+ "To-Do" list for your application

Your proposal application must be submitted in its entirety on or before the deadline, which will be posted on the MDNHA website.

Your proposal must address at least one of MDNHA’s five cultural heritage themes.

Your proposal must address at least one of MDNHA’s goals.

Your proposal must be digitally signed and submitted by an individual with the authority to do so in your organization.

Your proposal must include a minimum 1:1 cash or in-kind match of requested funds. This match must be verifiable by letters of commitment, proof of cash in hand, or other supporting documentation. Federal funds cannot be matched with federal funds.

+ "No-No" list for your application

Do not ask for more than $24,500 in grant funds.

Do not ask for grant funds in any amount that cannot be matched 1:1, dollar for dollar.

Do not spend personal money for reimbursement by the grant.

Do not ask for grant funds to acquire any interest in real property.

Do not ask for grant funds to pay for food, beverages, meals, or entertainment costs.

Do not ask for grant funds that are essentially a contribution to support annual campaigns, capital campaigns, endowment funds or scholarship funds.

Do not ask for grant funds that are essentially general operating support (overhead, administrative expenses), or requesting general sponsorship of events.

Do not ask for grant funds for general support for existing annual or other regular community festivals or events.

+ Tips to keep in mind

Organizations may submit more than one application during any grant cycle, provided that separate and independent matching funds are committed and documented for each application.

The preferred method of delivery is via our online application portal. Should the applicant be unable to do this, then the MDNHA Project manager should be contacted to work with the applicant for an alternative solution.

This is the only application cycle in our current fiscal year.

Proposed activities should take place between July 1 of the year the grant is awarded and June 30 of the following year. (I.E. between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.)

The submission deadline will be posted on the MDNHA website and is subject to change should the organization deem it necessary.

+ Important things to know during application review

After proposals are reviewed by external review panel, the MDNHA Grants Committee reviews proposal rankings and make recommendations for funding to the MDNHA Board of Directors, who make all final decisions on grants.

Regardless of rankings, the MDNHA Grants Committee and Board of Directors have the discretion to make grants based on noncompetitive issues such as geographic diversity, applicant diversity, and strategic goals, issues or themes addressed by the applications. The Board may also approve grants in amounts less than that requested in applications.

+ Is my organization eligible to apply?

An organization is eligible to apply if:

• It is located in or directly serves at least one of the 18 counties within the MDNHA service area.

• It is a unit of local government (including schools and quasi-governmental entities), a public or private institution of higher learning, an institute or research center at such institutions, a nonprofit organization, or a federally-recognized Native American tribe.

• If the organization is a nonprofit, it must have current tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, and be in compliance with the MS Secretary of State’s registration and reporting requirements. This also applies to applicants outside the state of Mississippi. Status and compliance will be verified by your EIN, letter of good standing from your state, and a W-9 submitted with your application.

+ If my organization partners with other organizations, do they also need to meet the above requirements?

No, you may partner with private entities, but only organizations that meet the requirements above may be listed as the fiscal agent. This means the grant would be applied for, and given to, the organization listed as the fiscal agent.

+ Does my project have to occur entirely inside the 18 MDNHA counties?

All funded project activities must take place within or directly serve at least one of the 18 counties within the MDNHA service area.

If your project also includes areas outside of the MDNHA, but still serves at least one of the MDNHA counties you may still apply, but the MDNHA will only provide funds for the portion of your project that directly serves the MDNHA.

+ Can you tell me if my project is something you would be interested in funding?

We cannot say specifically what we would or would not be interested in regarding grants. We won't even know that until all submissions are gathered and evaluated. A project that receives funding one year might not receive it had it come in a different year simply because of the nature of evaluating a proposal relative to the others that are submitted at the same time. It also would not be equitable if we were to read some proposals but not others, therefore our policy is not to provide subject feedback for any specific proposals.

We are happy, however, to provide specific feedback on what can and cannot be in your budget, and what activities we can or cannot fund.

Another helpful resource is to look at past projects we have funded to glean ideas from there.

And a final reminder / suggestion is to give deep thought to how your project serves the needs (as opposed to wants) of as many Deltans as possible, as well as give an honest look to the capacity of your organization to successfully complete your proposal within the 12 month fiscal year timeframe. Those are two things we pay quite a bit of attention to in the evaluation process. The stronger and clearer your argument and logic is for both of those things, the better your proposal will do.

+ Will you read a draft of my proposal and provide feedback?

No. Please see the answer above to provide more context, but the main reason we cannot do this is because we need to ensure equitability for all potential applicants. It would be impossible for us to review every application prior to submission and therefore our policy is to not read drafts of applications.

+ Will you review my budget before I submit my application?

For the same reasons as the answer above, we cannot review your entire budget to tell you if it is "good" or not. But we are here to answer specific questions such as "Can I include food as a budget item?" or "Is travel an allowable expense?"

+ What does "fiscal year start and end dates" mean?

The term "fiscal year" refers to the twelve-month period or financial calendar that your organization uses. The start and end dates of the fiscal year can vary from organization to organization. Your accounting staff, board treasurer, or bookkeeper should be able to tell you when your fiscal year starts and ends.

+ We are a start-up with no financial history. How do we complete the financial section of the grant application?

Estimate the amount of in-kind support and volunteer hours your organization has received; include either actual or projected operating budget for the next year.

+ What is "in-kind" support?

In-kind support means items or services that are provided for your project at no cost, and items that your organization will contribute to the project. For example, if a consultant has agreed to provide free services for the project, you should list the fee that s/he would normally charge for the same service. If a business or landlord has donated office space to your organization, you should list the rent you would normally pay. The dollar amount you list here should be the actual or estimated cost of obtaining the same item/service.

+ Can we use money from another grant we've received as match for the MDNHA grant?

If your grant was from another federal agency, then no, you cannot use it as match. Matching federal funds with other federal funds is prohibited by the US government. If your grant is from state funds or a foundation not connected with the federal government, then yes, you may use those funds as match so long as your other grant allows for it. Before assuming this is ok, we advise you check with all program managers related to the funds you are planning to use as match to ensure they allow it.