High Five Grant Program

The High Five program, offered by the Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG), is a donor-driven microgrant initiative aimed at strengthening nonprofits across Central Georgia through the funding of specific, tangible needs. CFCG’s overarching vision is to foster a region where philanthropy thrives and communities are resilient. The High Five initiative serves this vision by connecting individual donors with nonprofit organizations seeking to fulfill meaningful, project-based requests that lie outside their standard operating budgets. Nonprofits participating in the High Five program can submit up to three unique funding requests annually, with a combined maximum of $5,000 per organization. These requests must be for clearly defined items or projects with a total cost not exceeding $5,000. CFCG shares the vetted list of requests with its donor base, allowing individual donors to select and fund specific needs. This approach fosters a deeper connection between donors and the nonprofits they support, while encouraging creative, mission-aligned proposals from applicant organizations. The program is structured to reward originality and alignment with the applicant's mission. High Five favors compelling, unusual, or innovative items that have clear, mission-relevant utility and demonstrate potential for meaningful impact. The selection process is not competitive in a traditional sense—rather, projects are curated and shared with donors, who then determine which ones they wish to fund. This donor-centric model means that the likelihood of receiving a grant depends largely on the narrative strength and creativity of the submitted request. The application window opens annually on September 30 and closes at 12:00 PM on October 14. Applicants must use the CFCG online grant portal to submit their request. A virtual Q&A session is held in early October to assist interested nonprofits in understanding the application process. Requests are reviewed and published for donor consideration in November, with donors able to fulfill requests through January 12. If a donor chooses to fund a request, the grant is awarded in late January. Only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are located within and serve the CFCG service area are eligible to apply. Funding cannot be used for purchases already made or items that must be acquired prior to year-end. Funded organizations are required to complete a reporting package by March 1, which includes a personal thank-you letter addressed to the Foundation (to be forwarded to the donor), a story highlighting the item’s impact, a high-resolution photo, and a copy of the purchase receipt or invoice. By enabling direct donor engagement and emphasizing mission-driven storytelling, the High Five program offers nonprofits in Central Georgia an opportunity to obtain valuable items that enhance their service delivery while deepening relationships with the philanthropic community.

Smaller, mission-aligned, and unique requests are more likely to be funded