Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

—What makes a nonprofit eligible for this round of the Nonprofit Relief Fund?

To be eligible, your organization must meet each of the following criteria. Your organization:

Is an IRS-designated nonprofit organization or is fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit organization as designated in your IRS Determination letter.
Was established prior to July 2019.
Has a physical operating address within Baltimore City limit and provides services to benefit Baltimore City residents.
Can provide one year of financials (requests $25,000 and below should provide a 990 filing from within the past 12 months; requests between $25,001 - $50,000 should provide an Independent Audit Report dated no older than calendar year 2019)
Can confirm its status as a “Good Standing” organization with the State of Maryland by producing a Certificate of Good Standing with the State of Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.
Has expenses incurred between March 3, 2021 and August 31, 2022 in response to or to mitigate COVID-19 or its negative economic impacts.

—How much can I apply for?

There is no minimum request amount. The maximum request possible is $50,000 based on your organization’s operating budget.

Operating budgets below $250,000 can apply for up to $10,000
Operating budgets between $250,000 - $1 million can apply up to $25,000
Operating budgets at or above $1 million can apply up to $50,000

—How much can I apply for if my organization has a budget greater than $250,000, but can only supply 990s?

Your organization can apply for up to $25,000 with your 990s, so long as your 990 was filed within the past 12 months.

—What counts as a physical address in Baltimore City? What is required to verify a physical address in Baltimore City?

The address provided in your application should be your current operating Baltimore City address. You will need to provide proof of your operating office in Baltimore City if the address associated with your EIN is not in Baltimore.

—What financial documents do I need to submit?

If you are requesting $25,000 or less, you can submit either an IRS 990 filing OR an Independent Audit Report. 990s should be dated within the past 12 months. 990s can be the full 990, 990N, or 990 E-Z.

If you are requesting between $25,001 - $50,000, you must submit an Independent Audit Report that should be dated no older than 2019.

—We have not gone through the process of an Independent Audit but would like to apply for more than $25,000. Can we submit an independent financial review instead?

No, an independent financial review is not the same as an independent audit. An independent financial review is significantly less intensive than an audit report as it is not conducted with the same level of investigation or analysis. We encourage you to submit an application with your 990 for a grant that is $25,000 or less so long as you fit the appropriate organizational budget requirement.

—Are organizations with a fiscal sponsor eligible to apply?

Yes, organizations fiscally sponsored by a tax exempt organization can apply for the Nonprofit Relief Fund under their fiscal sponsor’s nonprofit status. A current fiscal sponsorship agreement should be included with your application. You also need to submit your organization’s specific programmatic budget as the uploaded Budget attachment (not the budget of your fiscal sponsor).

—If I was awarded a grant through the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund in 2020 or 2021, am I still able to apply to this opportunity?

Yes, organizations who applied and those who were awarded COVID-19 relief funds from the Baltimore City/Baltimore Civic Fund’s Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund (2020 and/or 2021), PPP loans, and/or any other COVID-19 relief funds can apply for the 2022 Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund. Priority will be given to organizations that have not received any funding, but organizations are still encouraged to apply.

—I received funds from other opportunities and sources throughout the pandemic. How does that impact my application?

Organizations who have received other relief funding are still encouraged to apply to the 2022 Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund. Preference will be given to those who have not received any COVID-19 relief funding.

Your proposed expenses cannot have been earmarked or paid for by another funding opportunity, whether that is philanthropic or federal. For example, if you received a Paycheck Protection Program loan for March to October 2021, you cannot request that salary to be paid for again through the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund. This is considered “double dipping” or “duplicative revenue” and is considered a violation of federal standards and would result in a federal fee.

—Are nonprofits outside of Baltimore City eligible to apply for the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund?

The Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund is only available for those nonprofits with an operating address in Baltimore City limits and provide services that benefit Baltimore City residents.

Budget/Allowable Expenses

—What can I use these funds for?

Grant expenses must be incurred between March 3, 2021 and August 31, 2022 in response to or to mitigate COVID-19 or its negative economic impacts. You will complete a grant budget with your requested line items with a brief description connecting the expense to your strategy for mitigating COVID-19 or its negative economic impacts. You will indicate on each line item if it is a reimbursement of previous expenses or a new expense to be incurred by August 31, 2022. Reviewers will be reviewing each line item for its fit within the guidelines, particularly how it connects to your organization’s COVID-19 response.

Expenses must also fit into the following categories:

Working capital such as rent, payroll, utilities, and job training up to 6 months
Professional services (e.g., marketing, hiring, accounting, sanitization/janitorial, etc.)
Purchase of equipment and services to expand outdoor service delivery

Certain infrastructure improvements related to the mitigation of COVID-19 such as HVAC upgrades and improvements to support social distancing such as physical barriers
Technology to support telework for employees and online sales platforms
Purchase of PPE and other COVID-19 related supplies

—Is lost revenue an allowable expense?

Lost revenue is not an allowable expense. All expenses must fit into the appropriate categories (see above).

—Can I group expenses into single line items on the budget document?

Yes, we encourage you to group expenses by category in your budget (e.g., monthly Zoom licenses for the months from March 2021 through December 2021 should be listed on one line together under “Technology”). You also do not need to break down one single receipt into several like items (e.g., Amazon purchase of 10 items is one budget line item).

—For the Board Approved Budget attachment, what level of detail should my organization budget show?

