Through the Community Funding Grant Program, the City of Cupertino provides funding to local non-profit organizations in the areas of social services, fine arts, and other programs for the Cupertino community. The Community Funding Grant application becomes available at the end of January every year and applications are due by March 1^st. The City Council will make the final decision regarding Community Funding Grant requests in June. Funding is contingent upon the City Council’s General Fund allocation to the program and funding is not guaranteed.

Apply Now

We are now accepting applications for Community Funding Grants for Fiscal Year 2020-21. Please download the application here. Completed applications are due by March 1, 2020. Applications must be emailed to marielar@cupertino.org by the deadline in order to be considered for funding. Grant requests shall not exceed $20,000 per applicant, per year.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Community Funding Grant, grant requests must:

• Be made or sponsored by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with experienced staff capable of implementing and managing the program/project/event.
• Identify how the funds will be used to benefit the Cupertino community.
• Be for one-time, project specific needs and not ongoing, operational costs.
• Have more than 75% of the requested funds allocated for direct service costs versus administrative costs.
• Be complete and submitted by March 1, 2020.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria for grant requests include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Impact on and benefit to the Cupertino community
  • Number of Cupertino residents served vs. number of non-Cupertino residents served
  • Cost per Cupertino resident served vs. cost per non-Cupertino resident served
  • Availability of the program/project/event to the entire Cupertino community
• Community need for the program/project/event
• Alignment with City priorities
• Uniqueness of the program/project/event
  • Lack of duplication in service
  • Level of collaboration if a duplicated service
• Qualifications and experience of the organization and its staff
• Reasonable cost
• Demonstrated effort to secure funding from other sources
• Clarity, completeness, and accuracy of grant application
• Past performance if a recurring applicant
• Applications will be sorted into two categories:
  • New applicant
  • Past recipients
• Applications in each category will be evaluated using a tiered structure based on the dollar amount requested for award as follows:
  • < $999.99
  • $1,000.00 - $4,999.99
  • $5,000.00 – $9,999.99
  • $10,000.00 - $20,000.00

Restrictions/Guidelines

• An organization that is applying for multiple grants shall only submit one application.
• Proceeds generated from the funded activity may only be used for the conducted activity.
• If requested, recipients must provide full financial statements for the organization.
• Admission to or participation in the event must be "free of charge" unless approved by Parks & Recreation Commission.
• If an applicant makes a grant request directly to a member of the City Council, whether individually or as a group, the Council shall refer the applicant to the Administrative Services Department for a Grant application to be reviewed in accordance with this policy.
• Grant recipients shall acknowledge the City contribution in formal promotional materials and efforts related to the funded activity. Any use of the City logo must be approved by the City’s Public Information Officer.

Submission and Next Steps

• Applicants submit timely and complete grant applications by March 1 to the Administrative Services Department, marielar@cupertino.org, for review.
• The Administrative Services Department reviews application for compliance with eligibility criteria and availability of funds. Staff may seek additional information from applicant as necessary.
• Eligible applications will be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission for a recommendation to the City Council regarding grant approval and funding amounts, which typically happens in April. All applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting in April.
• City Council will make the final decision on grant amounts for each applicant as part of the budget adoption which typically happens in June.
• Grant recipients shall submit a written report to the Administrative Services Department to show proof that the grant funds have been spent in the manner and for the purposes stated on the application, including information about the number of persons served and other results that benefit Cupertino.
  • Due by the 15th business day of July following the Fiscal Year in which grant funds are disbursed.
  • Failure to submit a written report by the July deadline could result in the loss of grant funding eligibility in the future.

The Parks and Recreation Commission will review the grant applications and make a recommendation to the City Council.  City Council will consider the Community Funding Grant requests at their Budget Study Session in May and make final grant award decisions at the Budget Adoption in June. If awarded, grant funds will be provided in July 2020.

Important Dates

These are important dates for applicants to keep in mind. It is recommended that applicants attend the meetings where applications are being considered to answer any questions that may arise. This section will be updated with exact dates once the meetings have been confirmed.

March 1, 2020
Applications are due.

March 2020
The Parks and Recreation Commission will consider applications for a recommendation to Council.

May 2020
The City Council will consider applications and the Parks and Recreation Commission Community Funding Grant recommendation as part of the Budget Study Session.

June 2020
The City Council will finalize Community Funding Grant award amounts as part of the Budget Adoption.

Prior Community Funding Grant Recipients

Fiscal Year 2018-19 Community Grant Recipients

For past years, please see the City’s Budget Archives for previous budgets and review the Community Funding section under Council & Commissions.

Additional Information

Community Funding Policy