AARP Wyoming Small Dollar, Big Impact Grant Information

PURPOSE OF THE GRANT

The AARP Wyoming Small Dollar, Big Impact Grants will fund selected initiatives that recognize the assets and opportunities of our aging population with projects aimed at ultimately enhancing the livability of  communities subject to the terms and conditions below and that will help create a better place for community residents to live, work, and play. 

Up to ten (10) non-profits or ad hoc organizations, groups will be selected for $1,000 grants each and currently anticipated to be awarded by September 4, 2020. Awards from the Small Dollar, Big Impact Grant program may be used to fund either a portion of an existing project or the entirety of the project submitted to AARP in the Small Dollar, Big Impact Grant application. Grant recipients must complete the project for which the grant was awarded within 90 days of the announcement of the grant award.

Small Dollar, Big Impact grants, which are exactly what the name describes – simple, short-term, low-cost solutions that could have remarkable impacts on the shaping of neighborhoods and cities.

These grants are intended to support local response to enhancing the resilience of communities by addressing the local level livability needs. Priority will be given to eligible non-profit organizations and grassroots groups that aim to improve one or more of the following “Eight Domains of Livability,” which include:

• Outdoor Spaces and Public Places• Transportation• Housing• Social Participation• Respect and Social Inclusion• Work and Civic Engagement• Communication and Information• Community and Health Services

2020 GRANT CYCLE

• Application period opens July 29, 2020
• Application deadline August 19, 2020
• Winners announced by September 4, 2020

ELIGIBILITY

The grant program is open to organizations and grassroots ad hoc groups that are organized to make improvements in their neighborhood or the community that meet all eligibility requirements.

The program is open to the following types of entities:

• 501(C)(3), 501(C)(4) and eligible 501(c)(6) nonprofits (determined on a case-by-case basis)
• Government entities
• Ad hoc community group with a 501 (c)(3) and 501 (c)(4) nonprofit fiscal agent 
• Must be located within the State of Wyoming

The following projects are NOT eligible for funding:

• Partisan, political or election-related activities
• Planning activities and assessments and surveys of communities with follow-up action
• Publication of books or reports
• Acquisition of land and/or buildings
• Sponsorships of other organizations’ events or activities
• Research and development for a nonprofit endeavor
• Research and development for a for-profit endeavor
• The promotion of a for-profit entity and/or its products and services

APPLICATION

The SDBI Grant application is available online here.

The application provides the following information in the description: 

The AARP Wyoming Small Dollar, Big Impact Grants will fund grant opportunities for selected initiatives that recognize the assets and opportunities of our aging population with projects aimed at ultimately enhancing the livability of  communities subject to the terms and conditions below and that will help create a better place for community residents to live, work, and play. 

Up to ten (10) non-profits or ad hoc organizations groups will be selected for $1,000 grants each and currently anticipated to be awarded by September 4, 2020. Grant recipients must complete the project for which the grant was awarded within 90 days of the announcement of the grant award.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY AUGUST 19, 2020, AND THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY SEPTEMBER 4, 2020.

ELIGIBILITY: 501(C)(3), 501(C)(4) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits (on a case-by-case basis); government entities located in Wyoming; or ad hoc community groups with a 501 (c)(3) and 501 (c)(4) nonprofit fiscal agent.

For full eligibility requirements, grant cycle, and terms and conditions, please visit https://states.aarp.org/wyoming/aarp-wyoming-small-dollar-big-impact-grants.

Questions

Application questions are as follows (required fields marked *)

1. Name*

2. Organization Name*

3. Address 1*

4. Address 2

5. City*

6. State*

7. Zip Code* 

8. Email address*

9. Phone number*

10. Project Title*

11. Project Website (if applicable)

12. Tell us about your project! (2k characters or less)*

13. How was the community involved in the planning of the project?

14. Tell us about yourself/your organization

15. How is $1,000 going to make a difference to your project and your community? 

16. What makes your project unique?  

17. Affirm that they have read the rules and eligibility requirements & that their project & organization qualifies. 

Screenshots of the application are available in the Appendix of this document.

After submitting their application, applicants are taken to a screen that reads: 

Thank you for applying for the AARP-WY Small Dollar, Big Impact Grant. Applications will be reviewed starting August 20, 2020, and the winners will be announced by September 4, 2020. 

