Our Impact: Economic Resilience

Overview and Impact Area Update

The Sustainable Communities Impact Area combines what was formerly our “Environmental Conservation” and “Community Development” programs. Through the Sustainable Communities Program, we hope to support economically and environmentally resilient communities.

This fall cycle of the Sustainable Communities program, Economic Resilience, will focus on funding organizations providing support to communities most impacted by Covid-19 so they can quickly recover from economic impacts of the pandemic and build economic security so they can be prepared for future challenges that might arise.

Through this grant cycle, we will fund nonprofit organizations that are supporting individuals most severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically low-wage workers, women, people of color and people with disabilities. While we know that everyone experienced negative impacts, data show that these priority populations were disproportionately affected.

Goals

We are focused on the following two goals in this grant cycle:

• Increase financial wealth among low-wage workers, women, people of color and people with disabilities
• Decrease number of households displaced among low-wage workers, women, people of color and people with disabilities

To achieve these goals, we anticipate funding organizations whose work does the following. These are meant to be examples of strategies to achieve these goals, not limitations. We encourage organizations taking innovative or creative approaches to the goals above to apply.  

• Increases individual and/or household income
• Increases individual and/or household savings
• Increases homeownership
• Increases renters’ and homeowners’ ability to stay in their homes

Grantmaking

Grant applications will open on August 16!

Grants will be available in the amount of $30,000 spread evenly over two years and will provide general operating support.

We anticipate making 15 general operating awards of $30,000 each (for a total of $450,000 over two years) through this grant cycle and it is our intention to continue this program in the coming years with an every-other-year call for proposals. The next anticipated call for proposals will be in Summer 2023).

Given some funding restrictions, there will be at least one organization based in and serving southern Wake County and one organization providing supportive housing and/or other support to people with mental illness in the final grantee pool.

Eligibility

• 501(c)(3) organizations based in the Triangle and serving communities in one or more Triangle counties (Chatham, Durham, Orange, Wake). Religious organizations and/or those working with a fiscal sponsor are eligible to apply. If you need assistance identifying a fiscal sponsor, please reach out to Sarah Guidi: sarahg@trianglecf.org.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate outcomes related to the program goal(s) among the priority populations.
• Applicants must meet the Foundation’s non-discrimination policy.
• Only one application per organization will be considered.

Evaluation Criteria

The Foundation staff works with volunteer advisory committee members to review proposals and reach grantmaking decisions. In reviewing grant proposals, the Foundation will use the following evaluation criteria. See the Frequently Asked Questions to see how these evaluation criteria overlap with the application questions.

Foundation staff works with volunteer advisory committee members to review proposals and reach grantmaking decisions. In reviewing grant proposals, the Foundation will use the following evaluation criteria:

• Demonstrated impact
• Alignment with program goals
• Staff and board representation
• Engagement with and involvement of priority populations
• Organizational financial health
• Impact of funding

We will seek to have a grantee cohort that serves the four counties Triangle Community Foundation covers (Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake), is addressing both wealth building and housing security among priority populations, and includes organizations with small, medium, and large budgets. Additionally, given some funding restrictions, there will be at least one organization based in and serving southern Wake County and one organization providing supportive housing and/or other support to people with mental illness.

Information Sessions

A virtual information session covering both the Economic Resilience and Education and Youth grant programs was held via Zoom on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. You can access the recording here.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled frequently asked questions that we have received about this program. We will update this as we have more conversations with nonprofit organizations. If you have a question not outlined here, please reach out directly to program staff at the contact information below.

Important Dates