Amador Community Foundation (ACF) Grants

There are two ways to receive a grant from the Amador Community Foundation:

Donor-Recommended Grants:

The Amador Community Foundation stewards a variety of donor-advised funds. Grants are awarded from a donor-advised fund based upon recommendations from the donors who set up the fund or their designated representatives.

Competitive Grants

The Amador Community Foundation has several funds that award grants on a competitive basis. The Foundation maintains both unrestricted grant funds and funds with unique focus areas. All grant proposals are reviewed by a grants committee which is comprised of members of the Foundation’s board of directors and community representatives. The review process focuses on the greatest impact and most effective use of the community’s donations over the long term. Priority is given to proposals that successfully address the following:

• The capacity of the organizations
• Organization mission and funding focus
• Need for project
• Objectives and methods
• Budget and project sustainability

Through the Foundation's competitive grantmaking process, the prioritizes grant opportunities with:

• Measurable Results: 
• The Foundation seeks to partner with and support nonprofit organizations that create long-term solutions to creating a healthy, safe and vibrant community;
• Maximum Leverage: 
• Organizations that give strong evidence of community support for what they propose.
• Collaboration with other community organizations; including funds from other sources being used in conjunction with those proposed from the Foundation;
• Demonstrated Need: 
• The Foundation encourages applications from organizations that represent and serve people and projects historically excluded from access to other funding sources;
• Innovative Ideas: 
• We support projects that seek to enhance the lives and future of the people in Amador County.