Annual Grant Program

Thank you for your interest in applying for the 2025 Enhance Hamilton County Foundation Annual Grant. Following is the information you will need to know to make your application process a smooth one.

• Application deadline is 5 PM on December 31. Applications received after 5 PM will not be considered for funding.
• To submit a grant application, complete the online application. Click the button below to access the application.
• All grantees must be a 501(c) (3), 170 (c) (1) governmental entity, a civic organization, school or church or have a fiscal sponsor who will agree to support the project and act as the passthrough on the grant monies. If an organization needs a fiscal sponsor, please download the form located below and make sure to attach to the grant application where indicated. You will need to upload a copy of the Fiscal Sponsor’s IRS Determination Letter in addition to the form.
• An agency may have only one current grant at a time in process. Organizations with previous grants not completed cannot apply for a new grant cycle. 
• Fiscal agents can sponsor more than one project in addition to submitting their own grant application.  
• All grantees must agree to a visit by an Enhance Hamilton County Foundation Board Member(s).
• All grantees must recognize the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation as a funder. This can be done through print media, radio, social media, posters, signage at the project site, website, etc.
• Grant requests cannot exceed 40% of the total grant project budget.
• Grant projects that are not completed within the time frame must return all grant funding.
• Grantees needing extended time to complete their project must send a Grant Extension Request to Darcy Swon, Enhance Hamilton County Foundation Development Director, at <a href=”mailto:dswon@enhancehamiltoncounty.org”>dswon@enhancehamiltoncounty.org</a> or by calling the Foundation office at 515-835-0437.
• Grants will need to have a Final Project Report submitted prior to applying for a new grant. Deadline is December 31 at 5 pm.
• If the project cannot be completed by December 31, a grant recipient can request an extension on the project via email stating the reasons the project is not complete and when completion is anticipated. In that case, a written report is required upon completion of the project.
• Grant update reports must be completed on time. Incomplete grant reports could result in ineligibility to receive grant funding for the next years grant cycle(s). The due dates for emailed status reports will be given at time of funding.
• No Organizational Budget is required at the time of the application submission but may be requested upon grant application review.
• All applicants will receive notification indicating the status of their grant funding following the Affiliate Board Meeting held the 2nd Thursday of February.

Grant monies will be distributed at an event to be held late February or early March. Details will be released closer to this time.

If you have any questions on the grant application or process, please contact Darcy Swon, EHCF Director, by calling 515.835.0437 or via email at Final Project Report

You can save your grant application to come back to it later. The SAVE button is located at the bottom of the application.

We recommend that you complete each section in another document (such as Word), and then copy and paste into the application.
This way you have a copy of what you submitted, as well as a backup, if there is an issue with your grant submission.