Note: We are no longer accepting applications for the Spring 2024 cycle. The window to apply ended March 1st.

GRANT FUNDING GUIDELINES
On this page: Funding Overview, Eligibility, Timeline, Applicant Resources, Sample Application

The Spring 2024 cycle of the Development and Preservation Fund accepted applications from housing-supportive nonprofit organizations for program, project, and planning grants within the City of Omaha. The total estimated funding pool for grants this round is $2 million.

PLEASE NOTE: Funding cycles are competitive.
Applications go through a multi-stage review process, including an external committee review. Submitting a grant application does not guarantee funding.

FUNDING OVERVIEW

A snapshot of grant funding this round:

• GENERAL GRANT GUIDELINES
  • Eligible Applicants: Local housing-supportive nonprofits
  • Estimated Funding Pool: $2 million across all grant types
  • Funding Sources: Private (ARPA-match)
  • Geographic Priority: In alignment with the ARPA partnership, matching funds will be prioritized for use and/or primary impact within the boundaries of the City of Omaha.
  • General operating is not eligible for funding.
  • Front Porch must be the sole philanthropic funder of the components in your request.
    • You will be asked to specify which budget line items would be solely funded by the grant if awarded.

• PROGRAM GRANTS
  • Focus: Expansion of the parameters or capacity of a current housing-supportive program; OR launch of a new pilot or program
  • Accepting requests for multi-year support (2-3 years) to enable pilot/program evaluation and sustainability planning
  • Examples provided under Eligibility below

• PROJECT GRANTS
  • Focus: To address valuation gaps or support a specific component of a current affordable housing project
    • Strong rationale will need to be provided as to why the request cannot be funded through a loan.
  • This application is closely aligned with the loan application (and therefore extensive) in order to understand the full scope of the project and capital stack.
  • Nonprofit loan applicants will have the option in their loan application to request grant funding for consideration as well.
    • If you are also applying for a loan for the same housing project, please do not complete a separate project grant application.
  • Affordability requirements will apply.

• PLANNING GRANTS
  • Focus: Planning activities for housing-supportive programs or affordable housing development and preservation projects
  • Examples provided under Eligibility below
  • FPI Blog Post: What is a Planning Grant?

ELIGIBILITY

⚠ IMPORTANT NOTES ⚠ 
Front Porch funding is limited and therefore competitive amongst the pool of applications received each cycle. Applications go through a multi-stage review process, including external committee review. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding in the current round, regardless of eligibility.

We request all applicants provide an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). If you do not have an active UEI, please register as soon as possible at SAM.gov/content/entity-registration. New registrations can take an average of 7-10 business days to process.

Applicant Eligibility

• NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ONLY: 501(c)(3) IRS Determination Letter required

Example Eligible Request Activities

Note: General operating requests are ineligible for grant funding this round.

Eligible program grant activities might look like innovative expansion or piloting of housing-supportive programs involving but not limited to: 

• Financial education and counseling
• Housing education and counseling
• Workforce development and training
• Language access
• Physical accessibility
• Renovation/rehabilitation program
• Development of community resources

Eligible planning grant activities might look like: 

• Pre-development research and design for future housing projects
• Community-engaged studies to assess specific housing needs in Omaha

TIMELINE

1 | Application Period

Applications opened February 1st and were due by 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, March 1st. Applicants were required to provide all necessary financial documentation at the time of submission to be considered for funding.

2 | Review Process

• STEP 1 Internal Review: Representatives from the Front Porch team will assess application completion, eligibility, and funding alignment. Staff may reach out to eligible applicants if needing clarifying information before moving forward for Committee Review.
• STEP 2 Committee Review: A committee—comprised of Front Porch board members, Front Porch staff, and community representatives from the housing sector—will review applications and put forth funding recommendations to the Board of Directors.
• STEP 3 Award Approval: Final funding decisions will be made by the Board of Directors following review of the committee's recommendations.

3 | Notifications and Public Announcements

Applicants will be notified of funding approval or declination by May 31st. Public announcements will follow in early June.

4 | Award Disbursement

Grant recipients will receive funds in June 2024. Multi-year requests may be awarded all at once or split across applicable years if specific reporting contingencies need to be met before subsequent year funding is released.

5 | Reporting

Requirements and frequency of reporting will be dependent upon award type and the funding source. Expectations will be outlined following award. Reporting might include narrative forms, in-person meetings, and/or deliverables resulting from awarded grant funding (e.g., housing study results, project renderings, pilot evaluation, etc.).

GRANT APPLICANT RESOURCES

Supporting Materials and Links

1. Submittable Instructions – navigating the online portal
2. What is a Planning Grant? – FPI blog
3. FPI Priorities – resident, project, and property characteristics
4. City Limits Map – to confirm if within boundaries of the City of Omaha
5. GIS Mapping Tool – to identify QCTs and proximity to transit and employment centers
6. Area Median Income (AMI) Limits Chart – effective June 15, 2023
7. General ARPA Info – State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) homepage

Language Accessibility

We have installed a plug-in for language translation on our website, positioned at the top right of this page. Application preview documents for the Spring 2024 cycle can be found below in English, provided in both PDF and Word (docx) formats for independent translation. Word versions of additional materials can be shared upon request.

If additional language assistance or accessibility supports are needed to apply, please don't hesitate to email Tess Houser at frontporch@omahafoundation.org. We proudly partner with World Speaks for translation services, and Front Porch will cover the cost of pre-approved services during application periods. 

Sample Applications

Final questions specific to your funding request will be populated in Submittable as you complete the online form. Spring 2024 application previews are provided below for reference and preparation purposes only:

• PROGRAM GRANT | pdf, docx
• PROJECT GRANT | pdf, docx
• PLANNING GRANT | pdf, docx