A Message from FCP's Board of Directors

As 2024 draws to a close, we are pleased to share with you several changes to our grantmaking that will take effect next month. These changes are the result of your conversations with the FCP team and feedback provided at the end of each grant cycle as well as through our annual applicant survey. This year, we invested close to $700,000 through grants to nonprofits, awarding scholarships to high school seniors, subsidizing service-learning internships for college students, and underwriting professional development programs. Furthermore, our acclaimed Summer Youth Corps program reached another significant milestone. Based on the Independent Sector’s estimate of the value of a volunteer hour, the total value contributed to nonprofits by the 215 interns who participated in SYC since 2008 equals $1,518,185.50.

We believe that when nonprofits join forces, we are better able to address community needs. Therefore, the following equity-based changes to our grantmaking will continue to strengthen our collective impact and broaden access to needed resources:

• The unfortunate position of a funder is that we typically receive more applications than we can fund. In recognition of this reality and our appreciation of all applicants, unsuccessful submissions will receive compensation for the average time it took to submit the application. This pilot project applies to select grant cycles and will initially run through the 2025 calendar year.
• Nonprofits desire general operating support. In 2020, we started offering this type of support through our Target Funding cycle, acknowledging long-standing partnerships and our commitment to trust-based philanthropy. Further, applicants can currently dedicate up to one-third of the request amount toward salaries and benefits in their proposed budget. Going forward, we will eliminate all budget restrictions to allow nonprofits to allocate requested funds where they are needed to accomplish the project.  
• In the past, first-time applicants needed to apply to either the Partnership in Youth Services Grant or Nonprofit Growth Grant cycles before accessing our larger programmatic and capital grants. Now, first-time applicants will have access to virtually all grant cycles after discussing their capabilities and needs with the FCP team. As always, first-time grantees must complete the full grant cycle, including submitting interim/final report, before becoming eligible to apply for another grant.
• We will eliminate our renewal grant policy that capped funding for the same project to 60% in the third year and forced nonprofits to take a sabbatical year before applying for the same project again.

Thank you for your valuable feedback that continues to inform our decision making. Please keep the suggestions coming on how we can be a better partner in our collective efforts to make Bucks County an even more vibrant and viable place to live and work.

Sincerely,



FCP Board of Directors