If you submitted a letter of interest for the Fall 2021 grant cycle, you will be notified by October 11, 2021, of your application status.
The Board of Directors of the Tennessee Disability Coalition (TDC) has decided to hold a special Fall 2021 grant offering to support disability community-centric storytelling initiatives
Storytelling can be a powerful tool! Community-centric storytelling can support community members learning to tell their stories, policy change, public health communication, and community development, for example. Effective, ethical storytelling initiatives require intentionality and sufficient resources
Community-centric storytelling puts the community first. While important initiatives, storytelling with the primary goal to amplify brand awareness or raise money for nonprofits will not be eligible for this funding.
Initiatives that focus on serving underserved or intersectional communities will receive preference
You might be wondering, what is disability community-centric storytelling?
- “Disability” means any kind of diagnosis, chronic illness, special healthcare need or disability.
- We are interested in supporting community-centric storytelling initiatives in any part of what is a large and diverse disability community.
What you need to know before submitting a letter of interest
Funding Amount Available:
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Nonprofits may apply individually for a grant of up to $10,000.
- Two or more nonprofits collaborating on an initiative may apply for a grant of up to $15,000.
Please note: One organization must serve as the lead organization to manage the disbursement of funds.
Funding Information:
- Grant funds must be used during the designated grant year (twelve months from receipt of grant contract)
- Funds cannot be used for past expenses, or to reimburse the program for expenses that were paid before the first award was deposited
- If grant funds are not exhausted, the excess funds must be returned to the TDC
- If grant funds are used for expenses that are not outlined in the proposed program budget line Items, funds must be returned to the TDC
- Grant awards are not considered gifts or charitable grants
Funding Process:
- The first half of the grant funding will be dispersed only after the signed Contract Agreement is returned to the TDC
- The second half of the grant funding will be disbursed only after we have approved the five-month Summary of Activities Report
Who can apply?
- Nonprofit organizations in the State of Tennessee, United States of America that are IRS-designated tax-exempt organizations or governmental entities
- To be eligible, an organization’s unrestricted funds as part of their annual budget must be less than $2 million. For collaborative grant applicants, unrestricted funding per organization must be less than $2 million. Unlike restricted funds which are designated by the funder for a specific program or use, unrestricted funds are not limited by the funder and usually go toward operating expenses or the program of the nonprofit’s choice.
- Regardless of award date, all prior TDC small grant awardees are eligible for this special topic grant opportunity
Online Application Process:
- Submission of a letter of interest with a budget outline due on or before September 20th
- Submission of a full proposal, if requested, using the JotForm link provided in your acceptance letter
- The full proposal is due on or before October 29th
Please note: The submission of all applications is done via JotForm. No other formats or form submissions will be accepted. Although our JotForm forms are accessible, If you require an alternative format for submitting these forms, please contact Carrie Carlson at smallgrants@tndisability.org
Online Reporting Process:
- A five-month progress report in the proper format, with a current budget report
- A final report, including a final budget, within six weeks following the end of the project term
Please note: The submission of all reports is done via JotForm. No other report submissions will be accepted. Although our JotForm forms are accessible, If you require an alternative format for submitting your reports, please contact Carrie Carlson at smallgrants@tndisability.org
Please note: Many organizations apply for grants each year and the overall amount of funding requested far exceeds our resources. Declined applications in no way reflect the worthiness of an organization's mission or programming.
Fall 2021 Timeline and Deadlines:
September 20th Letters of Interest due
October 11th Letter of interest status notifications sent by
October 29th Full Proposals due
November 19th Proposal status notifications sent out / contracts sent out
January 1st First installment (dependent on timely contract signatures)
May 30th Five-Month report due
June 30th Second installment (Dependent of report approval)
February 15th Final twelve-month report due
Many organizations apply for grants each year and the overall amount of funding requested far exceeds our resources. Declined applications in no way reflect the worthiness of an organization's mission or programming and these groups are encouraged to apply again in future cycles.
For additional questions: smallgrants@tndisability.org
Downloadable/printable grant information:
Letter of Interest - Fall 2021.pdf
Topic-specific general guidelines -
Fall 2021 Topic Specific Cycle Outline pdf
Fall 2021 Topic Specific Cycle Outline txt
Dates and Timeline -