Ankeny Community Foundation

to educate, enhance, and serve ankeny

Grant Application

Overview

Mission

The Ankeny Community Foundation provides members of our community with the opportunity to create a legacy.  We connect donors, nonprofit organizations, professional advisors, residents, community leaders and other partners to inspire charitable giving that improves the quality of life in Ankeny. 

What we support

As donations allow, the Ankeny Community Foundation utilizes a competitive application process to provide grants that make meaningful impacts, with a focus on initiatives that meet immediate and future needs within the following Fields of Interest:

Educate Ankeny

Enhance Ankeny

Serve Ankeny
  • K-12 Education
  • Adult Education
  • Community Education
  • Higher Education
  • Library Programs
  • Preschool Programs
  • Vocational Programs
  • Beautification Projects
  • Community Events
  • Parks
  • Performing Arts
  • Public Art
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Trails
  • Animal Welfare Programs
  • Clothing Closets
  • Food Pantries
  • Health and Human Services
  • Housing and Public Safety
  • Service Organizations & Initiatives

Grant Scoring

Reviewers Consider the Following Elements and their Significance:

  • Local need, originating and serving within the city limits of Ankeny, addressing one of the primary fields of interest (above)

  • Planning by local Ankeny organization to make a meaningful impact in meeting/addressing the need

  • Impact to be made through the project

  • Cost analysis and planned use of funds – fiscal viability of the project

  • Additional investment, including cash match and/or volunteer commitments

  • Evidence of broad-based support

  • Capacity to implement and complete project or to meet application goals within twelve months of grant award

Eligibility to Apply for Funding And Funding Available for Next Grant Cycle

  • Tax exempt status – nonprofit entity classified by the IRS as 501(c)(3) or a 170 (c)(1) governmental entity with current up-to-date compliance

  • Local Ankeny entity

  • If not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, must have a 501(c)(3) or 170(c)(1) fiscal agent who will be legally and financially responsible

  • One application per organization

  • Grant requests will be considered for any dollar amount between $1-$1000

  • Not a private foundation

  • Not to re-grant this grant money – funds not to be redistributed through grants

  • A total of $3,000 will be available for the 2023 grant cycle across Educate, Enhance and Serve Ankeny fields of interest, with up to $1,000 grants awarded in each of the three areas. In addition, one additional grant — The Elaine M. Moore Memorial Grant — in the amount of $500 will be available for local outdoor greenspace or park beautification. Grant Cycle ‘23 will open in late summer, accepting applications beginning August 15th with a deadline of 11:59pm local/central time on September 15th, 2023.

  • Previous grant recipient nonprofits: Ankeny Service Center; TAKE/The Ankeny Klothing Exchange; New Horizons Adult Day Center; Friends of the Ankeny Library; Children & Families of Iowa - Ankeny; Courage League Sports - Ankeny

Instructions

Checklist

Please check that each area has been included in your application and completed:

  • Cover Page Information
  • Organization Description
  • Project Summary
  • Project Information
  • Project Timeline
  • Project Budget
  • Organizational Budget
  • Additional Supporting Materials (optional)
  • All applications must be submitted and received via email
  • Copy of 501(c)(3) IRS Determination Letter attached to grant application
  • Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement with sponsor contact information if fiscal sponsor used

All portions of application must be completed and submitted by the application deadline of September 15, 2023 at 11:59pm local/central time. 

Definitions/Explanations and History

Fiscal Sponsor: A fiscal sponsor is an organization that is receiving the awarded funds on behalf of the grant applicant and is responsible for disbursing the funds for the project as well as maintaining the appropriate documentation.  This entity must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a 170(c)(1) unit of government in order to serve as fiscal sponsor.  A Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement must accompany the grant application if a fiscal sponsor is used.

In order to receive grant funding, organizations must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt, nonprofit, public charities under Section 501(c)(3) of the Federal Tax Code, which establishes the criteria for tax-exempt charitable organizations, or as a “unit of government” under Section 170(c)(1), which refers to agencies that conduct activities to benefit the public at large, like public schools, state universities, and public libraries.

Local Ankeny entity: A local Ankeny entity is an organization located within the geographic city limits of the City of Ankeny.  In order to receive grant funding, organizations/applicants must be located within the City of Ankeny, Iowa. 

Local need: A local need is a need found within the City of Ankeny; the need to be addressed by the applicant organization/initiative/project must be located within Ankeny.  Grant funds must be spent to serve the community of Ankeny or to meet or address a need in Ankeny. 

Grant Scoring: Members of the Board of Directors of the Ankeny Community Foundation review and score all applications that meet the eligibility requirements. Award decisions of the Ankeny Community Foundation Board of Directors are final.

Previous Grantees: 2019 Grant Cycle — Friends of Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library $1000; Children & Families of Iowa - Ankeny $750; Courage League Sports - Ankeny $500. Late 2020/Early 2021 Grant Cycle — Ankeny Service Center $1000; TAKE/The Ankeny Klothing Exchange $1000; New Horizons Adult Day Center $1000.

Grant Application Form — Grant Cycle 2023