(12-18 Month) Conference Support Fund

(12-18 Months) Conference Support Fund

Application Guidelines Fund Distribution

Application

Requirements

President of a conference in good standing must submit an on-line application (link
below)
The application includes two parts:
- Application form that asks basic information about the conference, its operation and
  the how the funds will help the conference grow toward sustainability
- A self-review of the conference relative to current National
  Standards of excellence
In addition to the on-line forms, a conference’s officers must appear before the board and
provide details on what steps it will take to move toward self-sustainability
To be in “good standing” a conference must have a full complement of officers as
described in The Manual: president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary

Conference Support Fund Application Review

The reviewer(s) may ask for more information to better understand the circumstances and the scope of the need.
When necessary, the amount approved may be less than the amount requested in order to give other conferences access to this form of assistance.
The Board has final approval of the award which is voted on at the monthly board meeting.

Guidelines

When a conference receives a Conference Sustainability grant they agree to complete a short, written QUARTERLY report to the board about the steps they are taking towards their own sustainability as laid out to the board in their application process.

A conference that does not complete their report will be ineligible to apply for any other funding from the council until that report is completed. Quarterly checks may be suspended until reports are completed.

A conference will be required to submit a FULL report on the use of funds and its progress toward sustainability at the end of the grant period, in order to apply for an extension, and/or become eligible for other council grants.

Additional Guidelines for Renewal of Conference Support Fund Extended

Conferences who have received Conference Sustainability Grant from Seattle/King County Council may apply as early as the final quarter of their existing grant to renew the grant. Renewal applications must be developed in consultation with the appropriate Council conference support staff. It is understood that the renewal amount may be less, the same, or more than the original grant. The conference president must be present at the meeting at which the renewal request is considered by the Board of Directors.

Renewal applications require additional attention to the following:

Renewal requests must show evidence that any conditions attached to the initial grant have been satisfied.
Renewal requests must clearly show that all National minimum standards and Seattle|King County Best Practices are currently being met. If for initial applications, the board approved waiving some standards as long as a commitment to soon meet them was made. No waivers will be allowed for renewals except under extraordinary circumstances, e.g., when a conference has functionally collapsed and is now being rebuilt.
Renewal applications must describe in some detail how the initial grant enabled the conference to expand its service to the poor.
Similarly, renewal applications must specifically define what services to the poor will be made due to the grant.
Finally, for renewal, the conference should describe efforts it has made during the initial grant period to raise additional money locally to better serve the poor. This should include a specific justification for the amount of money being requested in the renewal application.

Fund Distribution

This grant offers a way to sustain a conference through any form of transition with on-going support. Eligible conferences may apply for up to 12 months of funding with a possible 6-month extension for a total of 18 months.

A conference may request up to $6000 per quarter for a total of $24,000 in the year, $36,000 in 18 months.

Once an application is approved, funds will be sent to the conference by check from the Central Office in Seattle. A conference president may also elect to have the check picked up at the Central Office for quicker delivery. Checks will be issued quarterly.

Submit Application