2024 Q4 CAR Foundation Grant Application

Introduction

The Colorado Association of REALTORS® Foundation supports Colorado nonprofit organizations that:

Advance safe and attainable housing programs for Colorado residents
Promote educational programs that encourage and support homeownership for all Coloradans
Provide housing-related disaster relief for Coloradans in need
Align with the CAR Foundation’s strategic priorities for its grantmaking

The CAR Foundation's Invest in Colorado Grant cycles will accept applications for program support only, inclusive of program-related expenses such as salaries and overhead expenses. An invitation to submit a Proposal does not guarantee funding. Organizations that receive a grant are required to submit a report that confirms that the funds granted were used for the intended purpose and provide impact data.

The size of the Foundation’s grants are matched to the organization’s need, capabilities, opportunities, scale of impact, and the program’s fit with the Foundation’s priorities, as well as the organization’s historic pattern of support from other institutional donors, its developmental stage, and the Foundation’s overall availability of funds. The Foundation prefers to encourage organizations to develop a broad base of support, thus will not make grants that represent 100% of a project’s budget.

Initial grants are one year in duration. Organizations funded in 2023 are not eligible for the 2024 Grant Cycles and may reapply in 2025. If your organization applied in 2024 and was not approved, you may reapply in 2025.

Grant amounts will range from $5,000 to $20,000.

Eligibility

Must be a Colorado-based nonprofit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization with a determination letter dated within the last five years
Show programmatic evidence of a demonstrated commitment to the Foundation’s mission
Of particular interest to the Foundation are projects that advance its mission through:
- Offering programming that directly meets at least one of the following areas of program support:
  - Advance safe and attainable housing programs for Colorado residents;
  - Promote educational programs that encourage and support homeownership for all Coloradans;
  - Provide housing-related disaster relief assistance for Coloradans in need.
    - Please note that grants for housing-related disaster relief are available only when a disaster has occurred. The Foundation will work with leaders in affected geographic areas of the state to identify specific needs and funding priorities in the event of a disaster.
Your organization must not have received CAR Foundation grant support during the Foundation’s most recent grant year (prior calendar year). Organizations funded in the most recent grant year are eligible to reapply after skipping a year.

The CAR Foundation will not award grants to:

Individuals
Organizations affiliated with a current director, officer or staff member of the Foundation
Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, sex, disability, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted via the electronic application form and are due by end of business December 30, 2024. Proposals will be screened for adherence to application instructions; alignment with the Foundation’s mission and guidelines; fiscal responsibility; and compliance with guidelines established by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Colorado Real Estate Commission. Regulations put forth by the Colorado Real Estate Commission that led to the creation of the Foundation stipulate that grant funds shall be spent on “community-based, affordable, housing initiatives.”

Grant decisions will be made at quarterly Foundation Board meetings.

Due to the size of the Foundation's geographic service area and the number of requests received, in the interest of fairness, Foundation staff are unable to meet with potential applicants and grantseekers in person or via telephone.

Your Contact Information

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Cover Letter and Mission Fit

Include in your cover letter a brief history of your organization and the issue or challenge it was founded to address; its mission; how it supports the community; the purpose of the grant request and a brief description of how the request fits with the CAR Foundation mission and grantmaking priorities.

Cover Letter * The field Cover Letter is required.

Legal Name of Organization * The field Legal Name of Organization is required.

DBA (if applicable) The maximum length for the field DBA (if applicable) is 500 characters.

Mailing Address * The field Mailing Address is required.

Physical Address (if not confidential) * The field Physical Address (if not confidential) is required.

Phone * The field Phone is required.

Organization website * The field Organization website is required.

Organization email address * The field Organization email address is required.

Name of CEO or Executive Director * The field Name of CEO or Executive Director is required.

CEO Phone * The field CEO Phone is required.

CEO Email * The field CEO Email is required.

Application Contact and Title (if not the CEO) The maximum length for the field Application Contact and Title (if not the CEO) is 500 characters.

