faqs

GENERAL & 2025 GRANT Opportunities QUESTIONS

Dogwood hosted two informational webinars about the Capacity Building and Collaboration & Innovation open grant opportunities. Access the recordings for each below. 

  • Please refer to the eligibility requirements for each Grant Opportunity for information on the types of organizations eligible for funding. 
  • All grant funds must be used to materially serve our 18-county plus the Qualla Boundary region of Western North Carolina. 
  • We seek to support organizations that elevate uncommon leadership and voices that may have been overlooked or discounted in the past. 
  • We encourage organizations to explore opportunities for partnership with other nonprofits or government agencies to help elevate their work for broader or deeper impact.
  • We support organizations whose work aligns with our Purpose, Values and Guiding Principles and Commitment to Equity.

As a private foundation, we are limited in some aspects of funding. Generally, we do not fund:

  • Direct payments to individuals.
  • For-profit companies. 
  • Work outside of our 18-county plus the Qualla Boundary service area. 
  • Organizations that do not align with our Purpose, Values and Guiding Principles and Commitment to Equity.
  • Activities that supplant government sources of funding (e.g., capital to build or rehab government-owned buildings, infrastructure/maintenance, public services typically paid for through tax revenue).
  • 100% of a capital request.
  •  Any programs that proselytize (attempt to convert people from one religious belief to another).

Yes. Organizations can apply for General Operating Support, Capacity Building, and/or Collaboration & Innovation grant opportunities in 2025, as long as there is alignment with eligibility requirements. However, Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total budget over any four-year period. 

In general, Dogwood will only accept one application per opportunity per organizational tax ID. Applications from fiscal sponsorship organizations are the only exception to this rule. Fiscal sponsorship organizations may apply for their organization and on behalf of other organizations.

Grant applicants are asked to identify the requested amount in the application and make a case for the amount in their responses. The amount granted will be determined through review and conversations with Dogwood’s Community Investment team members. Please know that, as a practice, Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total budget over any four-year period. 

Yes, but applications will be reviewed with consideration given to current active grant(s). 

Applicants will receive an automated electronic confirmation after the application is submitted that will include a projected decision timeframe. If you do not receive an automatic confirmation after you submit, please email [email protected] to check on your application. Application decision notifications will be sent electronically at the end of the application review period.

Organizations can use general operating support (GOS) funds for advancing their core mission, including building or growing programs, advocacy or policy efforts, and other uses they think are needed. Capacity building funds are only to be used to support activities which strengthen an organization’s internal operations to achieve long-term performance and sustainability, not programs or services.

There is overlap between the uses for GOS and capacity building. The list below provides examples of how organizations can use GOS or capacity building funding. Items that have a double asterisk (**) can be used for GOS only. Those without asterisks can be used for either GOS or capacity building: 

  • Strategic Planning
  • Other Planning Efforts
  • Staff, Leadership and/or Board Development
  • Capital Improvements**
  • Hire Staff**
  • Community Engagement or Increasing Access to Programs or Services
  • Start or Expand a Program**
  • Learning and Evaluation
  • Build Reserves**
  • Advocacy Efforts
  • Improve Operations & Systems (accounting, HR, IT, etc.)
  • Resource or Funding Development
  • Communications, Development or Marketing
  • Relationship Development or Increasing Collaborations/Connections

If you have other ideas for how to use such funding that meets these general guidelines and are not reflected in the list above, please include them in your application.

Grant reporting includes a pre-grant reflection, annual check-in conversations with Dogwood staff, and a final reflection at the end of the grant period. This process helps organizations reflect on their work, experiences and collaboration with Dogwood. Responses from all participating organizations will inform how Dogwood supports organizational health, connections and needs over time. Organizations can expect guidance and support from Dogwood staff throughout the reporting process.

While our team will stay close to our partners selected for these investments, there is no guarantee/commitment for future investments. 

A fiscal sponsor is an established organization that agrees to receive and manage grant funds on behalf of a sponsored group or initiative that does not have its own tax-exempt status.

A fiscal sponsor organization can submit an application for itself and submit separate applications for sponsored projects. Applications for sponsored projects must be submitted with the fiscal sponsor as the applicant.

If your organization is applying as a fiscal sponsor, please complete the designated section(s) of the application. All organizational and financial documents should be submitted for the fiscal sponsor, not the sponsored group. Additionally, please include the MOU between the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored group as an attachment in the application.

If the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored group plan to collaborate on completing the application, the sponsor may upload the appropriate documentation while the group or initiative completes the narrative sections, as long as this reflects your shared expectations and arrangement. You may use the “Manage Applicants” feature in the portal to add individuals from both the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored group as collaborators on the application.

Please know that, as a practice, Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total budget over any four-year period, including that of a fiscal sponsor organization.

In general, Dogwood will only accept one application per grant opportunity per organizational tax ID. Please work with your development office or office of sponsored programs to identify priorities for your organization. For the Collaboration & Innovation opportunity, an organization can be the Hub applicant for only one application but can be named as a partner in applications from other Hub applicants.

COLLABORATION & INNOVATION GRANT OPPORTUNITY QUESTIONS

This grant opportunity is open to collaboratives only – a group of organizations that have a history of working closely together to achieve shared goals, whether in emergent or established ways. Organizations are discouraged from creating new collaborations strictly as a means of pursuing this grant opportunity. A single organization – the Hub Applicant – will apply on behalf of the collaborative. Hub Applicants may be 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities, fiscal sponsorship organizations, government and governmental organizations, churches, houses of worship and religious organizations or colleges and universities.

