Fund for Financial Restructuring

---

Grantmaking Focus

The current economic climate has significant implications for nonprofit organizations and those served by them.  Many nonprofit organizations, faced by declining revenues and increasing need, are struggling with how best to respond to these unprecedented circumstances and how to most effectively manage through the recession and plan for the future.

The Fund for Financial Restructuring will support nonprofit leaders and their organizations to adapt to the new economic reality. Through a competitive grant application process, the fund will assist selected grantee organizations to develop and implement plans that will better position them for the future.

The goal of the fund is to support grantee organizations to develop and implement plans that position them for advancement and long-term financial health. The fund will not address short-term cash flow needs as a result of the recession. Competitive applications will be from nonprofits that present proactive and creative ideas to take unprecedented action to reinforce their organization’s core values and mission by better aligning revenues and expenditures, reconsidering basic organizational strategies and operations, and where appropriate, developing new business models and related organizational structures, processes, products, or partnerships.

The Fund for Financial Restructuring will support grantees in one or more of the following areas:

• Assessment of strategic partnerships or other forms of doing business, including shared services, formal affiliations, and mergers;
• Rethinking and developing the organization’s business model and related business and financial planning; and
• Establishing new organizational structures, systems, and operations to strengthen mission-critical activities and increase viability.

Priority will be given to projects that will form collaborations, affiliations, and mergers.

Grant Application Instructions and Deadlines

Applicant organizations must have:

• A primary impact in Franklin County, Ohio;
• Been operational for three or more years after receiving 501(c)(3) public charity status; and
• A complete and up-to-date PowerPhilanthropy® portrait by the time of grant payment.

Applications should be submitted through our online application system by Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 11:59 p.m.

Reporting Requirements

Final reports are due 30 days following the end of the grant period.

Staff Contact

Emily Savors, esavors@columbusfoundation.org, Dottie Henderson, dhenderson@columbusfoundation.org, or Rebecca Kraley, rkraley@columbusfoundation.org or call 614/251-4000.