Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Should we complete a Pre-application or an Application?
A: If you have had an active grant from COSF in the past 12 months and plan to submit an application for the same program, you do not need to submit a Pre-application. You are welcome to submit an Application.
If you have had an active grant from COSF in the past 12 months and plan to submit an application that differs significantly from your last grant (such as a different program or a significantly larger request), or if you have not had an active grant from COSF in the past 12 months, you are welcome to complete a Pre-application. When you Start a new Pre-application or Application, we will ask you a few basic questions, and you will be routed to the appropriate option.
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Q: Do you accept unsolicited Pre-applications?
A: It depends. We accept unsolicited Pre-applications for the following focus areas:
We do not accept unsolicited Pre-applications for the following focus areas:
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Q: We are a new organization with less than $75,000 in private revenues. Can we still apply?
A: Generally, as discussed on our Getting Started Criteria, we require applicants to have received at least $75,000 in private revenue in your prior fiscal year. For a definition of private revenue, please see our Eligible Gifts FAQs. If you are a new organization and you meet all of our other Getting Started Criteria, please contact us.
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Q: We currently operate outside of Cook County and Lake County, Illinois but are thinking about expanding to Cook County and/or Lake County. Can we apply?
A: Yes. We will consider grants from organizations within Our Focus that have strong track records and are interested in expanding to Cook County and/or Lake County.
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Q: In the Programs and Services portion of our Pre-application or Application, should we describe our plans for programming or our plans for a challenge grant?
A: The Programs and Services section of your Pre-application or Application should describe the program or programs within COSF's focus areas for which you are requesting the grant, not how you plan to raise funds to meet the challenge grant. Please note that the Challenge Grants section of the Application asks for your specific plan for utilizing a challenge grant.
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Q: Do you sponsor special events or attend fundraisers?
A: While we do provide general operating support grants and programmatic grants, we generally do not support specific special events. You may send us invitations and donor solicitations to keep us "in the loop." While we appreciate these invitations, please understand that we generally do not attend many events. Further, because of the number of such invitations we receive, we typically do not respond to these items unless we are able to attend. We prefer to receive invitations or other printed material electronically if readily available to you. If you do send us any printed materials, please send us only one copy.
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Q: We are in the process of a capital campaign. Can we apply for our capital campaign?
A:
We don’t accept unsolicited applications for capital grants. If you currently have a grant from us and you wish to apply for a capital grant, please contact your Program Officer.
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Q: Do you award multi-year challenge grants?
A: Yes, but only to organizations with which we have an established funding history.
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Q: Do you have deadlines for Pre-applications or Applications?
A: Circle of Service reviews Pre-applications and Applications on a rolling basis – unless we have told you otherwise, we do not have specific deadlines. Most organizations will hear from us within 45 days of the submission of a Pre-application and within 90-120 days of the submission of an Application. Further, given our challenge grant orientation, we strongly encourage you to consider your fundraising calendar when determining when to apply for a grant.
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Q: How do we keep you up to date on our programming progress?
A: Grant recipients are required to provide an annual grant evaluation report showing how the grant funds were used and an internal evaluation of the program. Please see the Reporting Tools section of our website for recommended forms for the Final Report and Annual Progress Report. You are not required to use these forms, but, if you submit a report in a different form, please ensure that it includes at least as much information as provided for in the applicable recommended form.
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Q: How do we keep you up to date on our challenge grant progress?
A: As specified in your grant terms, we require you to update us about your fundraising progress every six months by submitting a Challenge Update and/or a Challenge Report.
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Q: What is a Challenge Update?
A: The Challenge Update is an opportunity for you to share your progress and any concerns towards completing the challenge grant. Please submit this by the Challenge Update due date listed in your grant terms. If you are interested in requesting a payment (including a progress payment), then please submit only a Challenge Report. If you submit a Challenge Report before or on the date the Challenge Update is due, you do not need to submit a Challenge Update.
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Q: What is a Challenge Report?
A: The Challenge Report is how you request a payment. Grant recipients are welcome to two payments each grant term – one progress payment and one final payment. For a progress payment, please complete Section A of the Challenge Report form. If this is your second payment request for the grant term, or if you only plan on making one payment request for the year, please complete Sections A and B of the Challenge Report form. For Section A, you may use our Challenge Report Spreadsheet template. You are not required to use our template, but if you use a different form, please ensure that it includes all of the information requested in Section A.
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Q: We’re not sure exactly when our various reports are due to you. How can we check?
A: Check your grant terms letter for all reporting requirements. If you need another copy of your grant terms (the award letter), please contact us.
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Q: Is there a rule about how close together I can submit a Challenge Report to request a payment?
