GRANT PROGRAM
Grant Program Description
Annual grants are made to a variety of nonprofit agencies providing non-sectarian programs or services for the benefit of people residing and/or working in Moraine Township. Programs funded must complement the mission of, but not duplicate services provided by, Moraine Township. The Moraine Township Grant Program gives special priority to addressing the needs of the elderly, youth, persons with disabilities, and the economically disadvantaged. Agencies chiefly supported by taxpayer dollars or otherwise affiliated with a taxing body are not eligible.
A volunteer Citizen Grant Advisory Committee recommends awards annually, and these are voted upon, generally in March for the following fiscal year, by the entire Board of Trustees.
In its first formally operating year, FY06-07, the Township budgeted and granted $80,000 in direct grants. In the second year, FY07-08, the amount was increased to $100,000. FY08-09 grants totalled $101,000, and due to the economy (to meet the needs of local agencies suffering from insufficient donations), allocations for FY09-10 were $120,000, and FY10-11, $135,000.
Amounts granted vary due to multiple factors: how many Moraine Township residents are served or might be served; the Township's ability to make a crucial difference; the degree of community support/volunteers involved; the amount requested by the agency; how closely the agency services to the community meet the mission standards of the Township; the historical relationship of the Township to the agency; and the number of qualifying applicant organizations in a given budget year.
Funding support cannot be presumed from year to year. For details, see Calendar below, or access this year's application information, to be slightly revised again for FY11-12. Contact a Township Citizen Grant Advisory Committee Board liaison for guidance with any questions before submitting a full application. Please be certain to be using the most current application form!
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At the suggestion of the Citizen Grant Advisory Committee, the Township created a program to assist local nonprofit agencies with finding the resources to develop effective proposals. In cooperation with several other local funders, the first such program was held on October 10, 2008, "Achieve Local Fund Raising Success", a brown bag lunch event. It may be repeated from time to time. Let us know if this would be helpful to your organization.
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Calendar
Applications for funding support are available in September by request to the Township Office or as a PDF from the Township website. Editing adjustments to the application have been made each year, so that renewing agencies should be cautioned to be certain they are requesting funds under the most current application terms.
Applicants are urged to contact the Township Supervisor or Grant Committee liaison to discuss any questions before submitting an application.
Applications are due to the Township Office by February 1 of a given year, covering funding support during the Township's following fiscal year, April 1 to March 31.
The Citizen Grant Advisory Committee meets during February and March to discuss applications, make site visits or inquiries as needed. They generally provide written, detailed recommendations to the Board of Trustees in March.
The Board of Trustees receives an oral report from the Committee at a regular Board meeting at the end of March, and votes either at that time or at the next Board meeting in April.
The Supervisor sends grant funds in full to successful agencies as soon as possible after awards are voted.
All grantees are required to appear at a Board meeting sometime during the grant year to make individual presentations, keeping the public apprised of their programs, and indicating how the Township's participation is contributing to the welfare of its population. Agency appearances are scheduled throughout the year, beginning with the televised meeting of fourth Thursday in April.
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Citizen Grant Advisory Committee
This committee presently numbers five community members, volunteers selected to represent a balanced base of experience, community involvement, residence, ethnicity, age range and gender. Joining them as liaisons are two members of the Board of Trustees.
Members serving for FY10-11 were: Harry Crane, Chair; Judy Datz, Wendi Ezgur, Matt Ferrari and Beth Olderman. Trustees Bryna Gamson and Jackie Schechter were Board liaisons.
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Grantees for FY10-11
A Safe Place
support for comprehensive domestic violence shelter and counseling program:$2,500
Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County
support for Foreclosure Prevention Services program:$2,500
Career Resource Center
support for counseling services for residents in employment transition: $5,000
Center for Enriched Living
support for skill development & social activities for developmentally disabled residents: $2,500
College Bound Opportunities
support for mentoring low income scholars from high school through college education: $10,000
Family Network
support for Drop-in Center (pre-school aged families): $7,000
support for After School Activity Program (elementary after-school program): $10,000
support for Right From the Start (Latino family support): $8,000
Family Service: Prevention, Education & Counseling NFP
support for individual and family counseling services: $16,000
support for Nuestro Center, a Latino resource center: $5,000
Glenkirk
support for Moraine Community Living Facility for developmentally disabled clients: $5,500
Great Lakes Adaptive Sports
support for recreational programs for adults and youth with physical or visual impairment:$1,000
Highland Park Community Nursery School & Day Care Center
scholarship funds for low to moderate income families with children in day care: $18,000
Highland Park/Highwood Home Child Care Association
supplementary child care funds to support teen mothers completing high school: $4,000
JCYS/George W. Lutz Family Center
support for tuition subsidies for low income youth in summer Grand Slam Tennis Camp: $8,500
Lambs Farm
support for services to adults with developmental disabilities: $1,000
Links-North Shore Youth Health Service
support for adolescent programs providing resources for health and sexuality: $3,000
Nicasa
support for subsance abuse and addiction prevention and treatment: $1,000
Southeast Lake County Faith In Action Volunteers
support for the Volunteer Recruitment & Management Program to assist infirm & elderly: $2,000
The Art Center of Highland Park
support for Make Art Count program for low income adults to learn business crafts: $3,000
Tri-Con Child Care Center
scholarship funds to supplement early child care and education for low income clients: $16,000
Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center (formerly LaCASA)
support for Children's Program to promote healing from sexual violence and victimization: $3,500
See also our "links" page for access to existing websites, if any, for these agencies.
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Application Process
Obtain a copy of the current year's Grant Guidelines and Application, available during September, either from this website or by contacting the Moraine Township Office (847-432-3240; 777 Central, Highland Park). After reading over those materials, if there are any questions, applicants are urged to contact the appropriate people at the Township: either the Supervisor or Trustee representing the Grant Committee. The Township is happy to work with agencies unfamiliar with formal grant application processes, or ours in particular, and very much desires to save applicants the trouble of submitting inappropriate applications.
ALL questions on the application must be answered in full. Budgets must include all categories requested. Applications that do not follow the form and supply the requested information will be considered incomplete, and disqualified. Grantees funded during one fiscal year are not guaranteed funding in successive years; amounts may also vary from year to year.
Submit the completed application and supporting materials by mail or in person to the Township Office by February 1. Fax copies are not accepted.
Good luck!
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