COMPASS Initiative^® Capacity Building Grant

Capacity Building Grant

The Emory University COMPASS Coordinating Center offers Capacity Building Grants of up to $25,000, to support activities which focus on growing organizations to their next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity. Funding requests must be related to building organizational capacity in one of the following areas: 

(1) Governance and leadership
(2) Mission, values, and strategy 
(3) Finance and administration
(4) Resource development
(5) Strategic relationships/coalition building
(6) Communications
(7) Internal management and operations
(8) Service delivery and impact,
 

All proposed activities must be linked to the organization’s capacity to better serve the community. Proposal activities are expected to be completed within eight (8) months of the project start date. Interim reports and a - final report will be required upon completion.

Examples of fundable proposals include, but are not excluded to: leadership development, staff training, systems updates, partnership development, strategic planning, etc. 

Proposal Dates

Proposal Requirements

•    Proposals must demonstrate how the organization will expand its capacity to better carry out its mission and vision.
•    Proposal must demonstrate strengthen organizational sustainability
•    Requests must have the support of the applicant organization’s leadership
•    Proposals cannot be used to fund endowments, fundraising events, or sponsorship activities.
•    Proposals cannot contain programmatic services; however, they may be used to develop programming.
•    Proposed activities must be congruent with the proposed budget 
•    Proposed activities can not include items currently covered by other funding resources
•    Proposed activities must be able to be accomplished by November 30, 2022. 

Organization Eligibility

•    Currently, 501(c)(3) organizations (or organizations with a fiscal sponsor) are eligible for Capacity Building grant support
•    Applicant organizations must reside in one of the (12) Southern states (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX,)
•    Must be currently doing HIV work for at least 2 years
•    Applicants must be Community-Based Organizations that meet at least one (1) of the following:  

• Is an AIDS Service Organization (ASO)
• Is a community-based organization that prioritizes HIV/AIDS prevention or care services
• Is a community-based organization with a substantial budgetary investment in HIV-related programming

•    Must have the capacity to meet both quarterly and final reporting requirements

Note: Organizations that do not meet these eligibility requirements are INELIGIBLE for funding.

Prohibited Expenses

•    Medications or purchasing of medications; 
•    Direct medical expenses, including labs; 
•    Existing deficits; 
•    Basic biomedical research, clinical research, or clinical trials; 
•    Projects that directly influence or advance Gilead Science, Inc.’s business, including purchase, utilization, prescribing, formulary position, pricing, reimbursement, referral, recommendation, or payment for products;
•    Individuals, individual health care providers, or physician group practices; 
•    Events or programs that have already occurred; and 
•    Government lobbying activities.

Unallowable Activities

•    Projects that focus on or include pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP);
•    Procedures or policies that exclude community members from receiving adequate and efficient health care, safe shelter, advocacy services, counseling, and other assistance based on their actual or perceived sex, age, immigration status, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health condition, physical health condition, criminal record, work in the sex industry, or the age and/or gender of their children;
•    Procedures or policies that compromise the confidentiality of information and/or privacy of persons being served at or by the applying organization/individual; 
•    Project designs and budgets that fail to account for the access needs of individuals with disabilities, with limited English proficiency, or who are deaf or hard of hearing;
•    Projects that place a criterion or requirement for community members to access services;
•    Project activities that promote or create an unsafe, uncomfortable, or counter-productive work environment;
•    Project activities that exclude staff that are representative of the community members being targeted through this grant project from serving in leadership or advisory capacity;
•    Grant funds may not be used to provide legal representation in civil and criminal matters, such as family law cases (divorce, custody, visitation, and child support), housing cases, consumer law cases, and other legal cases.
 

Submitting a Complete Application

A complete Capacity Building Grant application includes the following:
1.    Completed Application form
2.    Project Narrative
3.    Project Workplan
4.    Organizational operating budget
5.    Project Budget 
6.    501(c)(3) verification OR letter from a fiscal sponsor 
7.    Proof of completion of the Non-Profit Organizational Capacity Building Assessment (more information provided in the application)
8.    Commitment Form signed by organizational leadership

Please return to the Home page to apply for this funding opportunity.