GRANT APPLICATION GUIDELINES

By investing in people through academic scholarships and supporting capital projects of local organizations, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation looks beyond what is and enables change for what can be.
Areas of Interest The Selby Foundation specializes in supporting area non-profits with Capital Grants. Capital grants support the construction, acquisition and/or renovation of facilities, as well as the purchase of equipment or software. They may also include the costs of related technical services (legal, architectural, engineering, etc). Projects focusing on education, human services, arts and community projects including history, science, and/or the environment will be given top priority.
Grant Eligibility Criteria 1) Grants from the Selby Foundation are generally restricted to 501(c) 3 non-profit entities (or equivalent) that are located within the 4-county area surrounding Sarasota, Florida: Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties [see map]. On rare occasions, groups located outside of these counties have received Selby funding, but a majority of their projects/services must still benefit citizens within the 4-county area.
2) Grants from the Selby Foundation are also generally restricted to capital expenditures [see Areas of Interest above] 3) Organizations that have received previous Selby funding are discouraged from applying again within one year. All previous grant requirements must be fulfilled to the Foundation’s satisfaction before the organization will be eligible to apply again. 4) Because there is so much variety to capital projects and the types of organizations that undertake them, it is often easier to list the specific items that the Selby Foundation does NOT fund instead:
Limitations Generally, the Foundation will NOT provide grants for the following purposes:                                 •    Operating/program expenses                  •    Projects that have already been completed                  •    Endowments                  •    Deficit financing/debt reduction                  •    Conferences, seminars or workshops                  •    Travel                  •    Surveys, advertising, or marketing materials                   •    Research Generally, the Foundation will NOT provide grants to the following entities:                  •    Individuals                  •    Chambers of Commerce                  •    Private K-12 Schools                  •    Individual Public K-12 Schools (including Charter Schools and Booster Organizations)                  •    Churches and their individual ministries
Priorities Selby funding is generally intended to assist organizations in pursuing strategic goals by leveraging support from a broad base of constituents. As such, applicants who can demonstrate a variety of other funding sources for their project, and/or those who request less than 10% of the total project cost are usually given priority for approval. Organizations are encouraged to compile a list of their future needs and meet with Foundation staff to explore possible fits. There is no requirement to have an appointment to discuss your grant prior to application, but you are encouraged to contact the Foundation office if you have any questions.
Grant Process Summary To apply for a grant, simply complete the Required Documentation (below) and submit it to the Selby office. The Foundation has a firm deadline, which means that the application materials must be in the Foundation office before 5:00 p.m. EST on that day. Postmarks will not be honored, though email submissions are acceptable (send to grants manager Evan Jones). All information required in an application must be complete at the time of submission. If the deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday, the deadline is advanced to the next business day. Applicants are encouraged to submit their completed applications in advance of the deadline, which gives foundation staff the opportunity to review the content and identify any missing information before it’s too late. After your application is received, you will be contacted for a site visit. We request that the Executive Director of the organization participate in the scheduled appointment along with any other appropriate staff or board members. Your grant request will then be reviewed by our Administrative Committee in an attempt to determine the value of the project, the soundness of the sponsoring organization and the assurance of future maintenance and funding of the project. Once a decision has been made, applicants will be notified in writing of the acceptance or rejection of their request. If a grant is made, the organization is required to complete a Final Report of Grant Expenditure with certain financial and programmatic information. Future grant requests will not be considered if reports on previous grants are not completed.
Required Documentation In an effort to conserve resources, the Selby Foundation now requests only one copy of each item listed below. Please use the number and letter sequence shown below for identification purposes. If a question is not applicable to your grant request, please list the number of the question and state "N/A" (don’t just skip it).
NARRATIVE PORTION No more than 5 pages total, please ATTACHMENTS One copy each      1.   Legal name of organization (from IRS letter) 2.   Complete contact information             (including contact person for this specific request) 3.   Amount of money requested for this grant application             and total cost of the project. 4.   Using no more than three (3) sentences, describe             how grant funds will be used. 5.   Mission of organization, primary goals, and             recent major accomplishments. 6.   Project description addressing the following:            a)    The community need met by the proposal.            b)    Number of clients to be served by this grant.            c)    What other local agencies or services address                    the same problem(s) and how they do so?                    Describe how your approach differs from                    or augments these services.             d)    A timetable and/or work plan for the project.            e)    If your project/program will cost more than                   you are requesting from us, indicate how you                   will fund the balance. Describe any in-kind                   support, other grants applied for and/or funds                   already received.             f)    Indicate a plan for continuing to fund the                   project after the initial grant period is over. 7.   Board members have a personal responsibility to             contribute financially to the organization.             During the current fiscal year, how many board             members (%) have contributed? What is the dollar             range of gifts and total amount contributed? 8.   Amount of your agency’s endowment (if any) AND             amount of endowment of affiliated organization             and/or foundation. 9.   Where applicable, the percentage of your annual             budget that goes to your national affiliate. Will any             of THIS grant go to your national affiliate? A.   A simple line item project budget, including both             revenue and expenses (see sample below). B.   Quotes from three separate sources for any individual             item or system over $5,000 requested in the grant. C.   A copy of your organization’s audit or statement of             income and expenses for the previous year             AND most recent 990. D.   Current annual agency budget with year to date actual             and variances (revenue and expenses). Include             next year’s budget if available. E.    A copy of the organization’s most recent IRS             determination letter (NOT sales tax exemption). F.    A list of the Board of Directors, their addresses             and occupations. G.    If applicable, letters of agreement from collaborating             organization(s). H.    A letter signed by the President/Chairman of the             Board authorizing submission of the proposal. Note:  If applicant is a foundation supporting a non-profit organization, Attachements E, F, G, and H should be submitted for both foundation and organization. Sample Capital Budget: Sample Capital Budget (Acrobat PDF). Sample Capital Budget (Microsoft Excel®).  You may use this budget sheet in your application or submit your own format, but your budget must show the specific line items for which Selby funds will be used, and how those fit into the overall scope of the proposed work. Click here to view the requirements for the Final Report of Grant Expenditure