Grant Applications

Criteria

The criteria for grant funding are as follows:

• Preference is given to eligible proposals demonstrating the most urgent and immediate need for funding.
• Grant awards must be directed to programs benefiting residents, groups, or organizations serving the City of Santa Clara and the surrounding Silicon Valley.
• Grants may be requested to initiate a project or program, to support the further  development of a current service, or to purchase equipment.
• Recipients who have received grants twice consecutively may not receive a grant for a third consecutive funding cycle. They must sit out at least one funding cycle before reapplying.
• Within six months of receiving funding, grant recipients must demonstrate that the MCCF grant has been expended in a manner consistent with the purposes indicated in the grant application submitted.

MCCF and our Bentzien Endowment Trust Fund do not make grants to the following types of organizations and uses:

• Political or lobbying organizations
• Organizations or foundations that distribute money to charity (pass through)
• Private foundations or endowments
• Sponsorships of fundraising events
• Beauty or talent pageants
• Salaries or Wages of employees
• Purchases already made or services already rendered