Fan District Association

FDA Community Grants PROGRAM

The 2024 FDA Grants Program application is closed.

FDA GRANTS PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT

To provide a fair and equitable process for considering requests from and making grant allocations to individuals and organizations that support the purpose of the Fan District Association (the “FDA”) and need financial assistance for specific programs or program elements.

GRANT COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

Review the history of the FDA related to its financial grant support of other organizations; provide instructions as to the procedure for submitting grant requests; receive and review grant applications; report to the Board in writing or in person on the applications received and make a recommendation to the Board for their consideration; provide policy guidance to the Board as to the types of grants that should be made and recommend criteria; notify applicants as to the resolution of their application; and coordinate with the Treasurer of the FDA to arrange for the disbursement of funds to those organizations whose applications are approved by the Board. Additionally, the committee will pursue opportunities and submit grant applications to obtain outside financial support for FDA member-based activities.

GRANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Board believes that it is in the best interests of its membership and the area’s residents to provide a clear and concise process for grant requests.

The Board will set the Community Grant Program budget. The budget is derived from the FDA’s annual Holiday House Tour fundraiser, and in no case shall it be less than fifty percent of FDA Holiday House Tour net income In keeping with the FDA's purpose, budget dollars will be made available to support funding requests that promote the health, welfare, happiness and support the civic, cultural, educational, recreational betterment of the Fan District in particular, and Richmond in general, through operating programs.

While the FDA Grant Committee (the “Committee”) will consider all submitted grant requests, grants are not awarded for preliminary studies, design work, or projects in the proposal stage, or projects that require City reviews, approvals, permits, or other requirements. 

Grant applications will be solicited between Wednesday, February 28 and Friday, April 12, 2024. Applications must be submitted online by 5 pm ET on April 12, 2024. Applications are reviewed by the Committee and recommended to the FDA board for approval. Grant awards will be announced at the FDA Annual Meeting in May and applicants will be notified of the results. Grant awards will also be shared in the various FDA communication services. 

The Committee will provide an initial review of all applications submitted. The Committee may prescribe the format for grant request submission. The Committee may reject applications that are not consistent with criteria approved by the Board. The Committee may consider a one (1) year blackout period after three (3) successive grant awards are made to the same person or organization. At a minimum, all grant applications shall include the following information, documentation and understanding:

• The scope and schedule of work, including project date(s) and timeline, if relevant.

• Total project budget with details of estimated costs/expenses and information on any co-funding that is available, anticipated or being sought.

• Consideration/explanation of the number of individuals involved or expected to be impacted.

• A description of how the project aligns with the FDA’s purpose.

• Details of community outreach, education, or other efforts to include Fan residents or other persons or groups impacted by the project in the project planning.

A commitment from the grantee to provide a follow-up report before the end of the calendar year in which grant funds were received.  Reports will include:

• A recap of the project’s implementation, how grant funds were allocated, and an assessment as to whether the project achieved the goals described in the request, including photos for inclusion in FDA communication services.

• Measures of success, such as event attendance, community impact, physical improvements completed, or other descriptions of how the grant funds were used. 

The Committee will review these follow-up reports as an important step to ensure grants have been used responsibly. Failure to submit a report will preclude an organization or person from applying for an FDA grant for three (3) years.

The Committee will make a recommendation to the Board for its consideration each year and will keep a record of grants approved for funding relative to the annual budget. The Committee’s role will be advisory, and the approval process will always remain with the FDA Board of Directors.

The FDA Board may consider re-opening the grant application process for a specific window of time within the fiscal year if there are grant funds remaining after the May allocations. This second opportunity for grant requests and any corresponding deadlines would be published through the various FDA communications services. Otherwise, the remaining monies will be rolled over to the next grant cycle.