About Foundations and Grants

What is a Foundation?
A foundation is an organization that uses money and expertise to make our world, our society, or our community a better place.

What is a Community Foundation?
Many foundations are private foundations, set up by wealthy individuals who want to use some of their money for charitable causes. Some foundations are set up by large corporations, while others are set up by families. Still others, called community foundations, use their money to make grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions in their local communities, and also to encourage people in the community to donate money and get involved in philanthropy. Rose Community Foundation is this type of foundation. Here is a more technical definition of a community foundation:

A community foundation is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, autonomous, publicly supported, philanthropic institution comprised primarily of permanent funds endowed by many separate donors for the long-term benefit of the residents of a defined geographic area.

What is a Grant?
When a foundation gives money to a charitable organization, it is called a grant. The organization can use the grant to do its work; the money does not need to be paid back. Foundations make grants to organizations that are doing the kind of work that the foundation wants to support. Some foundations make grants to all kinds of good causes. But many foundations limit the kinds of organizations they support, for example, making grants only to help the environment, support arts and culture, or to assist the poor. Rose Community Foundation supports five areas: Aging, Child and Family Development, Education, Health and Jewish Life.

What is an Initiative?
Sometimes foundations, including community foundations, decide that they want to address a specific community problem or issue in a new or different way. In this case, they may decide to use foundation funds to hire staff or consultants to work on the issue. In some cases, several foundations might collaborate to address a community issue. Rose Community Foundation has been involved in several major initiatives to address issues such as public education, helping seniors get benefits they need, health policy, early-childhood education, and getting Jewish youth involved in philanthropy.

More About Grantmaking
Within the world of grantmakers, there are numerous specialized associations where members learn from each other in order to be better grantmakers. Rose Community Foundation is a member of several of these affinity groups of funders that make grants in the same areas as the Foundation: Aging, Child and Family Development, Education and Health and Jewish Life.

Grantmakers in Aging

Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families

Grantmakers for Education

Grantmakers in Health

Jewish Funders Network

About Foundations and Grants

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