Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email confirmation to the ‘application contact’ email address that the application has been received. Please allow up to 30 minutes to receive the confirmation email and check your junk/spam email folders. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 30 minutes, please email Christie Burnett: cburnett@charlesnonprofits.org or call 301-934-3710.

Once the application is submitted it is deemed complete. There is no way to change any document uploads or narrative answers after submitting. Applications missing the required documentation will be considered incomplete and not considered for a grant award.

Applications are not accepted after the 3pm deadline on the final day of the application period.

All applicants are notified regarding an award decision via email by June 30^th. Please note, submitting a grant application to the Charitable Trust does not guarantee the award of a grant. Being the recipient of a previous grant does not guarantee the award of a grant. The requested amount for a grant is not guaranteed to be awarded. All applicants are notified of award or no award by June 30.

If Trust staff have any questions about the application submitted, they will reach out to the applicant via email. Please make sure the email box of the application contact is monitored. Failure to respond in an adequate timeframe may result in ineligibility for consideration.

Charitable Trust staff will contact you to verify grant deposit information. Grant payments are deposited after signed grant agreement and updated budgets (if requested) are received. Recipients are responsible for accountability of grant funds throughout the entire grant period. (July 1 – June 30) Mid-year and final reports are required. Grant recipients must account for all expenditures related to this grant and submit detailed reports on all grant expenditures.

The mid-year and final report budget and narratives should account for all grant funding spent during the grant period. We understand that occasionally not all funds are spent due to a variety of reasons. Unspent funding must be returned to the Charitable Trust within 45 days of the conclusion of the grant period.

Grant awards must be used for purposes outlined in the grant application and corresponding submitted budget. If a change to the use for any funding is required, the grant recipient must request approval of the change from The Charitable Trust. Changes to the use of funding will be determined on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed to be approved. Grant funding can never be used for the following: Any political purposes, to support a for-profit business, to support programs or services outside of Charles County, MD, to support an organization who has lost their IRS tax-exempt status.

Required documents for applying for a grant include:

• The most recent IRS Tax-Exempt Letter for your organization, and if applicable, current Letter of Good Standing for organizations that are a component of a larger umbrella organization (i.e., Boys & Girls Clubs, Religious Organizations, etc.)
• Completed Charitable Trust Program Budget form with line-item expenses of how grant funds will be used (a blank version of this document can be found in the application)
• Current year budget for your organization with year-to-date actuals (Fiscal Year 2025 or Calendar Year 2025)
• Previous year budget for your organization with actuals (Fiscal Year 2024 or Calendar Year 2024)
• Current Board of Directors roster with Board Member names and affiliations
• IRS Form 990 or 990EZ, Independent Audit or Review performed by a Certified Public Accountant (if available). For organizations with that are not required to conduct a financial audit, upload a copy of your most recent fiscal year end budget-vs-actuals signed by the chief officer or your Board of Directors Chair/President.
• Organizations must be in “Good Standing” with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (MD SDAT). Organizations can verify their standing here before submitting application: https://egov.maryland.gov/BusinessExpress/EntitySearch

Please note: All required documents must be submitted each year and must be the most recent version of each document available. Each grant request must have a measurable/quantifiable outcome that can be reported.

Organizations that wish to receive feedback on their application may email Christie Burnett: cburnett@charlesnonprofits.org. Please note we remain committed to maintaining the integrity of our grants process. We review each application and supporting documentation individually and complete the review and award process with full fairness and transparency. On average, the Charitable Trust can fund about 50% of the application requests we receive. Award decisions are final.