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Turning Ideas
Into Impact

Our annual competitive grants process is one of the best ways for us to learn about the creative ideas of our local nonprofits. The grant submissions help us decide where to focus our discretionary grants. And we share the information with the community, other funders and with our donors who have a similar passion. This gives them a great opportunity to know about your work and to contribute.

We award competitive grants once a year

To be eligible for the annual competitive grant competition organizations must meet the following eligibly criteria:

  • Be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Be up to date with Internal Revenue Service 990 filings and have filed for at least 2 fiscal years
  • Be serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, or Citrus counties
  • Be able to apply under the organizations own tax exempt EIN
  • Have at least one paid staff member and over $50,000 in revenue in the prior or current fiscal year
  • Be in compliance with all requirements of previous funds awarded through CFTB including reporting requirements

*Organizations may be asked to verify their eligibility prior to receiving an award. 

How It Works

The competitive grants process has two stages: letter of intent and full application. During the specified timeframe, eligible nonprofits may submit a letter of intent (LOI) to outline a funding need. We will then review the LOIs and invite several to proceed to a full application.

  • Grant Cycle Opens: 10/5/22
  • Letters of Intent Due: 11/4/22
  • Letter of Intent Notification: 12/7/22
  • Full Applications Due: 1/6/23
  • Final Notification: 4/7/23
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The Review

More than 50 reviewers assess the full applications. The reviewers include Foundation staff and members of our regional councils, and Board of Trustees. The process is highly competitive. Only about one in 7 letters of intent receive funding. It is important to note that most proposals we receive meet all the minimum requirements. Our discretionary funding is not enough to fund every good idea. That is why we share the top vetted applications with donors, other funders and the community.

Do your best to communicate what sets your organization apart. And please know that results are not an indication of the worthiness of your project.

Focus Areas For Competitive Grants

Through and with our donors, we fund organizations and projects across the nonprofit spectrum. With our discretionary grants, we target five areas of focus. This helps us better concentrate our impact.

Community Vibrancy

  • Arts and culture projects that engage the community
  • Projects that build resiliency and environmental sustainability
  • Local projects for community improvement

Economic Mobility

  • Education beyond high school
  • Career-readiness training
  • Apprenticeships and on-the-job training

Empowering Women & Girls

  • Support for domestic violence victims
  • Access to health and mental wellness resources
  • Programs to improve the economic status of women and girls

Mental Well-Being

  • Trauma-informed care models
  • Programs that address suicide and addiction
  • Models for reduction of mental health stigmas

Positive Education

  • Strength-based approach that emphasizes critical life skills
  • Kindergarten readiness
  • Social emotional learning and growth mindset

Applying

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Applying

Applications are accepted in the Fall. During the application period, log in to the grant portal and complete your letter of intent. If you have not applied for a Community Foundation Tampa Bay grant before, you will need to create an account.

Access Grant Portal

If your organization already has an account in our portal and you would like to be added as a contact, please contact Desiree Ward, Specialist, Community Impact, at dward@cftampabay.org or 813-280-0664.

Previous Grants

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Previous Grants

Looking through our previously awarded competitive grants will give you a sense of what kinds of projects and opportunities have been successful.

See Grants

Next Steps

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What Happens Next

  • After you submit a LOI, you will be notified by email if you are invited to move to the next step, which is a full application. The full application and all subsequent steps are submitted through the same online grant portal. If your letter of intent is denied, you are welcome to apply during the next appropriate grants cycle.
  • If awarded, you will complete a grant acceptance agreement and your grant check will be mailed.
  • If your full application is denied, you are welcome to apply during the next appropriate grants cycle.

Acknowledgment and Reporting

We encourage you to acknowledge your grant from the Community Foundation Tampa Bay — whether you receive the grant through the competitive grants process or as a grant from one of our donor advised funds or foundations. Please share on your website, social media, newsletter and other appropriate places. You will find guidelines and helpful information in the PR Toolkit below. We also welcome an opportunity to make a formal check presentation to your Board.

