apply for the Fall 2026 cycle open August 10, 2026 and are due by 11:59 PM on September 8, 2026. 

No. All applications will be reviewed on an as-is basis. Applicants are encouraged to contact our Network Associate for support before submitting their application if they have questions about the application or required documentation. Once an application has been submitted, no revisions can be made to the application or any uploaded documentation. 

Yes. Technical support zoom meetings will be available throughout the open application window, and applicants can sign up here. 

All support – including technical assistance – will end at 5:00pm (close of business) on the application deadline date. 

Applicants can expect to receive funding decisions between late October and early November 2026. 

The grant term is expected to run from approximately November/December 2026 through July 30, 2027. The exact start date will depend on when all required materials – such as bank account information and a signed grant agreement – are received by grantees. Funds cannot be disbursed until these requirements are completed. 

All grant funds must be fully expended by July 30, 2027. Final reports for Fall 2026 Community Grants will be due on August 30, 2027. 

Applications are evaluated using a standardized rubric. We also recommend reviewing our application guide with tips for applying, available here. 

As this is a Community Grant, extension amendments are not permitted. For this reason, alignment with the grant timeline is a key consideration in the review process.

Proposed projects and funding requests should fall within the grant period, which runs approximately from November/December 2026 through July 30, 2027. 

No, you can only apply for each grant cycle once. Submission of more than one application during the same grant cycle will result in the disqualification of all applications submitted for that cycle.  

Yes, fiscal sponsors may submit one application on behalf of their own organization and may also serve as a fiscal agent for multiple sponsored organizations. 

Yes, the maximum award is $15,000. The minimum award is $5,000. 

Due to the competitive nature of this grant program, we are unable to discuss or provide feedback on specific proposal ideas with applicants prior to submission. However, application support sessions will be available throughout the application period to answer general questions about eligibility, charitable purpose requirements, and the Community Grant Program guidelines here. Responses will be general in nature and should not be interpreted as an assessment of a proposal’s likelihood of success. 

All support – including technical assistance – will end at 5:00pm (close of business) on the application deadline date. 

Please see the eligibility criteria above. 

Yes, if you meet the eligibility criteria above and can provide the required documentation.  

Yes, however; to be eligible for a Community Grant from the Endowment, your organization and your proposed grant must serve or benefit residents in New Hanover County. 

Yes, if you meet the eligibility criteria above and can provide the required documentation or else via a fiscal sponsor. 

If you currently have an existing Common or Community Grant, or have an application under review, we encourage you to speak with your Network Officer before applying. Existing funding commitments and pending requests may affect consideration of your Community Grant application. 

Please note, you may not apply for Community Grant funding that duplicates activities or expenses already supported by an existing grant.