East Tennessee Foundation’s grant application process for Elizabethton and Carter County is now open and accepting applications.
The Elizabethton/Carter County Community Foundation (ECCF) is an affiliate fund of the East Tennessee Foundation and serves to support nonprofit organizations within Carter County that help provide needed services to residents of the community.
Nonprofit organizations within Carter County are strongly encouraged to submit proposals for projects and programs that improve the quality of life for citizens of Carter County, according to Jan Elston, ETF’s Vice President for Competitive Grants.
Grants generally range from $500 to $2,000 and will support one-year projects beginning January 2017. Using an online grant application system, applications must be submitted no later than October 14, 2016 to be eligible for funding.
Elston said there are no strict requirements on the grants and the proposed projects simply need to be “something that will make a difference in the lives of residents of Elizabethton and Carter County.”
Because the grants are small, the funds will not support things such as capital improvement projects, but Elston said the grants could be used on a wide variety of community service programs and projects.
“It’s a pretty broad spectrum,” Elston said. “It’s no specific because the nonprofits know what their needs are better than we do.”
The ECCF fund supports endeavors to build community goodwill, seek to solve community challenges, and produce results improving the quality of life for all citizens of Elizabethton and Carter County. Eligible applicants must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or other exempt entities. Elston said units of government or local school systems are also eligible. Applying agencies must also be located within Carter County and serve residents of Elizabethton and/or Carter County.
“We have a number of years of working with the wonderful nonprofits in Carter County,” Elston said.
Funding for the ECCF grants comes from local donors and in turn, ECCF provides the donors a way to connect their giving with local nonprofits, public agencies and compelling charitable causes.
The grant application process is entirely online through the ETF website at www.easttennesseefoundation.org. The site also includes additional information on the grant process.
While the online process may be a daunting challenge for some, Elston said she is available to assist applicants in any way they need — whether it be assistance with the online application or assisting them with project development.
East Tennessee Foundation, established in 1986, is a regional community foundation serving 25 counties in East Tennessee. With the mission of enriching lives and strengthening communities, ETF administers 16 affiliate funds, including ECCF.
For more information or assistance in the grant application process, please contact Jan Elston, Vice President for Competitive Grant Programs, at (865) 524-1223, toll-free at 1-877-524-1223 or via e-mail at jelston@etf.org.