Grants

Spirit of Construction Grant Funding

PO Box 14238, Cincinnati, OH 45250

QUALIFICATIONS

2023 Community Grants CLOSED

Please Note: Only online applications will be accepted for 2023.

Call or email Anthony Brunsman at tbrunsman@spiritofconstruction.org / 513.382.4315 with any questions.

ONLY ONE (1) DOCUMENT CAN BE UPLOADED WITH THE APPLICATION. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION (IRS Letter, Letters of Recommendation, Etc.) MAY BE EMAILED TO TONY BRUNSMAN.

The Spirit of Construction Outreach Committee is accepting only electronically filed applications for their 2023 grant funding. The maximum amount of grants allocated each year will not exceed an amount approved by the Spirit of Construction Board of Directors.

All applications must be completed and submitted no later than February 15, 2023. Applicants may apply by completing the form below and attaching all proper documents.

Submit prior to the deadline in order to ensure the application was received.

Upload Proof Of Organization Type

1) Please provide a brief description of your organization, including your mission, the founding date and major programs offered:

2) Please detail recent successes or accomplishments for your construction-related program:

3) If affiliated with a national organization, what percentage of your funds stay local?

4) What is the total budget for your program? Please provide a budget that is specific to the construction-related program that is being applied for - not the total organization budget.

5) Briefly explain your purpose for seeking a grant from the Spirit of Construction Foundation as it relates to our funding priorities.

6) The SOC Foundation encourages multiple sources of funding for your organization. Please list, if any, other sources of funding that your organization has secured or is trying to secure.

7) If funding cannot be provided to your organization, what other resources can we provide to ensure a successful program?

Upload Letters of Recommendation (Combined)

Upload Annual Report/Board Members List

Upload Grant Proposal

Thanks for submitting!

GUIDELINES

The Grant Application should speak to the following metrics where appropriate:

Focused age group
# of Children and Young Adults Served
# of Construction Trades involved
Types of Construction Trades involved
# of Volunteers involved
Program Duration
Brief program summary
Community engagement
Business partners involved
Other funding sources

Applicants must engage young people in hands-on activities as a requirement. Engagement of middle school children is encouraged. Grant Recipients will be meeting with the Spirit of Construction Outreach Committee to ensure a sharing of knowledge, resources, identify synergies, discuss measurement criteria and provide any support to help their program become a success. The meeting is scheduled for June 7. Grant Recipients will be required to report on the appropriate project metrics in a final report due October 23 - October 27.

Please attach additional sheets detailing your grant proposal. See below for details.

Answer the following questions in the order presented here. Please limit the length of your grant request to no more than 3 pages.

Rationale and Context
- Please describe in detail what you hope to accomplish in receiving this grant and the expected return on investment to the construction industry provided by your organization.
Design and Activities
- Please describe the proposed project activities in detail. Include the following information: Timetable for completion.
- Describe your organization’s capacity to implement and administer proposed activities. Describe the status of the work and accomplishments to date, if applicable.
Summary
- In one paragraph, please tell us why your organization is worthy of this grant. Articulate your passion for the organization.

Letters of Recommendation

Please attach at least one but no more than 3 Letters of Recommendation from construction industry professionals who advocate your program or project.

Annual Report

Please attach one copy of your organization’s most recent annual report and a listing of your board members to each copy of your application.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

December 7th, 2022

SOC Board Meeting: Reviewed 2022 Executive Summary and approved budget of $75,000 for 2023.

January 3rd, 2023– February 15th, 2023

Grant Guidelines and Applications are available on-line at the Spirit of Construction website. To be eligible, application must be submitted no later than February 15th, 2023 and must be filed electronically.

February 16th, 2023 – March 3rd, 2023

Grant applications will be reviewed by each committee member to familiarize themselves with each applicant.

March 6th, 2023 – March 17th, 2023

Grant committee will meet as a group, evaluate the applicants, and rank candidates developing a shortlist. As necessary, interviews will be scheduled with applicants to obtain any further information necessary to make our decision.

March 20th, 2023 – March 31st, 2023

Interviews held as necessary and final recommendations submitted to the Outreach Committee no later than March 31st, 2023.

April 3rd, 2023 – April 14th, 2023

Outreach Committee approval of the Grant Review Committee recommendations. These will be submitted to the Spirit Board for approval (electronically) with notification to the recipients no later than April 14th, 2023.

May 10th, 2023

Introductions and presentation of checks to Grant Recipients at the SOC Spring Fling.

June 7th, 2023

Outreach Committee to meet with all Grant Recipients (SOC Outreach Collaborative Meeting) to ensure a sharing of knowledge, resources, identify synergies, discuss measurement criteria and provide any support to help their program to become a success.

July 5th, 2023 – July 28th, 2023

Outreach Committee members to follow up with all Grant Recipients to see where they are and provide any support they may need for their programs and discuss final reporting.

October 23rd, 2023 – October 27th, 2023

Final reports are due from Grant Recipients. Outreach Committee to meet with all Grant Recipients for final wrap-up meeting of their programs.

COMMUNICATION CRITERIA FOR QUALIFYING ORGANIZATIONS

To qualify (or not qualify) for Spirit of Construction grant funding through the Outreach Committee, the organization must be:

Community-based 501( c ) (3) or other proof on non-profit status.
Qualified educational institutions and organizations that reflect the Spirit of Construction values and focus their efforts in a positive way.
Controversial organizations or one that requires significant transfer of local funds to national or international parent organizations will not be considered.
Applicants must engage youth and young adults in hands-on activities as a requirement.

Funding priorities include:

Construction Education (not intended for scholarship purposes)
- Supports students or construction related programs at the following institutions of higher learning:
  - Cincinnati State Technical & Community College
  - Northern Kentucky University
  - University of Cincinnati
  - Trade and vocational programs in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Southeastern Indiana will also be considered

Workforce Development
- Programs or projects advocating the construction industry as the favorable career option to middle school, secondary school, and vocational/technical school students in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky/Southeastern Indiana regions. All grant requests are evaluated on merit.

Local Interest Projects
- Organizations either directly or indirectly affiliated within the construction industry that has projects that enhance our city, create educational opportunities or other activities that advocate our mission will be considered.

In addition to the annual grants that are awarded by the Outreach Committee, special grant requests will also be considered for recommendation to the Spirit of Construction Board for approval. These grant requests are not intended to be limited in dollar amount, and are subject to the approval of the Spirit of Construction board, as well as funds that are available within the organization to support such requests. An example of a special grant request would be the funding that has been provided in the past for our Construction Advocate/Middle School Construction Careers Outreach Program.

Qualifications

GRANTS

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