Grant Compliance

Attention: SVA Member Organizations and Projects
Re: Protocol for grant applications
Effective: Immediately
Questions contact: Grants@SouthernVision.org

Grant Protocol

SVA recognizes that the South has a low level of philanthropic infrastructure that support social, racial, economic, and gender justice work, particularly work that is led by those most impacted by historic inequality and injustice. The non-profit industrial complex often acts as gatekeeper to resources, perpetuating systems of oppression and inequality in terms of who is funded and who is considered “worthy of support.” This manufactured scarcity results in grassroots organizations often competes for the same dollars and funders.

SVA seeks to push back against that paradigm by facilitating cooperation and authentic collaborations between grassroots leaders and organizations in the South to seek out collective funding opportunities.

In this spirit, we are developing the following protocols and activities for grants:

SVA is working on a comprehensive grant database that will help identify opportunities for members to access resources. Simultaneously, we will help ensure that we comply with all grant and legal requirements in order to build relationships of trust with philanthropic organizations, so that other members can access resources from funding partners in the future. We are working to centralize this information to map relationships with the aim of connecting SVA member to funding opportunities.

This protocol applies to every SVA program, member, or fiscally-sponsored project.

BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR A GRANT:

1. Give as much notice as possible to the Grant Compliance Team that you plan to submit an application – at least two weeks is preferred.
2. Send an email to the Grant Compliance Team with the following:
   1. Name of grant/foundation with link to the application or RFP information
   2. Application link or website with the request for proposal information
   3. Amount you are requesting? Who is the primary person working on the application?
   4. Include very specific requests for any documents you need from the SVA staff – if you need financial reports, include SVA’s Co-Directors and Director of Financial Operations in the email.
3. If the grant request is for $10,000 or less, send the application/proposal to the Grant Compliance Team after submission.
4. If the grant request is for more than $10,000, submit a copy of the narrative at least 2 business days in advance of submission for review by the Grant Compliance Team. PO Box 51698 Durham, NC 27717 or grants@southernvision.org with Co-Director’s and Finance Director CC’d on the email.

SUBMITTING A GRANT APPLICATION:

1. CC or BCC the Grant Compliance Team when you submit the application to a funder
2. Forward any correspondence of acceptance or denial to Grant Compliance Team.

  IF YOU ARE AWARDED A GRANT:

1. Congratulations!
2. Send any grant contracts or legal agreement to the Grant Compliance Team Grants@southernvision.org 

REPORTING:

1. Member organizations are responsible for the narrative reporting and submission of any required reporting.
2. Member organizations must submit grant reports on time or document that an extension has been granted.
3. Failure to submit grant reports on time jeopardizes the funding of other in the SVA community.
4. If the grant report requires financial reports, requests for financial reports must be submitted in writing to SVA’s Director of Financial Operations and Co-Directors at least two weeks in advance of the report deadline.
5. Send a copy of the report to the Grant Compliance Team a minimum of one week before the due date for review.
6. CC or BCC the Grant Compliance Team when submitting the grant report.
7. If they grant report is completed through an online form, export your answers into a document and send them to the Grant Compliance Team.

Thank you in advance for your help. Over the next few months we will send out grant opportunities and create a list of foundations that would be potential fits for SVA members.

If you have recommendations for opportunities that you would like to share or add to the list when it is sent out, please send those to grants@southernvision.org.