Applying for a Capital Grant

Please review the "Eligibility and Types of Grants" and "Frequently asked Questions" sections prior to submitting a Letter of Interest.

The Foundation considers all grant requests of $50,000 or more for projects involving improvement of the physical assets of an organization including furnishings and equipment to be a capital grant request.

The Capital Grants Program is extremely competitive. The perceived need for new facilities or improvements in existing facilities is not, in and of itself, sufficient justification for a grant. Capital grants are intended to have a major impact on the applicant, the clients served by that organization and the surrounding community. While these grants support capital expenses only, our review includes a thorough evaluation of the programmatic, administrative, financial and organizational accomplishments of the applicant. Programs, which will make use of the new or updated facilities, must already be successful in their own right.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Successful applicants must demonstrate that the proposed capital project:
· Supports existing, measurable program accomplishments of the applicant organization.
· Is responsive to a well-documented need.
· Increases the capacity, effectiveness, efficiency, quality and/or success of the applicant and program making the request.
· Is driven by effective staff, board and volunteer leadership.
· Is thoroughly planned in that the design, technology and costs are well researched and reflective of applicable market conditions.
· Is cost effective, in terms of construction and maintenance.
· Is supported by a well-developed financial and staffing plan for both completing the facility and for operating the facility once completed.
· Includes a framework for evaluating the impact of the proposed new or updated facility.

CAPITAL GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIME TABLE

Letters of Interest
The capital grant application process begins with a Letter of Interest. This letter should be addressed to:

Y & H Soda Foundation
1635 School St.
Moraga, CA 94556

Note that faxed or emailed Letters of Interest will not be accepted. The Letter of Interest should be no more than two pages and should include several key points:

· An introduction to your organization’s mission;
· A concise statement of the needs and opportunities to be addressed by the requested capital grant;
· Current status of capital project in terms of fundraising goals, confirmed revenues and expenditures to date and construction timeline;
· A specific dollar amount requested from the Foundation.
We acknowledge in writing all Letters of Interest as promptly as possible. Direct communication with individual Directors or Officers will not be of assistance to the applicant and is discouraged.

Grant Proposal, Review and Decisions Process and Timetable
Capital Grant Proposal - After review of the Letter of Interest, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full Capital Grant Proposal. At that time, a capital grant application and a list of items to be included to complete the Proposal will be provided to the applicant.

After Submission - Upon receipt of the complete Capital Grant Proposal (application and related documents), Foundation staff will perform a more detailed review of the Proposal that will include one or more of the following activities: a site visit, meeting at the Foundation office or phone conference. Upon assessment of the Proposal, staff may recommend the Proposal to the Board of Directors for formal consideration.

Board Inquiry - The Board of Y & H Soda Foundation may request that the applicant attend a meeting to address any further questions they have prior to making a decision on the Capital Grant Proposal.

Letters of Interest may be submitted to the Foundation on or before January 31st of each year. Applicants invited to submit a full Proposal will be required to submit all necessary materials by February 28th. Both deadlines are postmark deadlines. Please contact the Foundation staff with questions regarding the process for applying for a capital grant.

Funding Timetable
Typically, payment of capital project grants will be made when the construction/renovation has reached the appropriate stage for which funding has been approved. Specific terms and schedule of payments will be based upon the scope of the project, amount of the award and duration of the project and will be dependent upon satisfactory completion of required reporting at appropriate intervals