Community Foundations Working Across Differences Accelerator Requirements
To be eligible, community foundations (as defined by Community Foundations National Standards) must be from the United States. Preference will be given to Council members, though non-members may also apply. Organizations that currently employ members of the Council on Foundations’ Board of Directors are not eligible for this award. Preference will go to organizations planning for enduring engagement, either in their communities or in their organizations.
Applicants will need to:
- Articulate a compelling need for working across differences in their community, clearly identifying the gaps in their work, resources, or capacity that have prevented them from moving forward, and articulate how participation in the accelerator program will support this work.
- For more about working across differences, review how we define this work.
- Outline a proposal for how they will spend the initial $20,000 planning grant funds, and provide a budget and timeline for the project. A completed budget template will be required (download the template spreadsheet). Note that participants will develop implementation plans during the course of the accelerator.
- For example, over a six-month period, funds from this grant can be used to:
- Assess community need to identify opportunities for future support and/or investment (landscape analysis, community consultation, interviews, etc.)
- Develop a strategy for how the organization will engage in working across differences in the community (staff planning time, external consulting, etc.)
- Build internal staff capacity to work across differences (staff training, skill building, etc.)
- For example, over a six-month period, funds from this grant can be used to:
- Demonstrate that they have the time, capacity, and readiness to successfully participate in the accelerator program, including use of the grant funds.
- Agree to commit at least one staff member (and a backup) to participate in accelerator program activities, including coaching and a virtual peer learning circle that will meet every other month.
- Meetings in 2026-27 will be on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. ET and are tentatively scheduled for:
- November 18
- January 20
- March 24
- May 19
- July 21
- September 22
- November 17
- 2028 bimonthly dates TBD
- Meetings in 2026-27 will be on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. ET and are tentatively scheduled for:
- Agree to commit at least one staff member who is working on the project to participate in at least one working across differences program at the Council (e.g., Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort, Building Cultures of Dialogue workshop)
- Agree to provide operational budget numbers for the last three years, a copy of their last board packet, and the current year’s budget (finalists only)
Interested community foundations must complete an application form. Applications are due September 4, 2026. You will need a Council login (regardless of whether you are a member) to complete the application.
Please direct questions about this program to knowledge@cof.org.
Accelerator Resources
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