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.
Click here to access the Online Grant Application (please read the Guidelines first)
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. Organizations that have never applied for a Selby Grant (or who have not received one within 5 years) are encouraged to contact our President for a preliminary discussion before applying. 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 Deadlines Completed grant requests must be received via the online application portal by 5pm on February 1st or August 1st of each year. If either of those dates falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is advanced until the next business day. The Foundation has a firm deadline, which means that the online application will close promptly at 5:00 p.m. EST on that 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. Minimum Request:  $10,000  Fiscal Year # of Grants:  about 40  Average Grant Size:  $50,000  Application Deadlines:  February 1st,  August 1st Notification Dates:  May 15th, December 15th
Grant Process Summary To apply for a grant, simply click here to access the online grant application. Note that organizations that have received previous Selby funding are discouraged from applying again within one year, and that organizations that have never applied for a Selby Grant (or who have not received one within 5 years) are encouraged to contact our President for a preliminary discussion before applying. After your application is completed, 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 addition to the questions on the online application, we also require copies of some key documents from your organization. Below is a list of the documentation that will be required to complete the online application in order to help you prepare: A.   Quotes from three separate sources for any individual             item or system over $5,000 requested in the grant. B.   A copy of your organization’s audit or statement of             income and expenses for the previous year  C.   A copy of your organization’s most recent 990. D.   Current annual agency budget with year to date actual             and variances (revenue and expenses). 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.
Click here to access the Online Grant Application (please read the Guidelines first) Click here to view the requirements for the Final Report of Grant Expenditure