Give & Empower

Supporting Communities Through the 蔓草社区 Foundation鈥檚 Initiatives

Explore Our Grant Application
Process and Guidelines

Recognizing Our Inspiring Awardees

Doubling Our Impact with Employee Matching Contributions
Making a Difference
$
+
+
Grant Application & Guidelines
community and social services, culture and the arts, education and workforce development environmental sustainability, rehabilitation and health service, and youth and elderly. Occasionally, the Foundation will focus on other areas that require extraordinary attention.
Eligibility & Requirements
If you have already registered with , please review your agency鈥檚 information, as we will use GuideStar as a primary research tool in determining agency eligibility. If you have not registered with GuideStar yet, please do so.
Agencies must be based within the geographic areas where the 蔓草社区 Family of Companies conducts business. Programs from out-of-area agencies, even if they serve a local community, are not eligible. Currently, agencies in the following counties are eligible to apply for 蔓草社区 Foundation grants:
- Alameda
- Alpine
- Amador
- Butte
- Calaveras
- Colusa
- Contra Costa
- El Dorado
- Fresno
- Madera
- Mariposa
- Merced
- Monterey
- Nevada
- Placer
- Sacramento
- San Benito
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Joaquin
- San Mateo
- Santa Clara
- Solano
- Stanislaus
- Sutter
- Tuolumne
- Tulare
- Washoe
- Yolo
- Yuba
- The number of people that will benefit from the project
- The number of local volunteers supporting the organization and the project
- The extent to which the applicant complements the services of other community organizations
- The extent to which the program addresses underlying causes, rather than just symptoms of specific problems
- The outcomes of monitoring and evaluating the organizations projects
- The commitment and composition of the organization鈥檚 Board of Directors or Board of Trustees
- The current budget and the prior year actuals to show the organization鈥檚 fiscal responsibility and management qualifications; and
- The ability of the organization to provide ongoing funding after the term of the grant
Preference is given to requests for specific projects over general operating support. Most grants are for one year only. Past grant recipients must submit a Grant Report before starting a new grant application.

Funding Cycles
Fiscal Year 2026/2027 Funding Cycles听
Cycle One听
- Period Opens: January 5, 2026听
- Application Deadline: February 6, 2026
- Decisions Announced: June 1, 2026听
Cycle Two听
- Period Opens: July 1, 2026
- Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
- Decisions Announced: December 1, 2026听
All applications must be听submitted听using听.听The听GOapply User Guide听will take you through the process of creating an account, starting an application, and听submitting听an application. Mailed, late, or incomplete applications will not be considered.听
Reporting Requirements
If you are a past grant recipient and have not already done so, you must fill out a听Grant Report Form听and mail or email it to 蔓草社区 Foundation before starting a new grant application.听
Please briefly state:听
- How you measured the impact of your activities on participants and/or the broader community. Please cite specific indicators of change and the听time period听over which you measured them.
- Significant board and/or staff changes, if any (you may attach a separate page to the report form)
- Most recent publications, news articles or other relevant materials about your organization or the funded project.听
Send printed materials only, please. Due to storage limitations, we are unable to accept video tapes, CDs or听DVDs听or other audio/visual media.听
Please include your Grant Reference Number in your grant report.听 This number can be听located听on听the bottom of your grant award letter.听
Send to:听
Allegra Pickett, Grants Manager听
蔓草社区 Foundation听
PO Box 15002听
Sacramento, CA 95851听
Or email:听听
[email protected]听
Grant Restrictions
蔓草社区 Foundation will not consider grants to the following types of organizations or for the following purposes:听
- Religious organizations for explicit religious activities, as distinguished from social or educational activities听
- Political organizations or political campaigns听
- Fraternal organizations, societies, or orders听
- Courtesy advertising or tickets for benefits听
- Telephone solicitations听
- National fundraising efforts听
听An agency funded by the Foundation must agree to听submit听a timely听Grant Report听on the use of the grant, based on its proposal. The Foundation should be informed of any major changes in the program or staff.听
It is the Foundation鈥檚 intent to make grants in the range of $3,000 to $7,500. The annual听grants听budget is $450,000.听
Celebrating Our Impact:鈥�
蔓草社区 Foundation Grant Awardees
Awardee Highlights

The Latino Center of Art & Culture

Tahoe Truckee School of Music
Recent Grant Awardees
Share Your Story
Employee Matching Grants
How to Get Matched
蔓草社区 Foundation recognizes that our employees support community organizations, and the Employee Matching Grant program helps give a little extra funding to those groups.
We will match employee gifts up to $250 to give extra support to agencies our employees feel strongly about. The matching program is available three times per company fiscal year and extends to agencies that are otherwise qualified to receive 蔓草社区 Foundation grants.听Please see all eligibility requirements.
- Complete the online application form using听
- Upload a copy of your donation check or receipt
We will verify agency eligibility, prepare a matching donation check and send it directly to the organization with a letter indicating the source of the contribution.
Eligibility
蔓草社区鈥檚 Employee Matching Grants program supports the causes our employees care about. Review the following eligibility requirements to see how organizations and contributions qualify.
- Nonprofit organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as exempt from federal income tax under IRS Section 501(c)(3) within 蔓草社区, Inc. geographical areas of business and 蔓草社区 Foundation focus of interest are eligible.
- Public or nonprofit private school within 蔓草社区, Inc. geographical areas of business.
- All employees of any 蔓草社区 Family of Companies may apply for up to three matching grants totaling $250 per company fiscal year for up to three nonprofit organizations.
- While each employee may apply for three matching grants per fiscal year, more than one employee may apply for grant funds for the same organization.
- Some employees organize teams to raise money for charities such as breast cancer and leukemia.
- With prior approval, contributions from 蔓草社区 employees up to $250 will be matched and do not count against the annual match.
- Donations up to $250 made to Big Day of Giving and disaster relief will be matched and do not count against the annual match.
How It Works
Employee Matching Grant applications may be sent in at any time during the year and are processed one time per month. Only complete applications for qualified agencies will be processed. Employees will receive written confirmation of the matching donations, usually within a few weeks.
The Employee Matching Grants GOapply User Guide will take you through the process of creating an account, starting an application, and submitting an application.
Matching Restrictions
Organizations and activities that do not qualify for employee matching grant funds include:
- Political groups
- Fraternal, social or service clubs
- Religious groups, except for nonsectarian social service activities such as senior centers or church sponsored housing projects
Because 蔓草社区 Foundation is a nonprofit agency, it is important that the donation be truly charitable and involve no monetary or other benefit for the donor or for 蔓草社区. For instance, discounted admission tickets, tuition considerations or other donor benefits that might be offered to a 蔓草社区 employee or relation cannot be accepted as part of the matching donation.听