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 five Grassroots Grants questions are shown below. Word limits for each question are shown in parentheses.

• Project Contact Person. (Person responsible for reporting on project progress to the Meyer Memorial Trust)
• Brief history of the organization, its programs and services. (200 words)
• Project description and outcomes. What is the need for this project? Who and how many will it serve? What are its goals and objectives? How will it be implemented? What outcomes will the project achieve for the organization and the people it serves? (600 words)
• Organization Qualifications. What are the organization's qualifications to undertake this project? (200 words)
• Project Budget. Indicate all sources of funding for the project. Explain specifically how Meyer Trust funds will be used. (50 words)
• Explain how the project will be sustained after the period for which support is requested, if applicable. (150 words)
• Certify that the governing board of your organization has approved this grant application to Meyer Memorial Trust.