Seeking ideas for fun and/or inspiring grant names

Okay, so it's time to spice up our grant process name. Our [County Name] Grants is a pretty uninspiring name. What about Transformational Grants ... or Better Together Grants ... or Efficacy in Action Grants?!?!!

Does your foundation have a fun or inspiring grant name? Are you able to slip on your creative hat for a moment and brainstorm some ideas?

I'm confident our Compass Community can inspire me!

---

Tom Wickersham

Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa

Comments

  • TracyLarimerTracyLarimer Posts: 45 ✭✭✭
    First Compass Anniversary Name Dropper First Comment First Answer
    edited September 2021

    Here is an idea: "Power of Partnerships Grant" or "Transformative Impact Grant"

    @TomWickersham Confession: I cheated just a bit and looked at your mission statement. The thing that really jumped out at me was your collaboration value, but really the whole mission statement feels like it has all sorts of possible grant names hiding in it!

    Collaboration: We trust in the power of partnerships to create a more positive and transformative impact.


    Tracy Larimer | Foundant| Bozeman, MT | she / her / hers |

  • TomWickershamTomWickersham Posts: 82 ✭✭✭
    5 LOLs First Comment Photogenic 5 Likes

    I kinda figured we might go that route, but I'm also trying to help the deciders better envision what 'could' be! Thanks for the suggestion, @TracyLarimer

    Other suggestions are still welcome! 😁

  • TomWickershamTomWickersham Posts: 82 ✭✭✭
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    Still looking for other ideas from folks....

    Should I offer prizes??????????? (Maybe that's a topic for another conversation -- things that incentivize Foundant users (beyond caramels)!)

    Thanks in advance!

    Tom

  • edited September 2021

    Hey @TomWickersham, I have an extra Amazon gift card handy. How about we feature this conversation in next week's newsletter, and you pick your favorite creative grant name from the comments that come in to win the gift card?

    Kara

    Community Manager

    Kara Adams, M.Ed., CAE (she/her/hers)|Community Manager|kara.adams@foundant.com

    Headquartered: Bozeman, MT| Remote Location: Chicago, IL | Direct: 312-802-1374 |www.foundant.com|

  • TomWickershamTomWickersham Posts: 82 ✭✭✭
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    That's wonderfully generous of you! Can we suggest that all entries go into a drawing instead?

  • Great suggestion @TomWickersham!

    Kara Adams, M.Ed., CAE (she/her/hers)|Community Manager|kara.adams@foundant.com

    Headquartered: Bozeman, MT| Remote Location: Chicago, IL | Direct: 312-802-1374 |www.foundant.com|

  • LaurieAbildsoLaurieAbildso Posts: 68 ✭✭✭
    First Compass Anniversary Name Dropper First Comment Summit 2022

    How about "Vibrant Community Grants" (inspired by your CF's vision)?

    And thank you...you're making me reconsider our boring grant process names!

    (I'm a sucker for a chance at a prize!) 😉

    Laurie Abildso

    Vice President

    Your Community Foundation of North Central West Virginia, Inc.

  • Here is one with the basic idea of capitalizing the state abbreviation (would work better with a font that crossed the I)

    initIAting Change

    There are probably many more words you could do the same thing too!

  • KristinBurgoyneKristinBurgoyne Posts: 13 ✭✭✭
    First Comment First Compass Anniversary Regional Training Photogenic

    Community Collaboration Grants (CCG) or Community Partnership Grants (CPG) Are they grants or awards? Community Partnership Awards (CPA) sounds kind of nice.

  • LeeONeilLeeONeil Posts: 34 ✭✭✭
    5 Up Votes First Comment First Compass Anniversary 5 Likes
    edited September 2021

    Our last grant cycle was named "Building a Stronger Fayette", and we'll be using that language far into the future!

  • TomWickershamTomWickersham Posts: 82 ✭✭✭
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    These are all great ideas. I knew this community had some serious creative juices!

    Still happy to hear other ideas. 😁

  • JennieGeisheimerJennieGeisheimer Posts: 20 ✭✭✭
    Summit 2024 First Compass Anniversary First Comment Photogenic

    Generous Together

  • HollyCrainHollyCrain Posts: 4
    First Compass Anniversary 5 Likes Conversation Starter

    "Impacting our Community", or "Building our Community Today for Stronger Impact Tomorrow", or "Community Enrichment" grants.

  • AmyNossamanAmyNossaman Posts: 10 ✭✭✭
    Beer Expert Combo Breaker Summit 2024 National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP)

    I think the name should represent it's Exec. Dir;) "Catalytic Communities Fund"

  • TomWickershamTomWickersham Posts: 82 ✭✭✭
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    @AmyNossaman - I'll be sure to tell Kaye! 😊

  • KentWeimerKentWeimer Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    First Compass Anniversary Beer Expert First Comment First Answer

    What could be better than Foundant carmels as a prize????

    I like the word transformational. I do charitable gift planning for a large hospital foundation. I'm using that word more and more and it seems to be impactful.

    Lots of great ideas here!

    Kent

  • LisaStachulaLisaStachula Posts: 51 ✭✭✭
    Regional Training First Compass Anniversary 5 LOLs First Answer

    Hi Tom!

    Greetings from the other side of Foundant! 😉 LOVE this topic, as I struggled with grant program names as well, in my former position. When we were brainstorming for new grant names, I focused on the following:

    1) the name itself communicates to applicants important info about the grants themselves - it tells the applicant what the grant is for (General Operating Grants/), what the goal of the grant program is (Community Impact Grants/Transformation Grants) or what type of organizations it supports (Arts & Culture Grants/ Scott County Nonprofit Grants).

    2) Make it short & sweet - ie, As succinct a name as possible. And that's where I hit a wall with the grant program that supports gen op requests: Coordinated Field of Interest Grants. It's a mouthful. 😅 @KellyThompson will agree - we struggled to identify a better name for this grant program. Maybe she will get some inspiration from looking through the suggestions in this thread!

    Looking forward to the outcome of this!

    Take care!

    Lisa

  • TobiBruhnTobiBruhn Posts: 4 ✭✭
    First Compass Anniversary Photogenic 5 Likes Beer Expert

    Our organization's name is Foundations Community Partnership (FCP). Been playing with our acronym, e.g. Funding Community Projects, Funding Collaborative Programs, etc.

  • TomWickershamTomWickersham Posts: 82 ✭✭✭
    5 LOLs First Comment Photogenic 5 Likes

    I know you all (@TobiBruhn, @KaraAdams, @LisaStachula, @KentWeimer, @AmyNossaman, @HollyCrain, @JennieGeisheimer, @LeeONeil, @KristinBurgoyne, @CatherineCoker, @LaurieAbildso, and @TracyLarimer) are just dying to find out what we decided!

    And while I don't think the new name is super exciting by itself, it is much better than the old one, which was just our county name.

    Anyway, the new name is Catalyst Grants. We can talk about how the donors, the grants, and the nonprofits are all agents of change in our community.

    It looks like Amy was closest to predicting the outcome!

    Thanks again, Foundant Community!

    Tom

  • LisaStachulaLisaStachula Posts: 51 ✭✭✭
    Regional Training First Compass Anniversary 5 LOLs First Answer

    Love it, Tom! Makes sense, based on the purpose of the grant. Thanks for the update!

  • KentWeimerKentWeimer Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    First Compass Anniversary Beer Expert First Comment First Answer
    edited November 2021

    Tom, that's a great name!

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