Bargains Unlimited grants provide critical support for charities that sustain the quality of life for senior citizens and those who work in Door County.
Supported by the proceeds of Bargains Unlimited, the beloved Sister Bay resale shop, the Bargains Unlimited Charitable Fund grant program will fund projects that support working people in Door County or enrich the quality of life for our community’s aging population.
Bargains Unlimited Grant Guidelines
The proposed activities should accomplish at least one of the following:
1. Serve the working people of Door County
2. Enrich the quality of life for seniors in Door County
3. Enhance the lives of residents of Serenity Spring Senior Living
Grant awards are expected to average $25,000, with requests of up to $100,000 considered for exceptional projects that align with the program’s goals. Preference will be given to projects that benefit residents of Northern Door County – defined as the area including the towns of Egg Harbor and Sevastopol, and all municipalities to the north.
The following do not qualify for a Bargains Unlimited Charitable Fund Grant:
- Retiring debt or budget deficits
- Loans or re-granting programs
- Multi-year commitments (charities may reapply in future cycles for the same idea)
- Activities that advance a particular religious belief (religious organizations should contact the Community Foundation to discuss specific project ideas before applying)
- Individuals or groups that are not qualified public charities or units of government
While we recognize the importance of all of these activities, the Board has made a strategic decision to focus the priorities of the grants elsewhere.
We generally do not make grants to pay for activities that have been contracted or that occur prior to the awarding of a grant.
Fundraising expenses, capital campaigns and grants to an endowment are generally not supported by grants unless the applicant can articulate special circumstances which make their request particularly important.
Each charity is limited to one application per cycle. However, charities may submit applications in successive grant cycles or to the other granting programs of the Community Foundation that might be open at the same time.
Application
Please complete the Community Foundation’s Common Grant Application and submit via email to applications@givedoorcounty.org.
The Chief Executive of your organization must review the entire Application Packet and sign the Application Form accordingly. This is an important step in the process as on occasion we have received applications that were submitted without the knowledge of the charity’s senior management. To protect your organization and ours, we now require that your Chief Executive review your Application Packet before we will consider it.
For purposes of this application, the “Chief Executive” is generally the highest ranking paid staff person in your organization. In many charities it is the Executive Director or President & CEO. For schools, the Principal must sign the Application Form. For units of government, the highest ranking official such as a Mayor or Village Administrator must sign.
For an all volunteer organization, the Board President should sign the Application Form.
We will accept the typed name and email address of the Chief Executive typed on the Application Form as an “electronic signature” if the Application Packet is submitted by email. However, please note that if it is not an original signature, we may contact the Chief Executive listed on the form to confirm their electronic signature.
While it’s permissible to combine multiple projects with a strong and natural correlation into a single application, the budget on the application should separate the individual line-item expenses by project. For instance, rather than adding up the total design, equipment, and labor costs for all three projects into single line items, instead, list them by individual project.
Application Deadlines
Grant applications will be accepted through the Door County Community Foundation’s regular winter and summer grant cycles.
Winter Sustainability Grant Cycle
Applications Due: 4th Monday of December at 4:00 p.m.
Summer Sustainability Grant Cycle
Applications Due: 4th Monday of June at 4:00 p.m.
Please provide your contact information if you would like to receive emails announcing when applications become available for the various grant programs of the Community Foundation.
Submit your completed Common Grant Application via email to applications@givedoorcounty.org.
On occasion, our spam filters inadvertently screen out email from some charities. You should receive an email within 3 business days of our receipt of your application confirming its receipt. If you do not receive this confirmation, please call (920) 746-1786 to confirm that we received your application materials.
Applicants will be notified of a decision about seven (7) weeks after the application deadline.
Please email us, or call (920) 746-1786, if you have any questions or would like an informal assessment of your idea prior to the submission of a formal application.
Final Report
Grant recipients agree to provide a Final Report as a condition of receiving a grant.
All grantees must submit a completed Final Report via email to grants@givedoorcounty.org within 60 days of the expenditure of the Community Foundation’s grant funds.
