Grassroots Grants Guidelines

Grassroots Grants are made for a wide variety of projects, including but not limited to organizational technical assistance, technology projects, hiring advisers/consultants, facility construction and repairs, outreach and communication, operating support, etc.

Grassroots Grants are designed for organizations with operating budgets under $2 million. Historically, 70% of Grassroots Grants have gone to organizations with operating budgets of $250,000 or less.

Projects must be of significance to the organization and its community. Grant funds may not be used for activities that take place prior to MMT's decision on the request (three months after the submission deadline).

Total project costs may not exceed $150,000, including in-kind donations, but excluding volunteer labor. Projects must be able to be initiated promptly after the MMT grant is made and generally completed within a year, except for capital projects. All remaining funds and in-kind support for the project must be in hand or pledged when the application is submitted, except requests for capital projects and operating support.*

* When applying for a Grassroots Grant to support a capital project or operating expenses, you need not have raised all other funds before applying. We expect, however, that applicants will have already invested significantly in these efforts and intend that MMT funds be used to leverage support from other sources. You may apply after relevant members of your organization are actively engaged in implementing a project fund development plan that outlines specific sources and strategies. For instance, you may have pending decisions with three other foundations. Two new fundraising events may have active committees at work on planning and preparation or the board may have designated a portion of proceeds from an established fundraising campaign to support the project and so forth. For operating support, there must be a clear fund development plan in place to raise the organization's operating expenses for the year.

In any case, it is important to show your organization's commitment to the project. For example, board members may have made an additional gift to your organization or you are dedicating a portion of your discretionary operating funds for the project.

Because we want applicants to be as prepared as possible when submitting  a proposal to MMT, we have a Help Desk on this website where we offer up Frequently Asked Questions, list specific criteria we use in evaluating various kinds of proposals and invite grantseekers to ask us other questions that may not be answered elsewhere at the Help Desk.

MMT's Awards Database has examples of recent Grassroots Grants.

Proposals declined by MMT may not be resubmitted for at least 12 months after the date of declination, unless substantial changes in the project occur. It is best to email or call MMT before resubmitting a proposal.

MMT uses GrantIS, an online application and grants management system it developed, for applications to this program. Applicants access this system at the GrantIS Home Page.

The step-by-step instructions to using GrantIS to apply for a Grassroots Grant are listed below.

Step 1

• Register your organization with MMT.
• Verify that your organization meets MMT's eligibility requirements.
• If you have not already registered your organization with MMT, go to the registration form, where you will supply your organization name, contact email address, requested password, and EIN. (The EIN or Employer Identification Number, also known as the Federal Tax Identification Number, is assigned to your organization by the Internal Revenue Service. It is the nine-digit number found on your tax-exemption letter from the IRS.)
• MMT will confirm your registration and issue you a username, usually within two business days. SAVE your username and password. You will use your username and password to access GrantIS for all future applications.

Step 2

After you receive your registration information, log into GrantIS. Go to the Organization Profile section and complete (or update) your organization profile, including contact information and your board list.

Step 3

Complete and submit the online Grassroots Grants application under the "Submit an Application" section of the Grant Application Zone. The Grassroots Grants questions are shown below. Word limits for each question are shown in parentheses.

• Current Fiscal Year Budget. Enter the organization's current fiscal year budget, current assets and liabilities, and a brief financial history (revenue & expenses) for the prior three fiscal years.
• Project Contact Information. Enter information for the person responsible who will primarily be responsible for reporting to Meyer Memorial Trust on the project.
• Brief History of the Organization. Provide a brief history of the organization and its programs, including whom and how many are served. (200 word limit)
• Project Description and Outcomes. Explain why the project is a high priority. Whom and how many will it serve? What are its goals and objectives? What outcomes will the project achieve for the organization and the people it serves? (600 word limit)
  • Requests for Technical Assistance. If you are requestig funding for a technical assistance project, please include the following information:
    • Did you review the "What We Look for in Technical Assistance Proposals" on our website?
    • Did you use the Scope of Work template as a model to request bids for the proposed work?
    • Have you determined which consultant(s) is/are suited to work with your organization, can carry out the specified work and can produce an actionable work product?
  • Requests for Capital Construction/Renovation Projects. If you are requesting funding for a capital project, please include the following information:
    • Do you have site control?
    • If you are conducting work in phases, will you be able to conduct at least some activity after this phase is completed?
    • If the project will be completed in phases, do you have a fund development plan in place to raise the funds needed to complete the capital project that does not include returning to MMT?
  • Requests for Technology. If you are requesting funding for technology, please include the following information:
    • Did you review the "What We Look for in Technology Proposals" on our  website?
• Organization Qualifications. Who are the individual(s) who will be implementig the project, and how are they prepared to take on this work? If you are requesting technical equipment, please include the qualitifications of the person(s) suggesting the particular purchases, as well as the qualifications of the persons to install, operate and/or maintain the equipment. What are the organization's qualifications to undertake this project? (200 word limit)
• Project Budget. Enter your line-item budget, and indicate all sources of funding for the project. Explain specifically how MMT funds will be used, and how remaining funds will be raised, if needed. (100 word limit)
• Community Involvement. Describe any volunteer or community assistance with the project, in-kind donations, or collaborations with other community groups (200 word limit)
• Project Sustainability. Explain how the project will be sustained after the period for which support is requested, if applicable. (100 word limit)
• Agreement and Certification. Confirm that you have updated the organization's GrantIS Profile, have read and understood the program guidelines and eligibility requirements, and that the board of the organization has explicitly approved submission of the proposal.