The Cook Family Foundation commits funding to projects that strengthen community institutions, extend their mission, or enable their growth. Grant requests should meet the following four criteria:
- The grant should fund an activity central to the adopted mission of an organization and advance the work of the organization’s strategic plan
- The grant should enable an organization to expand its programs, the number of people served, membership, volunteers, public support, and/or financial base
- The organization should have a plan in place to sustain the new growth or make permanent new changes after grant funds are expended
- The grant request should be part of a comprehensive and long-term financial strategy that leverages additional resources, involves grants or donations from other sources, and/or is matched by investment of the organization itself
Expectation of Organizational Investment
We believe that the role of the Cook Family Foundation is to serve as a partner in strengthening local nonprofit organizations. As partners, we expect that applicant nonprofits will be able to demonstrate a level of financial commitment to their own success. This commitment can be demonstrated in a variety of ways but should, ideally, include a cash commitment. For example, if grant funding is sought to upgrade computer software and hardware, a nonprofit will be expected (at a minimum) to provide sufficient resources for the ongoing maintenance and upgrades of the technology system. If funding is sought to hire a consultant to conduct a technology audit or facilitate a strategic planning process, it is expected that the nonprofit will pay a portion of the consultant fee or project cost (typically 20%).
We are happy to discuss your project with you in advance of your proposal submission to explore what our mutual investments might be.
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