The Emergency Grants

The Emergency Grants offered by the Community Foundation of Elkhart County (CFEC) are intended to support nonprofit organizations serving Elkhart County that are facing sudden, unanticipated, and unavoidable challenges. These challenges must be urgent enough that, if not addressed immediately, could threaten the organization's stability or its ability to achieve its mission. CFEC's goal is to help eligible nonprofits respond to crises such as natural or accidental disasters, equipment failure, or other unforeseen events that directly impact their core operations and service delivery. The scope of funding for Emergency Grants ranges from $250 to $25,000 per request. These grants are designed to provide immediate relief in situations where unexpected incidents—such as fire, flood, theft, equipment damage, or accidental occurrences—make facilities inaccessible or halt programs until the issues are resolved. The program also covers unexpected failure or impending failure of essential equipment that could jeopardize an organization’s ability to provide its services. However, there are specific limitations on what types of requests are eligible. The grant does not support replacing gradual loss of funding, providing interim funding pending government reimbursement, starting new programs, or general church building and grounds (with exceptions for public services). It also excludes food requests and situations resulting from poor planning, such as failure to anticipate lease expirations, tax obligations, or maintenance costs. CFEC’s emergency funding is not a substitute for general financial mismanagement or deficits that have developed over several years. Applications for Emergency Grants must be submitted online. The application is reviewed within 48 hours by a program officer. If further clarification is required, the applicant may be contacted for additional information. The program officer, with committee chairperson support as needed, makes funding decisions. While all applications are given equal and fair consideration, funding is not guaranteed. Approved requests are processed quickly, with checks typically issued within two weeks and potentially as soon as 72 hours following the application. To apply or for more information, nonprofit organizations should contact Anne Horst Hanby, Grants and Scholarship Administrator at CFEC, via email at Anne@InspiringGood.org or by phone at (574) 295-8761. The mailing address for CFEC is P.O. Box 2932, Elkhart, IN 46515, and the physical office is located at 240 East Jackson Boulevard, Suite 104, Elkhart, IN 46516. Note that construction may affect parking at the physical location, and applicants are encouraged to review the parking map if visiting in person. No specific application or award dates, Q&A sessions, or pre-application deadlines are mentioned in the source material. The process is designed to be as rapid and responsive as possible to meet the urgent needs of nonprofit organizations during crises.