Operating Support Grants

Deadline: December 3, 2007

Maximum Grant Request: $15,000

Guidelines

ACF awards operating support grants to in-state, Alaska-based conservation organizations focused on effective conservation advocacy. Operating support grants are used at the discretion of the recipients, within the limits of laws governing the use of ACF funds. These funds can be used to cover administrative and/or program costs including salaries, facilities, travel, equipment, supplies, training, membership, fundraising, and specific program activities.

Interested applicants, if they have not received operating support from ACF during the last two years, must contact ACF program staff to determine their eligibility.

Who May Apply

As a 501(c)(3) public foundation, ACF accepts requests for funding from incorporated, tax-exempt organizations and non-incorporated organizations.

To qualify for consideration, prospective grantees must demonstrate that their regular, ongoing activities are consistent with ACF’s mission of building strategic leadership and support for Alaskan efforts to take care of wild lands, waters, and wildlife, which sustain diverse cultures, healthy communities, and prosperous economies:

ACF will accept requests only from well-established conservation groups incorporated within the state of Alaska that have the following characteristics:

A track record of successful completion of at least three ACF project support grants,
No outstanding reports due to ACF,
A current strategic plan, and
An active, vital Alaskan membership and/or donor base, and an ability to illustrate diverse funding sources.

Local offices and/or chapters of national organizations are ineligible for operating support.

When to Apply

Grants must be received at ACF on or before 5:00 p.m. on December 3, 2007.
Operating support requests are accepted at the December proposal deadline date only.

How to Apply

In an effort to streamline the application process, ACF now requests that proposals be emailed to acfinfo@akcf.org with the phrase "Operating Support Request" in the subject line, preferably as a single PDF file or one complete MSWord document. Proposals are limited to 5 pages and should include the following:

Cover Sheet in MS Word or Adobe PDF format only.
Major accomplishments of your organization over the past year. Please describe what issues were faced and the actions taken by your organization to successfully address them. Where applicable, please relate this back to the outcomes listed in the work plan of your FY 2007 operating support request to ACF. (This section of the proposal will suffice as the final report for any grantee that received operating support in 2007).
Work plan for the coming year. Please discuss the threats and opportunities foreseen for the year ahead, the strategies you intend to pursue, the outcomes you seek to realize, and the measurables by which you’ll evaluate your success.

In addition (beyond the 5-page maximum), ACF requires:

Organizational operating budget for the current fiscal year, including other sources of support (both anticipated and received).
Most recent audited financial statement, if available.
List of current staff and Board of Directors.

ACF seeks to broaden the base of support for conservation in Alaska. As such, ACF employs a “conservation for the majority” lens when reviewing proposals. Funding preference is given to organizations that:

Develop innovative solutions to pressing conservation issues
Engage, involve, and build support in local communities
Build diverse coalitions
Unite environmental protection with economic prosperity