Frequently Asked Questions

The Small Grants Program is the Rohnert Park Foundation’s community grant program. Its purpose is to focus resources on and provide funding to areas of need in the community of Rohnert Park, which enhance new partnerships with community members, nonprofits, foundations, public agencies, and similar entities and sustain or enhance the community. Rohnert Park city staff will administer the Small Grants Program on behalf of the foundation. Funding of the program comes from Second Amended and Restated Memorandum of Understanding by and between the City of Rohnert Park and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR), dated June 27, 2023. 

Examples of eligible costs for programming and community projects:

• Program support
• Education
• Community Artwork
• Community beautification projects

Examples of ineligible costs:

• Actions taken outside the grant performance period
• Indirect overhead business expenses of the grantee's fixed or ordinary operating costs such as rent, insurance, etc.
• Mortgage payments
• Property taxes or utilities (this does not apply to costs included in the overhead policy submitted and approved with the grantee's application)
• Outside project site boundaries, fundraising, food or grant writing
• Salary, benefits, and administration costs exceeding 10% of the total grant amount

The maximum grant award is $10,000. Up to $300,000 of awards may be granted in this cycle of funding. The amount of grant award will be determined in part by an applicant's justification for the amount of the request.

Nonprofit organizations who intend to deliver a service or offer a project in Rohnert Park are eligible for funding. Eligible nonprofit organizations must qualify under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All applications will complete an “Eligibility Screening Form” to determine eligibility.

1. The Grant Administrator performs initial review of grant applications. If there has not been staff pre-consultation, it is recommended that an applicant engage in consultation with the Foundation staff, specifically the Grant Administrator, to determine whether any concerns or deficiencies in the application exist. If an application is deemed incomplete, the applicant will be notified at the email address supplied in the application within two weeks of review. The Grant Administrator reviews applications for consistency with the intent of the Small Grants program, specifically, to benefit or improve the Rohnert Park community. As part of the policy review, an applicant may be requested to submit additional information about any part of its project.
2. The Small Grants Review Committee will review the application and other pertinent documents prepared by the grantee and other pertinent information about the project, and determine whether to recommend the grant application for consideration by the Executive Director and Foundation board. If the Review Committee deems an application ineligible, the applicant shall be notified in writing and the applicant may appear at the Foundation board meeting and comment on the Review Committee's decision during the public comment period.
3. When the Review Committee has recommended an application should be presented for consideration by the Foundation board, Foundation staff will prepare a staff recommendation for consideration by the Foundation Board. Foundation staff shall then recommend the grant application for consideration by the Foundation Board at a Foundation Board meeting. The start date for the grant agreement will be the date upon execution of the grant agreement.
4. All grant applications will be objectively scored using the updated Grant scoring rubric.
5. An applicant should be aware, however, that notwithstanding staff comments and recommendations, all decisions regarding grant applications are at the discretion of the Foundation Board.

The Small Grants fund is anticipated to operate on a two-year fiscal-year cycle. The Foundation will only accept grant applications following the issuance of the Small Grants Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Funding for the Small Grants Fund comes from the Second Amended and Restated Memorandum of Understanding by and between the City of Rohnert Park and FIGR. The maximum amount for a grant award is $10,000, while the minimum amount is $5,000. Funding for the program shall be determined on an annual basis during the foundation budgeting process and will be contingent upon funding availability.

In order to provide a diverse use for these funds, an organization can only receive one grant per grant cycle.

The Foundation board and Executive Director have determined that a two-year grant cycle is adequate time to complete a project.

If by "ongoing" funding you mean can a group apply for grants every subsequent two-year cycle, yes. Non-profit groups may apply for funding every grant cycle; however, no preference will be given to non-profits that were previously awarded Small Grants funds. Every grant application will be objectively scored and ranked, regardless of previous grant awards.

No. Only financial grants are available through the Small Grants Program.

Yes. If an organization’s project is selected, a grant contract can be established through a fiscal agent organization. Keep in mind that by signing the grant contract, the fiscal agent agrees to comply with the contractual terms, including fiscal reporting, records retention, and the final reporting schedule.

In general, Small Grants projects are intended to be available to as many members of the Rohnert Park community as possible. However, the reality of most projects is they target certain groups (e.g., student conferences), are located in non-public areas (e.g., on a school campus, or in a building that normally limits access to business hours), or have some other natural restrictions (e.g., are performed in a protected habitat). For this program, the Foundation seeks to understand how accessible your program is to the general public in the context of selecting a diverse portfolio of awards that best benefit the interests and character of the Rohnert Park community.

The evaluation committee seeks to understand the feasibility of a proposed project. Projects that demonstrate that they have secured the proper permissions and any partnerships needed to conduct the project will be scored favorably. For example, if an applicant proposes to install a park bench, the proposal should describe how the organization has or will secure permission from the park’s operator. As part of the evaluation process, the committee may reach out to the partners needed to conduct the project in order to confirm that the project has the permission to proceed, if funded.

No, the Foundation Board will consider will not waive Rohnert Park permits or fees. Applicants are expected to understand the permit and approval process required of their projects. The Small Grants Program will not seek waivers for any non-City permits. If funded, an applicant will be fully responsible for securing any non-City permit (e.g., County permits, food distribution permits, etc.).

No, as long as the project is completed by the end of the grant cycle, an approved project can build design review into its schedule. Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate that they understand the approval process for their respective projects, and which commissions or committees will need to give approval. Note: a successful grant award will not supersede the City’s approval process, and a successful awardee is expected to secure the proper permissions within the grant timeline.

The Foundation will communicate with the person identified as the Primary Contact Person in the organization’s grant application. If approved, a contract package will be delivered directly to the recipient organization at the address listed in the grant application.

A check will be delivered after the contract is fully executed. The Small Grants program will reimburse non-profit groups for work completed per the grant application. On a case-by-case basis, the Executive Director may authorize a percentage of the grant amount to be awarded up front. 

Please email your questions to Paul Carey, the Grant Administrator, or call 707-585-6754.