Opportunity Overview
The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County is accepting Fall 2026 applications for its Special Project Grants. The program supports nonprofit projects serving St. Joseph County in Community Development and Urban Affairs, Health and Human Services, Parks, Recreation and Environment, and Youth and Education.
Deadline
The current Foundation program page and grant guidelines list the fall deadline as October 1, 2026. The materials reviewed by Atlas do not publish a clock time or time zone for the normal October 1 deadline. The website states that when a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the application is due the next business day at 9:00 a.m.; October 1, 2026 is a Thursday, so that exception does not establish a 9:00 a.m. deadline for this cycle.
Funding and Match
The current program page and current guidelines do not state a universal maximum request amount. The program operates as a challenge grant: for every $1 raised by the selected agency, the Community Foundation matches $1. Only cash gifts count toward the match; future pledges and in kind contributions do not satisfy it. Selected agencies have 12 months to meet pre negotiated matching requirements.
Eligibility
Nonprofit organizations serving St. Joseph County are eligible. The guidelines describe the program as assisting public and other 501(c)(3) agencies. Projects should benefit a significant constituency in the community, and applicants must demonstrate the ability to raise the required cash match. Organizations with less than two years of operational history are generally not funded, and an organization that received a Special Project Grant in the previous cycle is generally ineligible for the next cycle.
Required Attachments and Submission
Applications must be submitted through the Foundation’s online grant system. Required uploads include a detailed project budget, current board roster with officers identified, an income statement or profit and loss statement for the most recently completed fiscal year with an audit if available, a balance sheet or statement of financial position for the most recently completed fiscal year, and an IRS determination letter if it is not already on file.
Health and Technology Relevance
Health and Human Services is an express funding area. Capital campaigns are eligible with advance discussion with program staff. Computers are generally not funded unless they are a necessary component of a larger program or objective. Recent Foundation awards also show support for healthcare facility expansion, technology, adaptive tools, and equipment within larger mission driven projects.
Atlas Strategic Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 89/100. N9+ Fit Score: 84/100 conditional. A legitimate role for the Nonagon N9+ device and platform exists only where an eligible St. Joseph County nonprofit has a verified health service project in which guided remote examinations, vitals, or telehealth enabled clinical encounters are a necessary program component and the Foundation confirms the associated project cost is allowable. This is an applicant led or partner led grant opportunity, not a direct Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare procurement. The mandatory 1:1 cash match must be handled by the eligible applicant.
Next Action
Eligible organizations should review the current guidelines, confirm that they can satisfy the cash match and organizational history rules, assemble the required financial and governance attachments, and submit through the Foundation’s online grant system by October 1, 2026. Because the public materials do not publish an exact clock time or time zone for the normal deadline, applicants should submit early.