Gannett crowdfunding challenge offers $2M in grants: Here's who is eligible

Raman Singh wants people of all faiths to come together to help communities flourish.

The problem: It takes money.

“All of our faiths, and even people who don’t have a specific faith, have core values that they live their lives by and if we can build upon those values and bring people together around those values, it can effect real change in communities,” said Singh, executive director of InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit.

Singh found an answer thanks to the Gannett Foundation, an organization that supports a grant making and crowdfunding challenge known as A Community Thrives, sponsored by the Detroit Free Press' parent company, the USA Today Network.

This year's application for the program is open the entire month of June, with the paired fundraising challenge running from July 18 to Aug. 12 and grant announcements targeted for Oct. 5.

In 2021, the council was one of five Michigan nonprofit organizations to win a grant from A Community Thrives, alongside Arts & Scraps, Children's Museum of Branch County Inc, Hospice Homes of Genesee and Lapeer Counties, and Oaks Village.

The initiative was started for great ideas that improve communities but need a large network of people to bring them to life. A Community Thrives offers a way to get neighbors, friends, family, and peers excited to support community-building ideas, and a chance at over $2 million in grants to get projects off the ground and running.

Since 2017, the program has helped to distribute more than $17.7 million from donations and grants across the nation.

“We applied for support, particularly for schools that wanted to participate in the program but maybe did not have the funds ... so the community thrive grant really supported that program and helped more students and more schools participate," said Singh

The agency had two community building and belonging projects to focus on when applying for funding last year: Religious Diversity Journeys and Bridging to Belongings. A Community Thrives was able to help jump-start these programs, giving the organization the ability to get data and feedback as to what to do next for the program's expansion.

Singh's advice to anyone applying this year is to have a real specific program that you believe in, with a clear vision of what it is and how it will help your community.

"To me, the community building is really a building of awareness," said Steven Cozart, President of the Board at Hospice Home of Genesse and Lapeer County.

Cozart's organization received $15,000 from A Community Thrives in 2021, funds that are going toward purchasing a "home away from home" for hospice care.

"The thing about our building that is different is that there is no charge," said Cozart. "It's hugely important because it's something everyone is going to face and the community needs to be aware that a lot of people don't have a place to comfortably die."

Hospice Homes of Genesse and Lapeer County is always seeking volunteers, donations, and community partners in order to help get their hospice home off the ground.

“The application process specifically for the grant was straightforward, the A Community Thrives website is very helpful and really makes it easy to use that platform to get people donate directly through it and helped us keep records of donations and keep track of things,” said Cozart.

Who is eligible?

The challenge is open to legal entities incorporated or organized within the United States with valid Employer Identification Numbers and physical mailing addresses that maintain tax-exempt status.

To be considered, projects must contribute to and/or focus on community building with a preference for impacting historically underserved individuals and groups. Community building is defined for this program as activities, projects, or events that create and enhance the sense of community amongst individuals or groups in a region. Projects should involve individual or community support, either financially or through personal service.

How to apply

Submit an application for a potential campaign through the official application website.

Organizations who apply must follow any posted instructions and complete all required information of the application including name, email address, mailing address, phone number, and contact information for the designated charitable organization.

Participating in the fundraising challenge is a required component of the grant program.

What is the fundraising challenge?

From July 18-Aug. 12, eligible contributors are able to donate to their favorite nonprofits through Mighty Cause and get their donations matched through Gannett.

The minimum eligible donation is $5 per transaction. There is no maximum donation limit. Eligible donations must be made to entrant's official campaign and be successfully processed by Mightycause, a registered nonprofit that operates a donor-advised fund to handle donor-advised contributions.

Donations can take time to process, so contributors should donate sooner rather than later to ensure their donation counts.

Donations will be disbursed as a re-grant from MCF to participating nonprofits regardless of whether or not the organization meets the fundraising minimums.

More: Farmington Hills food pantry receives grant from Gannett Foundation's A Community Thrives

More: Gannett Foundation program awards more than $100,000 to Mich. organizations'

What grants will be offered?

Sponsors will evaluate and judge each eligible entrant in Tier 1 that fundraises at least $3,000 and each eligible entrant in Tier 2 that fundraises at least $6,000 in eligible donations through its campaign during the fundraising period grants.

There will be 16 project grants, including three in the amount of $100,000, seven in the amount of $50,000, and six in the amount of $25,000.

Entrants with community operations in sponsor's markets who meet eligibility requirements will be considered for local operating grants. These grant amounts will vary with a minimum of $2,500. The maximum amount of operating grants awarded will be $1.3 million. The total number of operating grants to be awarded is dependent on the number of eligible entrants and results of the judging.

A total of $200,000 of incentive grants will be awarded during the fundraising phase of the campaign to qualifying organizations that raise the most funds.

There will also be four bonus challenges during the period from July 18 to Aug.12.

Applicant can view the full list of rules and application form online at https://www.gannettfoundation.org/act/.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: A Community Thrives offers $2M in grants: Here's who is eligible