Listen to the Q&A Recording:
What will I need to apply?
This grant is available on a first-come, first-serve basis for the first 25 organizations. This application is designed to be completed in one sitting. You will not be able to save your progress. If, for any reason, you cannot complete your application in one sitting, you will have to start at the beginning.
Make sure to review our EIN requirements to ensure that you have all of the necessary information according to the type of application you will be submitting:
- Applying with your organization’s EIN
- Applying with a fiscal sponsorship
- Applying on behalf of a Tribal Nation
If you are applying under the umbrella of a fiscal sponsor, or on behalf of a federally recognized Tribal Nation, you will need their prior approval and the contact information for the person authorized to sign the contract to receive and disburse the GO Grant funds.
What is a GO Grant?
GO Grant is a quick turnaround award of $10,000 in general operating funds. That’s the “GO” in GO Grants. The entire premise of GO Grant is built on trust — there is no need for extensive applications, reports, or site visits.
- Apply online in 10 minutes or less
- Applications are first-come, first-serve
- Instantly know if you meet the eligibility criteria
- Receive formal approval within 2-3 weeks
- Funds are rapidly distributed
Do I have to provide my banking information when I apply?
No, this step is optional. But we will need it so we can get you the funds. After you receive your formal approval, you can provide this information through our secure online portal. Please do this promptly to avoid delays in receiving your grant award letter.
How do I apply with my organization’s EIN?
You will need to provide the following information:
- the full name of your organization
- the EIN number of your organization
- the contact information of the Executive Director or someone otherwise authorized to sign the contract on behalf of your organization. This includes: first and last name, title, email, phone and address.
- banking information, including the name on the account, the name of the bank, the account type, account number, and routing number. This information is optional to apply, but will be required to receive funds.
How does the process work?
- Complete our checklist to confirm your eligibility
Our Eligibility Checklist consists of just six criteria. All questions are closed-ended, there are no long-answer fields. - Submit the online grant application
Eligible organizations create an account to finalize the application. - Get instant approval
Upon approval you’ll receive a notice of “Conditional Acceptance,” which gives us the opportunity to confirm tax-exemption status and finalize eligibility before we proceed. - Complete a simple partnership contract
Within 2 weeks of submitting a completed application, the contract will be sent via Docusign. - Receive rapid payment electronically
Transfers are initiated on a set schedule twice a month. A completed contract is required prior to distributing funds. - Meetup with the grant Program Officer and other recipients.
We’ll invite you to meet us for coffee to celebrate your successes and learn how the GO Grant is helping you do your work. We will also serve as a connector and introduce you to other community partners in your region. At the end of the GO Grant cycle, sometime next year, we’ll have a celebratory community gathering with all 25 GO Grant recipients.
We work in Mendocino as well as nearby counties, are we still eligible?
Yes, however, funds must be earmarked for use in Mendocino specifically.
What constitutes mental health services? What do you consider cultural practices as community healing?
This fund is about building resilience in Mendocino County by broadening the definition of mental health and substance use disorder treatment and housing services beyond the euro-centric “Western” interpretation. We believe a healthy community is one that supports, celebrates and resources a diverse bounty of traditions and culturally specific ways of healing.
- Mental health
We are looking at a more holistic definition of mental health, one that acknowledges the impact of colonization, oppression, stigma, and the lack of structural support for healing as mental healthcare. Mental health includes efforts to address systemic racism, generational trauma, and centers cultural stewardship and restoration as healing modalities. - Cultural practices as community healing
This fund includes supporting the celebration of Native American and Hispanic/Latino traditional healing and cultural restoration as cornerstones of community wellness. This might look like offering GO Grants to support restoring and revitalizing indigenous languages, Native American gathering materials, Native American and Latino foods, dance, traditional medicines, and culturally honored ways of healing for mental health and substance use disorders, including ceremony and ritual, for example.
How might organizations meet the leadership demographics requirement?
We are looking for organizations whose executive team and/or Board includes at least 51 percent representation from one or more of the communities listed:
- Native American, Latino/Hispanic or other people of color
- LGBTQIA+
- Persons with experience with homelessness and/or mental health or substance use disorders
We recognize the unique perspectives, expertise and insights that are possible when organizations are led by people who have “lived experience” navigating the issues they are working to address, such as personal or familial experience living unsheltered, with mental health and substance use challenges.
To establish if your organization meets this requirement, look at the demographics of the people in your organization’s leadership, including: board members, program leadership, and executive team members.
I’m not sure I’m eligible.
The Eligibility Checklist is based on our trust in our community members. The intention of the Mendocino County GO Grant program is to promote systems change by resourcing organizations often overlooked. We have tried as best we can to keep these questions simple, but we understand you may have questions about your specific organization. Please reach out to Laura at [email protected] to continue the conversation.
Can federally recognized Tribal Nations apply without an EIN?
Yes. Those authorized to apply on behalf of a federally recognized Tribal Nation do not need to provide an EIN.
How do I apply on behalf of a Tribal Nation?
If you have an EIN, we ask that Tribal Nations do include this in their application by applying either as a 501c3 or under a fiscal sponsor.
In order to expand funding opportunities for Tribal Nations, in the case where an EIN in unavailable, we ask these applicants to simply include the following information:
- Tribe Name
- Band Name (optional)
Prior to applying, we encourage you to communicate with your Tribal leadership. They will be responsible for signing the contract as well as receiving and disbursing the GO Grant funds. You will need to provide the following information:
- the contact information for the person authorized to sign the contract on behalf of your Tribal Nation. This includes: first and last name, title, and email.
