Grants FAQ
READ OUR ONLINE APPLICATION LINK
Q. What organizations are eligible to receive a grant?
A. The ACF Competitive Grants process is open to organizations that are 501(c)(3) public charities or governmental subdivisions or entities.
Q. What other grants are available?
A. The Foundation also administers other grant rounds set up by donors for special purposes (like the Women’s Fund of Central Texas) or to fund projects in specific geographic locations (like the Highland Lakes Legacy Fund). Some of these grant cycles have open application processes and others fund projects by invitation only. Funding decisions are often made by the donors or by committees set up for each grant round.
Q. What are the deadlines for the ACF Competitive Grants Cycle?
A. There are no deadlines for submitting a grant request. ACF will accept a request at any time; however, you should be aware that the ACF Competitive Grant process takes approximately 4-6 months from when a request is submitted.
Q. What does 501(c)(3) mean?
A. This refers to an Internal Revenue Service designation code that verifies that an organization is charitable, tax-exempt, and nonprofit. Organizations qualifying under the 501(c)(3) code include religious, educational, charitable, amateur athletic, scientific, or literary groups; organizations testing for public safety and organizations involved in prevention of cruelty to children or animals. The Foundation’s due diligence on grant applicants includes verifying 501(c)(3) status.
Q: Do I need to submit legal and financial documents as part of my application?
A. Yes, you will need to attach a copy of your 501(c)(3) determination letter, your IRS Form 990, your financial statements (including an audit, if your organization is audited). See the online application for a list of required financial documentation.
Q. Do you share our proposals with ACF donors and other funders?
A. Yes. We will continue to share proposals with our fundholders and encourage them to give together with us. Several times during the year, we provide interested donors a summary of proposals and invite them to join us in funding those requests that align with their own philanthropic interests. This is a way for us to leverage philanthropic dollars and bring them to bear on important issues as well as an opportunity for other philanthropists to learn about the work of organizations in our community.
Q. Can I contact your advised fundholders directly?
A. Some of the donor-advised funds have agreed to review requests received through the ACF Competitive Grants Process, so you do not need to submit a separate application for those funds (a list of these funds is not available as the advisers can change their minds at any time). Other donor-advised funds do not accepted grant requests, as the grantmaking is either advised by living donors to meet their charitable objectives, or is predetermined by a specific fund purpose. We ask that non-profit organizations not contact our advised fundholders directly.
Q. How do we submit a ACF Community Fund application?
A. All ACF Competitive Grants now require applications to be submitted online. If you are unable to use our online system, please contact the Foundation.
Q. How can I be sure I am sending everything required for a grant application?
A. Your application will not be accepted if it does not have all of the required attachments uploaded. Double-check your attachments to make sure that you are sending all the required materials.
Q. How do I know that you have received my Community Fund application?
A. You will receive an email from the Foundation confirming that your application has been received. The email will include a copy of your application as it was received.
Q. If I received a ACF Competitive Cycle Grant in 2009, can I apply again in 2010?
A. It depends. You can apply if you have used all the grant funding you received AND have submitted your final report AND apply at least 12 months from the date of your last grant request.
Q. If I receive a grant through one of the other grant rounds, such as the Women’s Fund, can I still apply through the ACF Competitive Grant Cycle in the same year?
A. Yes. You are still eligible to apply through the ACF Competitive Grant Cycle if you receive a grant from any of the other grant cycles administered by the Foundation.
Q. Can I submit more than one application in a year to the ACF Competitive Grants process?
A. If you apply for the ACF Competitive Grants Cycle and do not receive an award, you may apply again for 12 months after you submitted your last ACF Competitive Grants Cycle request.
Online Application Frequently Asked Questions
All ACF Competitive Grant requests now require applications to be submitted online. The following FAQ should answer most of your questions about the online application process. If you have further questions, or an issue you would like to discuss, please contact MariBen Ramsey at the Foundation.
Q: Why does the link not allow me to view the formatted site and the ACF Logo?
A: If you are having trouble viewing the form, you may need to lower your internet privacy options. If your privacy settings are set to reject cookies, you may not be able to access this link. A cookie is given to your web browser by the online application form as a placeholder to allow you to reach the form again. Information is not collected for any other reason.
Q: I have answered all the questions for the eligibility quiz but cannot access the grant application. What should I do?
A: The eligibility quiz is designed to help you determine if your proposal will qualify for a grant. If you have answered the questions and are unable to access the application, it is likely that your proposal will not meet the requirements for funding. However, if you feel that your proposal does meet the requirements for funding, contact the Foundation.
Q: Do I have to create an account when I submit an application?
A: Yes, you must create an account to save and submit an application. An account allows you to access your saved and submitted applications at anytime. It also allows us to send you an email that confirms that we have received your application and notifies you if additional information is necessary to process your application.
To create a new account:
• Click “save and finish later” tab at the bottom of the application
• Enter your email address
• Create a password (5 character minimum)
• Confirm your password
Q. How do I save my application so I can return and finish it later?
A. We recommend that you fill in your organization name and contact information on page 1 of the application and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save and Finish Later button.
If you already have an account you will be prompted to log in, and a link to your application will be visible on your account page. If you do not have an account, you will be prompted to create one (please follow instructions above). Note: Your application will not be saved if you do not have an account.
Q. How can I access my saved, in-progress application?
A. When you create your account you will receive an automatic email with your tracking number and a link to the log-in page of your online application form. You may use that link to log-in and access your saved application.
Q. If I can't find the link to log in to my saved application, what do I do?
A. If you have saved an in-progress application (you didn't hit the "Submit" button) and you can't find the log-in page link, click on, type or paste the following url into your browser: http://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_1128?SA=AM.
Q: Why are there character limits to the application questions?
A. In order to fairly evaluate the many applications for funding that we receive, we have decided to place limits on the amount of text you can submit. We encourage you to answer each question concisely so that your proposal will receive careful, consistent attention from the grant proposal readers. Text beyond the limit will be cut off and your answer will not be complete. Be sure to edit carefully and double check that your text fits in the allotted space.
Q: How do I attach the required documents?
A. On the last page of the application you will be required to attach a number of documents to complete your submission. Click the "Browse" button, this will allow you to select a file on your computer to upload. Once you have selected the proper file, click the "Upload" button.
Q: What file formats will be accepted for attachments?
A. Most file types are accepted including Word, Excel, and PDF formats. Files with "exe", "com", "vbs", or "bat" extensions cannot be uploaded. The maximum size for all attachments combined is 75 MB. If your attachments are larger than 75 MB combined, please contact the Foundation.
Q: What if I do not have the required attachments in electronic form? Can I make other arrangements to deliver them to you?
A. No. In order to ensure applications are not disqualified due to lack of required materials, you will not be able to submit your entire application if the required materials are not attached to the proposal. If you do not have the documents electronically, you may scan the information into a PDF file. If you do not have a scanner at your organization, you may use the services of a copy shop or a public library to scan your documents.
Q: What if I have problems with the online form or questions about submitting a request?
A. You should contact the ACF offices at 512.472.4483 and ask to speak to a Grants Manager.
Learn more about competitive grant guidelines here.
Apply for an ACF grant here.
