Funding Requests
WITAN Funding Request Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in applying for a funding GRANT and/or ALLOCATION from WITAN. Please note that we have updated our application form and guidelines, including a change to an online application process for GRANTS. We look forward to receiving your applications as we work together to improve and enhance our community.
Please note the following concerning WITAN’s Grants and Allocations:
WITAN does NOT fund the following:
1. For-profit organizations
2. Salaries for Executive Directors. However, salaries for personnel required for a specific program, such as interpreters, tutors, and teachers, are eligible for WITAN funding
3. General Operating Expenses such as utilities, building rent and maintenance costs, or office supplies
4. Political parties, candidates, or any organization supporting a politically charged issue
Funding requests cannot be submitted by current WITAN members including Actives, Conditionals, and Sustainers. WITAN members who are employed or serve on the Board of an applying organization may sit on the Civic Committee, but in the interest of fairness and transparency, they are not permitted to participate in discussion or voting involving that organization’s funding request.
If the agency’s contact information changes after an application is submitted, it is the responsibility of the agency to notify and update WITAN.
Please note that WITAN makes a sincere effort to share our funding among projects representing human services supporting women, children, health, hunger/nutrition, education, preservation, and the arts in the greater Akron area.
Funding requests are divided into ALLOCATIONS, which include requests for $600 or less, and GRANTS, which are requests for over $600. Organizations requesting either a Grant or Allocation must be a 501 c 3 charitable organization to apply and must have their approved status before the Grant/Allocation application deadline.
ALLOCATIONS
Allocation requests are reviewed and voted on by the Civic Committee on an as-needed basis between November and the following May each year. To submit an ALLOCATION, please send an e-mail on agency/organization letterhead with the following:
1. A description and itemized cost of your project
2. A list of your current Board members
3. A copy of your tax-exempt status and most recent IRS 990 form (Sections I, II, and III only)
4. Contact information including name, address, e-mail, and phone number.
All documentation for ALLOCATION requests should be e-mailed to civic@witaninfo.org and must be received by October 31, 2024.
GRANTS
Grant requests (funding for more than $600) are reviewed by the Civic Committee between November and April. Site visits will be conducted during February and March. The Civic Committee recommends the approval of the selected grants to the general membership, which will vote at the May 2024 Business Meeting. Agencies and organizations approved for funding are notified in May. For security purposes and as an extra measure to prevent fraudulent banking activity, updates have been made to WITAN's policy on the distribution of grants. Grant recipients will be asked to provide their bank account routing and account numbers for processing of ACH payments. This information will be provided using a secure link. If a grant recipient is unable to provide this information, a check will be delivered.
If you are requesting a GRANT, please continue to the Grant Application tab (button below) or the Grant Application tab on the top of the home page and submit the application information and upload the required documentation:
1. A list of your current Board members
2. A copy of your tax-exempt status and most recent IRS 990 form (Sections I, II, and III only)
The deadline for all grant applications is November 30, 2024. Please direct any additional questions to civic@witaninfo.org