Provide a board-approved organization budget with sources and expenses in operation during the current fiscal year (2022 or 2023). Budgets should include at least categories of revenue (e.g., Corporate, Foundation, Government, Individual) and categories of expenses (e.g., Personnel, Travel, Equipment, etc.). For fiscally sponsored programs, this budget should be for your individual program, not your fiscal sponsor’s.

Application Process

—Can I start the application and then save and come back to it?

Yes. The grant portal automatically saves applications in progress, saving responses as you navigate the questions. You can access your application by going back to the portal, logging in, and clicking into it through the dashboard.

—What is the application deadline?

The application period for the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund is Friday, April 1, 2021 until Friday, April 29, 2021 at 5:00 PM EDT.

—If I submit my application too early by mistake, can I resubmit my application?

Prior to the application’s closing time, if you would like your application re-opened after submission, complete the Request for Technical Assistance Form to request your application to be reopened. This request must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on April 28, 2022. If reopened, you must submit by 5:00 p.m. on April 29, 2022.

—What is the “Certificate of Good Standing”? What does it mean to have Good Standing with the State of Maryland? When should the certificate be dated to be considered?

The certificate of good standing with the State of Maryland verifies that an organization is up to date on all documents and fees required by law and that no other government agency is holding the organization delinquent.

To obtain your organization’s Certificate of Good Standing, go to the MD Department of Assessment and Taxation website and enter your organization’s information.

You must include a certificate or a free PDF screenshot of the certificate that is no older than January 1, 2022 in your application. For PDFs (print-to-PDF), the date can be indicated on a header/footer in a printout.

—Do I need a DUNS number? How do I create or find my organization’s DUNS number?

The Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund cannot award grants to those without a DUNS number. A DUNS number is a unique nine-character number used to identify your organization. The federal government uses the DUNS number to track how federal money is allocated and requires it for all federally allocated funds.

If your organization does not yet have a DUNS number, or no one knows it, visit the Dun & Bradstreet website or call 1-866-705-5711 to register or search for a DUNS number. Registering for a DUNS number is free of charge, so if you encounter any organizations or websites soliciting a fee or charge to acquire a DUNS number it is likely a scam or fraudulent. It can take up to two business days to secure a DUNS number, so please leave yourself time to determine your DUNS number.

—How do others from my organization access our application?

Applicants can invite other users to view, edit or submit the application. When in the application in the portal, clicking “Collaborate” at the top right allows the applicant to invite others from their organization to view, edit, or submit their application.

—Can we submit more than one application? (edited 6/21)

Organizations can submit one application per Employer Identification Number (EIN) with an associated nonprofit status as designated by the IRS. If an organization is a fiscal sponsor for several organizations, each fiscally sponsored program may apply once under that fiscal sponsor’s 501(c)3 status.

If an organization has multiple programs, they may incorporate eligible expenses from each program so long as the submitted expenses do not exceed $50,000, or the maximum amount allowed by their organizational budget.

—How do I know my application was submitted successfully?

Once you press “submit” on your application, you will receive a submission confirmation email on the email address registered with the account. Your application will appear submitted in the grant portal with access to view the submission. If there are any questions about your application or your uploaded documents, we will contact you directly within 48 hours of your submission.

Review Process and Awards

—Is this grant first-come, first served?

No. Applications are accepted until April 29, 2022 at 5:00PM and will be reviewed by the community reviewers following the technical review process.

—How are applications reviewed and rated?

Applicants will be assessed for their ability to meet eligibility requirements and application completeness. If an applicant lacks proper documentation, they will be provided three business days to provide information. If the applicant fails to provide the proper documentation, the application will not move forward in the review process. Following the initial review, applications will move on to a community review of applications. A group of community members will review applications using a standard rubric and consensus discussions to determine awards.

Preference will be given to applicants based on the areas in the below question. Note that these areas do not indicate eligibility, and all organizations that fit the eligibility requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.

—What are the application priority areas for the 2022 Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund?

Applicants will be prioritized by certain qualifications, but all organizations are strongly encouraged to apply.

Organization has not received prior funding from local, state, or federal COVID-19 relief programs
Organization is located in a Qualified Census Tract in Baltimore City.

Organization employs 50% or more Baltimore City Residents as W-2 employees.
Organization has 20 or fewer full-time employees
Organization provides services such as:

assistance with food, housing, basic needs
employment programs

Provide disadvantaged groups with access to education, jobs, and opportunity

—When will my organization know if we received an award?

Applicants will be notified of their application’s status by mid-July and final reports will be due September 15. This grant is by reimbursement only, and organizations will be able to incur expenses through August 31, 2022. After submitting the final report, organizations will receive one single reimbursement payment for approved expenses. If your organization submitted an application of fully reimbursable expenses, you can submit your report before the deadline.

—Are there reporting requirements for the Baltimore Nonprofit Relief Fund?

Yes. Upon receiving your grant agreement, you will download a template that will allow you to report your actuals alongside your requested expenditures. In addition to the template, you will provide a narrative statement detailing the line items listed in the budget. The final report will be due by September 15, 2022. Awardees will receive funding after an approved final report as one reimbursement payment. Organizations will be able to submit their report prior to the September 15th deadline if they have made all of their expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

Budget/Allowable Expenses

Application Process

Review Process and Awards

Other Questions