A: No. You are welcome to request up to two payments a year during each year of your grant terms. For example, if your grant terms start 9/1/2011, a year would be 9/1/2011-8/31/2012 and you are welcome to request two payments anytime during that period.
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Q: We would like to send something to the Circle of Service Foundation. Where can we send it?
A: To conserve your costs and to be more environmentally friendly, we prefer to receive all printed material electronically – including final reports, challenge reports, challenge updates, progress reports as well as invitations and solicitations. Please send all e-mails to info@cosfoundation.org. If you need to send something by mail, please send one copy to:
Circle of Service Foundation
P. O. Box 8529
Northfield, IL 60093
Please do not send anything by FedEx, UPS, messenger, etc. – these packages cannot be delivered to our P.O. Box, and you will be charged for an undeliverable package. We recommend using standard first-class mail through the US Postal Service.
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Q: We have a question about our grant terms. Can we call you?
A: Of course. Please contact us at 847-716-2111. Also, please feel free to e-mail anyone on our staff at info@cosfoundation.org.
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Q: We currently have a grant from you, but our grant period ends soon. When can we reapply?
A: If you are a current grantee, you can apply for a new grant 90 days before your grant term ends. Please note that you need to submit a Challenge Report and a Final Report before or at the same time that you submit a new application.
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Q: If we are a current grant recipient, do we complete a pre-application or an application?
A: If you have had an active grant from COSF in the past 12 months and plan to submit an application for the same program, you do not need to submit a Pre-application. You are welcome to submit an Application.
If you have had an active grant from COSF in the past 12 months and plan to submit an application that differs significantly from your last grant (such as a different program or a significantly larger request), or if you have not had an active grant from COSF in the past 12 months, you are welcome to complete a Pre-application. When you Start a new Pre-application or Application, we will ask you a few basic questions, and you will be routed to the appropriate option.
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Q: What types of gifts to our organization count toward meeting our Circle of Service Foundation challenge grant?
A: We generally match contributions solicited and collected after we notify an organization of the challenge grant award. We count only contributions from (a) new private donors or (b) current private donors who increase their donations.
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Q: Who is a private donor?
A: A private donor is an individual, family, corporation, foundation, or other charitable entity, but not a government source.
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Q: Who is a new donor?
A: A new donor is one who has not made a donation to your organization during the two years prior to the date we notify you of the challenge grant award. The entire amount of a gift from a new donor counts toward the challenge. Example: A donor contributed $100 three years ago and has given nothing since. The donor then receives your special appeal to help meet the challenge and gives $100. The donor’s gift is considered a new gift for this purpose, and the entire $100 gift counts towards the match.
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Q: You define a new donor as someone who has not made a donation to our organization during the prior two years. How do you define the prior two years?
A: We define the prior two years as the 24 months prior to the start date of the COSF grant terms.
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Q: Who is a current donor?
A: All donors who are not new donors are current donors. In other words, current donors are donors who have made a contribution to your organization in the two years prior to the date we notify you of the challenge grant award.
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Q: What counts as an increased donation from a current donor?
A: An increased donation refers to the additional amount that a current donor gives over and above the total amount the donor gave in the 12 months prior to the date we notify you of the challenge grant award. For current donors, only the increased amount counts toward the match. Example: A donor gave $100 to your annual appeal last year and gives $250 this year after receiving your annual appeal containing a challenge announcement. $150 counts toward the match.
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Q: Do you match in-kind donations or fees for services?
A: No.
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Q: Can we solicit all the funds from one donor to satisfy the challenge grant?
A: No. An eligible donation is capped at 25% of the annual amount of our challenge grant. Example: We award an organization a challenge grant of $10,000. A new donor makes a $5,000 donation to the organization. We will match $2,500 of this donor’s gift.
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Q: We already have a challenge grant from another donor. Can we count future gifts towards both our existing challenge grant and the COSF challenge grant? Can the COSF challenge grant be applied to meet our other challenge grant?
A: If you have a challenge grant from another donor at the time you receive the COSF challenge grant, then the gifts that meet the other challenge grant may not also be used to meet the COSF challenge grant. Additionally, our challenge grant cannot be used to satisfy another challenge grant.
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Q: How long do we have to raise funds to fulfill the challenge grant, and when does the clock start?
A: To count towards the challenge, pledges and payments must occur within the term of the grant. Payments received during the grant term in fulfillment of pledges made prior to the grant term do not count. Also, pledges received during the grant term do not count to the extent they are paid after the grant term.
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Q: Can we count ticket prices or proceeds from raffle tickets, a silent auction or a live auction?
A: No.
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Q: Will you match proceeds from a “paddle raise” in which the donor receives no goods or services?
A: Yes.
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Q: Are there any other rules or restrictions?
A: The particular terms of your grant are set out in your grant terms letter. If your grant letter says something different from what is described here, the letter governs.
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