The grant process opens in January, when we invite area nonprofit organizations to apply for a Many Hands grant. Once the submission period has closed, we pass all qualifying applications on to our Focus Area Committees, which are open to all members.
The Focus Area Committees–Economic Empowerment, Education, Health, and Housing–meet half a dozen times in February and March to review grant applications. After discussing all the applications, they conduct site visits, typically at five or six organizations. They then choose three organizations to proceed and, following a more extensive financial review, one grantee per committee.
The four grantees are invited to make a presentation to Many Hands members in May. After members cast their ballots, the Many Hands $100,000 Impact Grant is awarded to the organization with the highest number of votes. Each of the other grantee organizations receives a Many Hands Partner Grant, the value of which is determined by the total amount raised in membership contributions during the year.
Partner Grant recipients must sit out one grant cycle before applying again for a Many Hands grant. Impact Grant recipients and other grantees who have received $100,000 or more in cumulative Many Hands funding are no longer eligible to apply. However, we maintain strong relationships with our grantees, which include collaboration on education events and in highlighting their work.