View PR Toolkit
A follow-up report will be due online one year after you receive funding.

Competitive Grants Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers use these criteria as a guide, not a definitive checklist. Overall, we look for signs of efficient and effective organizations. We want to hear about how you are achieving success. Please ensure that your submissions are complete, contain sufficient detail to describe your project, and are well-written.

Collaboration

We look for demonstrations of partnerships, such as third-party letters of support, and multiple funding sources.

Innovation

We want to see how your project is different. We also want evidence that it is based in research and best practice.

Measurable Outcomes

We think of competitive grants as investments. So, show us metrics that support the work and demonstrate positive impact in the community.

Community Visibility

When your project is visible and can be described clearly, it encourages future support and funding opportunities.

Equity

We evaluate projects on inclusive practices, equitable outcomes, populations served and community impact.

Frequently Asked Questions and Tips 

During the last competitive grant cycle about 1 in 7 Letters of Intent (LOIs) received funding.  Of those invited to submit a full application, about 1/2 were funded.

Any nonprofit serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando or Citrus counties is eligible to compete for a grant.

Our average competitive grant award in 2022 was $22,162, but grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $50,000.

View our Previous Grants Awarded to get an idea of the proposals that have been awarded.

There is no preference given to previous applicants.

Generally, our competitive grants are not designed to fund:

  • Academic scholarships
  • Annual appeals, capital campaign, fundraising events, membership contributions, etc.
  • Capital funding for building and building renovations
  • General operating and administrative costs
  • Grants to individuals (rent, utilities, etc.)
  • Medical or scientific research
  • Political campaigns or direct lobbying efforts
  • Religious or sectarian purposes

Nonprofits that receive a competitive grant are required to submit a final report within a year of receiving the grant. The report must include demographic information about those served by the project, measurement metrics and a final budget that details how the grant was spent.

12 Tips for Successful Grant Proposals

If you do some research and make a personal connection with your funder, your proposal is more apt to align with their goals.
Some funders are all about helping you operate at maximum capacity, while others are more interested in funding an initiative that can take your work to the next level.
Ask for the formal rubric for scoring the grant. Many funders will share them. If there isn’t one, that may tell you that your story is more important than the technical points.
Painting the picture of the impact you make on the people you serve is often an overlooked element in a successful proposal. Weave your story in with the plan for what you hope to accomplish.
Funders want to see that you have support from numerous sources. If most of your money comes from one source, you could be at risk if that funding is lost.
It’s important to articulate what you can do for your funder. Do they want credit? Can you help them look good to their boards? Can you enhance their reputation in the community?
Be respectful of the funder that took a chance on you. If your existing funder feels a sense of ownership, they may be uncomfortable with a new funder getting equal recognition.
How often and how much does your funder want updates? Beyond the formal reporting requirements, be willing to offer occasional informal progress check-ins.
If you don’t get funding, set up a meeting to learn why. Feedback is an invaluable process of putting together a strong grant.
You’re spending time and money on this so begin to track the effort. You want to balance effort with opportunity, so be sure to consider all the costs before applying.
Plain language almost always wins out over jargon and academic language. Keep it simple while still demonstrating the value of your work and its complexities.
There are funders who are willing to take a risk on a big idea. Demonstrate confidence in your ability to see something through and be honest about the outcomes, even if they are not favorable.

Critical Needs

While nonprofits provide services to those most in need within our community, many are often under-resourced and a single, unexpected event can dramatically impact their ability to provide crucial services. To address these unexpected needs, Community Foundation Tampa Bay has created the Critical Needs List for nonprofits to share those urgent, unexpected needs with community philanthropists. A critical need is defined as unbudgeted, unforeseen, and time-sensitive, and one that significantly interferes with a nonprofit’s ability to provide crucial services or presents an imminent threat to the organization’s continued operations. Please view our list submitted by local nonprofits below.
View List

Community Foundation Tampa Bay has been growing philanthropy in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties since 1990. Whatever good you are inspired to do, we are here to help you do it.

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