Application Contact Email The maximum length for the field Application Contact Email is 500 characters.

Organization Information

Year Founded * The field Year Founded is required.

Mission Statement * The field Mission Statement is required.

Geographic area served (specific to this request) * The field Geographic area served (specific to this request) is required.

EIN * The field EIN is required.

Number of Employees (Full and Part Time) * The field Number of Employees (Full and Part Time) is required.

Grant Request

Amount of funding requested * The field Amount of funding requested is required.

Specifically, describe how the funds will be used * The field Specifically, describe how the funds will be used is required.

Financial Information

Organization Budgeted Income for current FY * The field Organization Budgeted Income for current FY is required.

Organization Budgeted Expenses for current FY * The field Organization Budgeted Expenses for current FY is required.

Program/Project Budgeted Income (this request) * The field Program/Project Budgeted Income (this request) is required.

Program/Project Budgeted Expenses (this request) * The field Program/Project Budgeted Expenses (this request) is required.

Project Activity

Provide a summary of the plan for the program or project request. Include the issue and/or opportunity addressed, goals and objectives, activities and timeline. Explain why your organization is approaching the issue/opportunity this way.

Project Activity Description The maximum length for the field Project Activity Description is 5000 characters.

Other Programs

If the organization has other programs outside this grant request, describe them here. Include demographics served and expected results.

Other Programs * The field Other Programs is required.

Evaluation and Impact

Describe the organization's overall approach to evaluation. How do you measure impact for the project that is the subject of this proposal? Summarize key evaluation results or finding that demonstrate the project or program's impact. Include a description of the organization's current goals and targeted outcomes.

Describe Evaluation and Impact * The field Describe Evaluation and Impact is required.

Collaborations

Describe the organization's most significant collaborations with other organizations and efforts. Be specific to the program for which you are requesting funding.

Collaborations Description * The field Collaborations Description is required.

Inclusiveness

How does the organization strive to be inclusive in its programs, staff, board, and volunteers?

Inclusiveness Description * The field Inclusiveness Description is required.

Board and Governance

What is the role of the Board of Directors in advancing the organization's mission? What are the Board's current goals? Describe the organization's policy regarding Board terms and the percentage of the Board that contributes financially.

Board Narrative * The field Board Narrative is required.

Volunteers

How does the organization involve volunteers (other than the Board) in a typical year? Include number of volunteers and hours (if tracked). What opportunities exist for REALTORs to volunteer?

Volunteer Narrative * The field Volunteer Narrative is required.

Attachments Required

Send the following attachments to CAR Foundation staff via email at carfadmin@coloradorealtors.com. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

IRS Determination Letter, dated within the last five years.
Budgets
1. Current fiscal year organization budget.
2. If available, send the organization budget for next fiscal year.
3. Program or project budget relevant to this request.
Current (Year-To-Date) Financial Statements
1. Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet)
2. Statement of Activities (Income and Expense Statement - in Budget-to-Actual format if available)
3. Provide the above statements through the most recently completed operating month available (must be within the last three months).
Year-End Financial Statements, Audit, and Sources of Income
1. Most recent year-end financial statements, audited if available.
2. Most recent audit, if different than above.
3. Sources of Income List: provide a list or table detailing income sources for the organization as a whole. Include the funding source (i.e. Government Grants, Foundations, Individual Contributions, etc) and the percentage of each relative to the overall organization income.
4. Major Contributors: For the previous fiscal year, list major contributors (foundations, businesses, government, individuals) with amounts. Do not include names of individual donors.
Board of Directors list
1. Include position(s) on the Board (officers and committees)
Anti-Discrimination Statement adopted by the Board
Annual Report, if available
Evaluation Results (optional, if available)

Your Organization Information

Business Name *

Address Line 1 *

Address Line 2

Phone

City *

State *

Zip *

Grant Application for 2024 Invest in Colorado: Q4

Amount Requested *

Project Name

Project Start Date

Project End Date