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FY 2026 Affiliated Agency Grant Application Guidelines

All applications must be fully completed and submitted electronically to the Town no later than February 14, 2025 at 4 pm

Applications will first be reviewed by Town Finance Staff and Senior Staff. The Finance & Administrative Committee will then review the applications and will select agencies to make presentations outlining their funding request and answer any questions.

  • Those selected will be notified by email (please make sure to provide a valid email address) of the day and time scheduled for its presentation.
  • The Finance & Administrative Committee will, after its review, submit a recommendation on affiliated agency funding requests to Town Council as part of the annual fiscal year budget and adoption process.
  • The Committee requests each applicant adhere strictly to the guidelines and requirements provided herein.
  • Failure to correctly complete the application in its entirety, may disqualify what may be an otherwise qualifying application.

Guidelines for Affiliated Agency Applications

The purpose of this program is to provide a transparent process to consider grant requests using public funds and to document the proposed public benefit of each funding request.

It is the intention of this program to make limited grants to agencies and non-profit organizations providing services for public benefit that are not tourism related. Tourism grants and support is provided through ATAX grants administered by the Town ATAX committee.

  • Affiliated Agency grants will be recommended by the Town Finance & Administrative Committee to Town Council annually.
  • It is not the intention of this type of grant to be recurring.
  • "Out of cycle" or "emergency" grant applications are discouraged.

Applications will be reviewed using the following criteria to determine if it serves a public purpose:

  1. Is there a goal or benefit to the public by virtue of the project?
  2. Will public or private parties be the primary beneficiary?
  3. How speculative in nature is the project?
  4. On balance, what is the probability that the public interest will ultimately be served and to what degree?

Application

  1. Summary of Requesting Agency
    1. Describe the organization, its mission and background.
    2. Provide the full name, postal mailing address, email address and telephone number of a primary contact person, given the authority and responsibility to represent the application before the Committee, must be included in this section.
    3. List the organization's current annual budget and the requested grant amount.
  2. Description of Operations
    1. Describe the organization purpose/uses of requested funding and demonstrate how funding will provide public benefit.
    2. The description must state what is intended to be accomplished by the Affiliated Agency grant funds, and the source and amount of other funds to be committed to the project.
    3. Describe the impact to the organization should it not be fully funded for the fiscal year 2026 grant request.
    4. What are the future capital projects or changes in the service delivery scope that might impact future operations or financial requests?
  3. Funding
    1. Provide a brief description on how the organization is currently funded.
    2. Provide a summary of current and previous governmental funding applied for, and/or received, for the prior two fiscal years and current.
  4. Finanicals
    1. Provide copies of the prior two fiscal years audited financial statements
    2. Provide a copy of the current budget detailing all anticipated revenues and expenses.
  5. Measuring Effectiveness
    1. Please identify the project/operating objectives and budget.
    2. Please identify how operational metrics will be tracked to demonstrate goal achievement.
    3. Please identify how the metrics accrue to a public benefit.
    4. Please identify your service area and provide statistics of clients served.
    5. Please identify any partner agencies.
    6. Please identify a proposed/expected timeline to achieve objectives.
    7. Please identity any partners/contractor comments.
    8. Please identify any other sources of funding requested or received.
  6. Submisssion Requirements
    1. All funding requests are to be submitted electronically by Friday, February 14, 2025 via the Town's Online Affiliated Agency Grant Application.

Questions?

Contact the Senior Grants Administrator, Michele Bunce at MicheleB@hiltonheadislandsc.gov or 843-341-4689