- banking information, including the name on the account, the name of the bank, the account type, account number, and routing number. This information is optional to apply, but will be required to receive funds.
Are there additional funds for my fiscal sponsor’s administrative work?
No, there are no additional administrative dollars set aside for GO Grant fiscal sponsors. That said, you can choose to share a portion of your award amount with your fiscal sponsor according to your organizational needs and agreements.
Will my fiscal sponsor’s leadership demographics or budget count against me?
No, in our Eligibility Checklist, we are asking about the budget and leadership of the specific organization which will use the funds.
My organization does not have 501c3 status, can I still apply?
Yes, in this case, if you have a fiscal sponsor, you can apply with your fiscal sponsor’s EIN number. Fiscal sponsorships can create an opportunity for organizations who have not yet secured a 501c3 nonprofit status to receive grants and donations to fund projects. Note: There are no additional administrative dollars set aside for GO Grant fiscal sponsors.
How do I apply with a fiscal sponsor?
You will need to provide the following information about your fiscal sponsor:
- the full name of the organization
- the EIN number of the organization
- the contact information of the Executive Director or someone otherwise authorized to sign the contract on behalf of the organization. This includes: first and last name, title, and email.
- banking information, including the name on the account, the name of the bank, the account type, account number, and routing number. This information is optional to apply, but will be required to receive funds.
Prior to applying, we encourage you to communicate with your fiscal sponsor. They will be responsible for signing the contract as well as receiving and disbursing the GO Grant funds.
What can funds be used for?
How you choose to spend the funds is up to you. We trust you know (better than we do) how to best help your community. Since we grant unrestricted funds, the award can be for anything from savings for operational reserves, capacity-building, to supporting programs, projects or teams. That said, we do have the following restrictions:
- Funds must be used within one year
- Funds are intended to be used in the GO Grant program’s defined region
In addition, in accordance with our bylaws and federal law, these funds cannot be used for any of the following:
- Individuals
- Endowments
- Basic biomedical research, drug therapies, or devices
- Public, private, or parochial educational institutions, including their foundations, except when support is essential to programs or projects that align with our strategic framework
- Organizations or projects that unlawfully discriminate with regard to employees, volunteers, delivery of programs or services, or clients served based on age, sex, religion/creed, race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, marital status, military or veterans status, pregnancy or genetic information or project that is inconsistent with the mission, vision, values and strategic framework of AMRF.
- Lobbying as defined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (IRC), section 4945(d)(1)
- Activities supporting political candidates or voter registration drives, as defined in IRC section 4945(d)(2).
- We do not generally fund hospital foundations or community foundations, except in cases where they serve as a fiscal sponsor for an aligned organization or in locations where they are the only organization providing mission-aligned services.
- Federal pass-through grants
- Capital investments
- Fundraising events
- Religious organizations focused on proselytization as a prerequisite for service.
My program or project sits within a larger organization – how do I ensure I will have access to the funds?
If this applies to you, we ask that you provide your project or program name in your application. This is an optional field. With this information, AMRF will list the program/project name in the grant award letter to ensure that the funds are accessible to you. The funds must be earmarked for the program under which you are applying – or the people working on that program. From within the project or program, you may use the funding at your discretion.
In addition, you may also choose to create a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure that funds are used by trans-focused programs – not the larger organization as a whole. This is not required but may be recommended for applicants who are especially concerned about having access to the funds.
What obligations do I have as a GO Grant recipient?
GO grant recipients are required to provide AMRF with immediate written notification of any changes in their organization’s tax-exempt status. Other than that, our expectations are minimal. We already know you’re doing great work. You don’t have to prove it with grant reports, financial statements, or site visits. Instead, we’ll invite you to meet us for coffee to celebrate your successes and learn how the GO Grant is helping you do your work. We will also serve as a connector and introduce you to other community partners in your region. At the end of the GO Grant cycle, sometime next year, we’ll have a celebratory community gathering with all GO Grant recipients.
How much time do I have to spend the funds?
You have within one year of the date the contract was signed. This gives everyone the same amount of time, regardless of when in the fiscal or calendar year they received their award.
What does AMRF do with my EIN number?
AMRF uses your EIN number to confirm that you are eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. You can use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization search tool to check your status.
Organizations whose federal tax exempt status was automatically revoked for not filing a Form 990-series return or notice for three consecutive years are not eligible for a GO Grant due to IRS requirements. If this list indicates that your tax exempt status has been revoked, but you have since applied for reinstatement, we may request the new determination letter, provided to you by the IRS. Although organizations who have had their tax exemption revoked cannot apply under their own EIN, they can still apply under the EIN of a fiscal sponsor.
What is an EIN?
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a free, federal nine-digit tax identification number that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assigns to nonprofits, charities, organizations, and businesses. In your case, it’s like a social security number for your nonprofit. Nonprofit organizations and charities are required to have their EIN prior to filing for tax exemption and securing their 501c3 nonprofit status.
Where can I find my organization’s EIN?
An EIN follows this format: XX-XXXXXXX. Below are a few places you might be able to find your organization’s EIN:
- An EIN is public information and can often be found on GuideStar.org
- The notice that was issued by the IRS when you applied for your EIN.
- You may have used your EIN to open a bank account, or apply for any type of state or local license.
- Previously filed tax returns should include your organization’s EIN.
- Ask the IRS to search for your EIN by calling the Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933.