All applicants will be notified of their status on or before September 4, 2020. 

If you have any questions, please contact wyaarp@aarp.org.

REVIEW PROCESS & SELECTION

State Office Review

The Wyoming State Office Staff will review all applications to ensure eligibility and appropriateness. 

The State Office Staff will have access to all of the application information in a spreadsheet and will use this rubric to rate each project. 

The judging for the grants will be based on a weighted point system for a total of 100 overall points.  Successful applicants will have:

• Identified a neighborhood or community need and developed a clear plan for translating that need into action that meets all eligibility standards above (30 points);
• Articulated how their plan will advance priorities and benefits of a more livable community for people of all ages and ability (25 points);
• Identified and convened interested individuals and stakeholders into an ad hoc group or formal organization to take action on the identified need (20 points);
• Demonstrated an ability to manage funds (10 points);
• Limited opportunities for funding from traditional funders (5 points);
• Timeline presented is appropriate for scope of project (10 points);

Judges may also leave comments on each project. 

Finally, the reviewers will be asked to rank the projects in order, with the first being the project they would most like to fund and the last being the project they would least like to fund.

Reviewers will have 5 – 7 business days to complete their review. 

Selection

ASD of Outreach will total the points awarded to each project to determine the ten projects with the highest scores. 

The ten projects with the highest scores will be sent to Nancy LeaMond, EVP & Chief Advisor & Engagement Officer, as well as OGC for review and approval.  If approved, they will then be selected as the winners.

NOTIFICATION

SELECTED PROJECTS

The projects that are selected for funding will be contacted by email and/or phone by the Community Outreach ASD. When the selected applicants are notified, the ASD will: 

Confirm the project is still on track to continue as planned

Request financial documents

Review the MOU

Grant recipients have 48 hours to respond if the ASD is unable to immediately reach the recipient.  

If the grant recipient does not respond or the ASD is unable to confirm their acceptance, they will move on to the next highest rated application. 

Potential award winners must execute and return a Memorandum of Understanding to the AARP WY State Office within ten (10) days of receipt.  Non-compliance with this time period may result in disqualification, and the grant applicant with the next highest score will be selected.  

Once the recipient has confirmed their acceptance, the Communications ASD will work with the Community Outreach ASD to draft a press release to announce the winner. A sample press release can be found in the Appendix.

DECLINED APPLICANTS

Applicants who are not selected for the grant program will be notified by email 1-2 business days before the formal announcement of the winner. A sample email can be found in the Appendix. 

If a project does not meet eligibility requirements and/or does not match the intended spirit of the program, Community Outreach ASD will reach out with the following message:

Thank you for your interest in the Small Dollar, Big Impact Grant Program. While we appreciate the time and effort you put into your application, your project does not meet eligibility requirements/does not reflect the purpose of the program.

FUNDS

Each award recipient will receive $1,000. 

In order to receive their funds, the recipient must provide:

• W9
• MOU

Community Outreach ASD will collect the necessary forms and provide to SOS, who will generate a check request.

REPORTING/FOLLOW UP 

All projects must be completed within 90 days from winner announcement.

Community Outreach ASD will check-in with grantees after 14 days of notification, 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days.

Grantees should provide the following as reporting following the completion of their project:

• Relevant images
• Relevant measures of how the project has contributed to the community

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By submitting an application to AARP-WY, the applicant agrees that:

All decisions of AARP regarding the eligibility of participants and the validity of entries shall be final and binding.  All submissions will be judged by AARP and decisions and determinations as to the administration of the grant program and selection of grant program recipients are final.   All submissions are the sole property of AARP and none will be returned.  AARP reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, or suspend the grant program. Except where prohibited by law, participation in the grant program constitutes the applicant’s consent to AARP’s use of his/her name, likeness, photograph, video and image, statements made, in addition to the applicant organization’s or group’s trademark and its street address, city, state, zip code, and county regarding the grant program for promotional purposes in any media without further permission, consent, payment or other consideration.

AARP and its respective affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, agents and employees are not responsible for late, lost, illegible, incomplete, stolen, misdirected, illegitimate, or impermissible submissions or mail; postage due mail; or any other error whether human, mechanical or electronic.