Yes, but an organization may only be a lead – the Hub applicant – on only one application. Partners should keep in mind that this is a competitive process, and partners named in multiple applications will be competing with themselves. The Hub organization administers all grant funds and directly manages 20% of the grant funds to provide for the administrative and logistical needs of the group. The remaining 80% of grant funds are allocated, as determined by the group, to collaborative partners (including the Hub) to support the various roles within the effort.

This grant opportunity requires collaboration among at least two participating organizations. There is no maximum. This means that a collaboration could be just a Hub and one additional partner. No preference will be given to collaborations with a larger number of partners.

Grant funds may be used broadly to support the work of the collaborative, including both logistical and operational costs necessary to support the effort, as well as program activities. For example, this may include funds to support staff salaries; consultants to support with facilitation, meeting planning and design, learning and evaluation, coordination of meeting planning; training and conference attendance to support collaboration; travel to visit model sites; program operations; stipends/honorariums for community members/advisors informing work.

Both emergent and established collaboratives need to demonstrate their shared history. Emergent collaborations need to have evidence of close partnership prior to the release of this open grant opportunity, even if that work is still in process. Established collaborations must demonstrate the impact/progress of existing collaborative work and how a potential investment by Dogwood enables collaboration to test/explore innovation and amplify/accelerate impact.

Yes, but Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total budget over any four-year period.

The Collaboration & Innovation grant allows for up to 20% of funds to be used for flexible administrative funding and the balance (80% or more) for funding collaborative work. As part of the application, please propose a budget reflecting, at minimum, distribution of administrative funding and collaborative funding according to the defined roles and the work outlined in the application. It is ultimately up to your collaboration to define “collaborative work,” and reflect that definition in the budget that you attach to the application.

No. We are working separately with LTRGs to support Helene recovery efforts. Definition of an LTRG.

While our team will stay close to our partners selected for these investments, there is no guarantee/commitment for future investments.

All grants require a written final report. For multi-year grants, annual verbal check-in meetings with the program lead are also required. The foundation will provide a report template to assist grantees in preparing their final written report. The Hub organization will be responsible for submitting the final report.

Grantees must submit their final written report within 60 days after the grant ends. The Hub organization will be responsible for ensuring this deadline is met.

GRANTSEEKER/GRANTEE PORTALS

Dogwood uses online portals to manage our (1) Active Grants with current partners and (2) application processes for new Grant Opportunities. 

In 2025, we are transitioning to a new “Applicant and Grantee Portal” for our General Operating Support, Capacity Building, and Innovation & Collaboration Grant Opportunities. All grantseekers will need to use this new portal for 2025 Grant Opportunities. 

At the same time, grantees with active grants prior to 2025 will still need to use Dogwood’s “Legacy Grantee Portal” to submit reports and manage their grants.

The new portal is designed to simplify the application process for 2025 Grant Opportunities and beyond. Applicants can now use a single login to manage all applications with any funder that uses Blackbaud Grantmaking, including Dogwood. If you already use Blackbaud products like Raiser’s Edge, you will not need to create a new login. 

The new portal consolidates all applications from funders using Blackbaud Grantmaking into one location, providing a streamlined experience for grantseekers with a single login. This means that grantseekers can see applications for Dogwood and other funders in one place. The new portal is more user-friendly and allows applicants to manage applications, requirements, reports and invite additional users to collaborate on forms more easily.

The new portal consolidates all applications from various funders into one location, allowing applicants to manage applications and requirements more efficiently. It also allows applicants to invite additional users to collaborate on forms.

Yes, all applicants must have a Blackbaud ID to access the new portal. If you already use a Blackbaud product, you can use your existing Blackbaud ID and password. 

You will be prompted to create an account when you start an application for General Operating Support, Capacity Building, or Innovation & Collaboration Grant Opportunities. Alternatively, you can sign up by visiting https://bbgm-apply.yourcausegrants.com/apply/applications and follow the instructions to create a Blackbaud ID. If you already have a Blackbaud ID from another Blackbaud product, you may use that to login.

Existing grantees with active grants that are also applying for 2025 Grant Opportunities. During the transition period (likely through June 2025), both the legacy portal and the new portal will be active. This allows current grantees to download previous applications and reports before the legacy portal is phased out. Additionally, active grantees with ongoing multi-year grants and pending report submissions will need to continue using the legacy portal to submit their reports until their reporting schedules are migrated to the new portal. Dogwood will send communications about these transitions to affected grantees via email.

You can reset your password through the Blackbaud login page. If you have trouble, contact our Grantmaking Operations Team at [email protected].

No, all applicants must create or use a Blackbaud ID to apply for 2025 Grant Opportunities.

Yes. When creating an application, you can invite additional people from your organization to complete and collaborate on forms.

Bookmark https://bbgm-apply.yourcausegrants.com/apply/applications for easy access to your applications and requirement forms.

No, your application history will not transfer. Existing and long-term grantees should download any previous applications or reports before Aug. 25, 2025. If needed, our Grantmaking Operations Team can share PDF copies of all submitted applications and reports. You can request help by emailing [email protected]

The legacy portal  will remain active until Blackbaud officially closes it down. This will allow grantees time to download past applications and reports.

COMMUNICATION RECOMMENDATIONS & ASKING FOR HELP

Add [email protected] to your email’s safe senders list to ensure you receive all portal-related communications.

If you encounter any issues, contact our Grantmaking Operations Team at [email protected] for assistance.

Join our mailing list to receive updates on our latest news, funding opportunities and more.