Frequently Asked Questions

What is the timeline for grant selections each year?

Important Milestones for Grant Applicants:
Grant Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm, on February 1st.

• OHSB Board will select and notify finalists by the end of March.

• Site Visits for the semi-finalists will be conducted during April and August. At least one (1) finalist Board Member must be present during the OHSB Site Visit.

• Grant awards will be announced and distributed at the OHSB Fall Partners Meeting in September.

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Please also note these important requirements for Grant Recipients and their timing:

• Grant recipients must be present at the OHSB Partners Fall Meeting (September) when given the grant award and must also attend the following year’s Fall Meeting to give a presentation.

• Grant recipients are required to send a tax receipt by January 31st to the OHSB Treasurer.

• Grant recipients are required to prepare and submit two (2) Progress Reports during the award year to the Grant Chair on or before April 1st and October 1st. 

How are the OHSB Grant amounts decided?

Applicants must request a grant in the range of $50,000 to $100,000. The actual amount of each grant is then determined after a review of the Partner Site Visit evaluations for each OHSB Grant Finalist and an impartial secret ballot vote of the OHSB Board of Trustees. The grant amounts awarded may vary from the original request.

When can we apply for a grant again?

If you DID NOT receive a grant, you can apply again the next year. Remember to start before the end of the year to prepare your grant application and gather all required documentation to submit on or before the grant application deadline of 11:59 pm, February 1st of each year.

If your non-profit DID receive a grant, you can re-apply for another grant after waiting two years.  For example, if your non-profit was awarded a grant in 2019, you can re-apply to receive another grant in 2022.

What’s the OHSB criteria for a non-profit to submit a grant application?

All grant applicants must meet these criteria:

1. Non-profit is a Christian organization committed to serving those in spiritual and physical need and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. Non-profit must have a 501(c)(3) IRS Tax Exempt Status for two years prior to the time of the application. This two-year period begins with the date of the IRS approval letter. 

3. Non-profit may not be a church.

4. Past grant recipients may apply again after two years.  2020 grant recipients can not apply until 2023.​

5. Non-profit must be a Birmingham based organization within a 50-mile radius of the Jefferson County courthouse. 

6. Use for Grant Money Requested

• Cannot exceed one half of your current operating budget.

• Cannot exceed 20% of the grant amount for salaries, advertising and marketing in total.

• Cannot be used for ongoing operating expenses, rent, endowments or capital campaign.

Why didn’t we receive a grant?

The number of grant requests we receive each year exceeds our planned giving which means not all grant requests can be awarded. Please know that OHSB prayerfully and impartially reviews all applications before the finalists are selected and ultimately the annual grant money is awarded.

We encourage you to re-apply the following year if you did not receive a grant this year, but keep in mind these two common reasons why a grant request could not be considered:

The grant application was incomplete and/or the non-profit did not meet the OHSB criteria.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

• Read the criteria to be sure that your non-profit qualifies as a potential grant applicant.

• Be 100% certain to complete the grant application and include two authorized signatures.

• Be 100% certain to provide the entire list of required documents including a detailed budget on or before the February 1st deadline.

• Once a grant application is submitted, no additional documents or revisions of any kind are allowed. Start early and plan ahead to be sure you include all necessary documents and complete the application in its entirety before making your grant request submission.