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The Chelsea Community Foundation, awards grants of varying sizes that strengthen Chelsea and benefit its residents. General grant awards typically range from $5,000 to $25,000

Grant Application

The Foundation will make grants to 501(c)(3) organizations, government entities, school districts and universities that provide programs that serve the area defined by the Chelsea School District. We do not make grants to individuals, sectarian religious programs, or to cover deficits or other previously incurred obligations.

Grantmaking Process

The Foundation follows a two-stage application process. It begins with a proposal request, or initial inquiry, which allows applicants to briefly outline their ideas.

Based on these inquiries, selected organizations are invited to submit a full application. This structure enables the Community Foundation to efficiently assess proposed ideas and reduces the effort required from organizations in the early stages of applying.

Step 1: Proposal Request
(Initial Inquiry)

All applicants begin by completing a short, simple request form. This does not require registering in the MyCF portal.

The proposal request includes:

  • Basic organization information
  • A brief summary of your funding request

If your idea aligns with our funding priorities and there is available funding, you will receive an invitation to submit a full application in February 2026.
 

Step 2: Full Application
(By Invitation Only)

If invited, you must be registered in MyCF, our new application portal.

The full application includes:

  • A detailed description of the request
  • Grant Budget
  • Organizational documents (organization budget, board list, etc.)
  • Information on expected outcomes and how you plan to measure impact

We may also request a conversation to learn more before making final decisions.

Timeline

Proposal Request (Initial Inquiry)
Proposal Request Opens - Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Proposal Request Deadline - Friday, December 5, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET
Full Application (by Invitation Only)
Full Application Opens - Monday, February 2, 2026
Full Application Deadline - Friday, February 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET

How to Apply

Steps in applying to the Chelsea Community Foundation are as follows:

  1. REVIEW - Review the Chelsea Community Foundation Grant Making Guidelines (PDF)
  2. SUBMIT A PROPOSAL REQUEST – Submit a proposal request on MyCF, a new grantmaking platform. You do not need to register in MyCF to submit a proposal request.

Questions? Feel free to contact:

Erin Marie McDonald, Program Officer
(313) 961- 6675
Email Erin