Baptist Community Ministries awards Transom Grants twice a year to programs in four zones of interest: health, education, public safety and governmental oversight. Our goals are as follows:
- Health: A healthy community provides its citizens an environment that creates a state of positive physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- Education: A healthy community provides learning opportunities for all of its residents to develop the cognitive, vocational, social, and emotional skills necessary to be successful in college, work, and life.
- Public Safety: A healthy community provides for a balanced approach to crime prevention and management, including effective interventions and behavioral controls working in cooperation with efficient, effective and coordinated justice system agencies.
- Governmental Oversight*: All forms of local government (including elected or appointed officials and executive, legislative, or judicial branches) should be trustworthy, open to the public, independently monitored, and accountable to an informed electorate.
*The submission of applications to Governmental Oversight Zone in Spring 2018 has been temporarily suspended while the Board of Trustees engages in strategic planning for this zone. Information regarding prospective funding in future transom grant cycles will be communicated here on the BCM website and in electronic communications.
In the color bar above, you’ll find some examples of Transom Grants that were awarded over the past couple years. Generally, 20 or fewer Transom Grants are approved for funding each year. If your organization seeks funding and your program aligns with BCM’s Vision, Mission and Values, please see the details and requirements outlined in the text below, and we encourage you to submit an application.
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Grant Award
- All requests must be at least $50,000 per year to be considered.
- There is no maximum award amount.
- Grants can be awarded for 1, 2 or 3 years in duration.
- Grants can be used for Planning, Existing Programming or Start Up.
- Grants must be submitted in one of the BCM Zones of Interest (Health, Education, and Public Safety.) NOTE: The submission of applications to Governmental Oversight Zone in Spring 2018 has been temporarily suspended while the Board of Trustees engages in strategic planning for this zone.
Eligibility
- The organization must reside in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard or Plaquemines Parish.
- The organization must be classified as one of the following: Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations (excluding 509(a) private foundations); Governmental entities (Section 170(c)(1)); and State colleges and universities (Section 511(a)(2)(B)).
- Capital projects for an organization, such as construction or purchases of major equipment, or General operating support, often referred to as an unrestricted grant, are ineligible for funding.
Application Process
Baptist Community Ministries accepts grant applications twice each year during our fall and spring application windows. BCM utilizes a two-part process to review applications – Letter of Intent (LOI) and Full Proposal. Only LOI applicants that are invited to submit full applications can apply for funding. Applicants should anticipate the application process to take approximately four to six months from the initial submission of the letter of intent to the receipt of funding.
STEP ONE: LETTER OF INTENT (LOI)
LOI’s are submitted using BCM’s online application portal.
- Revised LOI Guidelines 10-02-2017
- Sample Letter of Intent Form
- Sample LOI Application Form
- Sample Letter of Intent Review Sheet
STEP TWO: FULL APPLICATION (If invited)
Only organizations that are invited to do so are allowed to submit a full transom grant application. Guidelines can be found by clicking the link below.
Application Review
BCM staff assess LOIs using the rubric above and make recommendations to the BCM Grants Committee. The BCM Grants Committee selects the final pool of applicants and invites successful applicants to submit a full proposal.
Full applications to BCM are assessed and scored by BCM staff in consultation with independent expert reviewers in the program areas. Proposals are evaluated on their Alignment with BCM’s Mission and Strategy, Project Design, Applicant Capacity, Project Context and Sustainability. Final funding recommendations are made by BCM staff to the Grants Committee for their review. The Grants Committee forwards their recommendations to the BCM Board of Trustees for final funding approval. Please note that any full proposals received from organizations that were not invited to apply will not be considered.
Upcoming Dates
2018 Spring CYCLE
- January 22 – January 31: LOI submissions deadline 5:00 PM
- March 6: Notifications of full application invitations sent
- March 23: Full application deadline 5:00 PM
- May 21– May 31: Grant decision notifications sent
The deadline to receive feedback from Program Staff on prospective or prior proposals is January 12, 5:00 PM. Feedback for the Spring 2018 cycle cannot be accommodated after the stated deadline to ensure that all applicants receive equal consideration. Due to the volume of requests, we encourage you to reach out as early as possible. Requests for feedback are not required to apply for Transom Grant funding.
Funding Notification
Spring CYCLE
Invitations to submit full grant proposals in the Spring 2018 cycle will be sent out on March 6, 2018, and the deadline for those proposals is March 23 at 5:00 PM. Final grant decisions will go out between May 21, 2018 and May 31, 2018. Applicants will be notified directly by BCM on the outcome of their application.
Apply Online
The LOI window is closed.
Contact
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the application process, please contact one of the team members below:
Ashley Navarre
anavarre@bcm.org
Patricia Patterson
ppatterson@bcm.org