Capital Improvement Grants
Capital Improvement Grants support time-limited projects for Forsyth County nonprofits to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets (such as property, buildings, technology, or equipment).
KEY DATES: 2024 grant cycle
- Mid-July: application opens
- September 3: application closes at 5:00 PM
- End of November: notification of funding decisions
To apply, log in to the grant portal. Please register for a portal account at least two weeks before the application deadline so we have time to approve your registration. View instructions >
WHAT WE FUND
- Organizations may have only one funded Capital Improvement Grant open at a time. (However, they may have concurrent funding open for Capacity-Building Grants, Small Grants, Focus Area Investments, and/or Strategic Initiative Grants.)
- Organizations that have received Capital funding are asked to wait three years before submitting an additional request.
- Maximum funding request: $25,000
- Capital grants will not be awarded for operating expenses required to meet the ongoing costs of running a nonprofit.
Approved expenses include:
- Existing facilities (renovations, upgrades, repairs, and ADA accessibility)
- New facilities
- Major material goods (equipment, vehicles, and furniture)
- Technology and software
- Beautification (green space, plants, lighting, fencing, etc.)
- Supplies (lower priority)
A strong application will demonstrate:
- Two years of organizational operation
- Proven track record of service in Forsyth County
- Diverse leadership representative of the community it serves
- How the organization gains insights from people with lived experience in the area(s) of service(s) provided
- Financial statements demonstrating revenue and expenses over two years (current year and previous year) – an audit is helpful, but not required
- Clear project plans
- Decsription of project need
- Organizational capacity to manage the scale of the project
- Ability to sustain any ongoing maintenance costs
Expenses that are not eligible for funding:
- Operations (utilities/rent, legal/financial services)
- Programming/services
- New or existing staff
For information on past Capital Campaign Grants that were made through the former Capital Campaign Coordinating Committee calendar, click here.
INFORMATION SESSION
Learn more about our Capital Improvement Grants in the recording below:
capital improvement grant FAQs
Can I discuss my proposal idea with you before applying?
Yes, if you have a proposal idea you’d like to discuss, we’d like to hear from you! You're not required to meet with our staff before applying, but many nonprofits find it helpful to discuss their idea with our team. To schedule a conversation, contact us (below) at least one week before the application deadline. Note: we cannot guarantee a meeting close to the deadline due to increased call volume.
If we’re a faith-based organization can we apply for a grant?
We fund faith-based organizations (churches, synagogues, mosques) when the organization is providing a social service, as long as it doesn’t serve only the members of a single congregation or promote a particular religious doctrine. Read more in the document below.
Can we apply for a grant if we’re based outside of Forsyth County?
If your organization is based outside of Forsyth County but serves a wide geographic area that includes Forsyth County, the Foundation will consider a grant for the portion of the project that impacts Forsyth County. If you are based outside of Forsyth County and you also don't serve Forsyth County, you are not eligible to apply for funding.
Who makes the final grant funding decisions?
While final grant decisions rest with our volunteer governing boards, our staff serve as dedicated liaisons for each funding opportunity.
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