The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation 2023 – 2024 Grantmaking Cycle

The determination of a focus for a given year’s grantmaking demands that a sufficient amount of time be given to deliberation and discussion. After many regular meetings by the Grantmaking Task Force and the determination of a funding recommendation, the Board of Directors of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation (BFSF) decided that in fiscal year 2023-24 it would unite its efforts with the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula in

Support of Pathways Out of Poverty

$250,000 for the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters 2023/24 grant year would be allocated as follows:
$100,000 to support the CAN Program’s extension of the hours of service (evening hours).  This is a one-time award of $100,000 which will be used during the United Way’s 2024-25 fiscal year.

$150,000 to be used to support 8 new UW Partner Agencies that have some form of housing focus. Housing as defined by BFSF: 1) Physical housing that is constructed, rehabilitated, or acquired 2) Shelter 3) Temporary and Permanent Housing 4) Rental Assistance and Mortgage Assistance limited to eviction prevention.
NOTE: These DO NOT include expenses for utilities, furnishings, appliances, and routine maintenance. These DO include expenses for maintenance that keep existing housing habitable and quality.

BFSF will support these 8 agencies for 2 additional years, step down funding.
$115,000 will be used to support the 8 new Partner Agencies during the United Way’s 2025-26 fiscal year.
$80,000 will be used during the United Way’s 2026-27 fiscal year to support the 8 new Partner Agencies.

NOTE: An additional $50,000 would be made available, at the sole discretion of the BFSF Executive Director, if any of the 8 new Partner Agencies are required to present financial statements or have audited financials as part of the evaluation process and do not have the required financials or audit or a budget for either.

In addition, it would award $140,000 for Core Operating Support (COS)

1. 14 nonprofits will each be awarded $10,000.

2. Applicants must have a program/service which is in alignment with Housing as defined by BFSF:
a. Physical housing that is constructed, rehabilitated, or acquired
b. Shelter
c. Temporary and/or Permanent Housing
d. Rental Assistance and Mortgage Assistance limited to eviction prevention.
NOTE: These DO NOT include expenses for utilities, furnishings, appliances, and routine maintenance. These DO include expenses for maintenance that keep existing housing habitable and quality.

3. The application will consist of
The title(s) of the program(s)/service(s) which are aligned with Housing as defined by BFSF
A 1-5 sentence explanation of each program/service
The population(s) served
The goal(s) to be achieved by each program(s)/service(s).

4. The completed application is to be scanned to david_niski@bshsi.org on or before February 29, 2024

5. Questions – call 757-886-6025

The Board of Directors decided it would retain and fund four programs which have proven beneficial to the Peninsula nonprofits. These four programs are:

Professional Development – Ongoing Education – $30,000

Set-Aside Funds – Unexpected, unbudgeted emergencies – $20,000

Catchafire – An online platform what matches nonprofits with skilled professionals to help with business needs like fundraising, data analysis, marketing, financial planning and more – $60,000

Entrepreneurial Thinking – Participants will, at some point, arrive at an additional funding source for their nonprofits.