Eligible Projects

• Must benefit a documented cemetery in Madison County. (Check the Madison County Cemetery Locator)
• Funds from the Madison County Cemetery Restoration Fund must be matched by grantee funds (in-kind match is not allowed)
• Grant funds cannot be used to pay for supplies or equipment that are not directly needed to complete the project.
• Grant funds can only pay for labor that is done with a contracted professional. 

What the Fund will Cover

• Stone Cleaning, Repair, Resetting, and Replacement – fund will cover up to 75% of that cost.
• Exterior Fence & Basic Access Gates – fund will cover up to 50% of that cost.
• Vegetation Clean-up (including tree removal that threatens stones, seeding, or site reclamation) – fund will cover up to 50% of that cost.

Who Can Apply

• Township trustees, or municipalities responsible for the care and maintenance of a cemetery
• Cemetery boards if they are a registered 501c3.
• Cemetery boards that are not a registered 501c3 can apply if they have a fiscal sponsor who is a 501c3 or a governmental body that will agree to receive and hold the funds.

Required Documentation

• Quote(s) or qualifying bid(s) for the proposed supplies, or project (s) (should not be more than 60 days old)
• Report the number of known damaged stones in the cemetery.
• Photographic documentation of the site before the project is initiated.
• Cemetery board that is a 501c3 or you are working with a 501c3 as your fiscal sponsor, must include their tax ID number.

Process

• Applications will be accepted before April 1^st (or first business day after that date).
• Applications will not be accepted after October 31^st (or first business day before that date).
• Complete application form
• Cemetery board that is not a 501c3: you will need to arrange a fiscal sponsor.
• Cemetery board that is a 501c3 or you are working with a 501c3 as your fiscal sponsor: please include a copy the 501c3’s IRS 990 Form (just the main form not all the supporting documents) or a copy of their current operating budget.
• Quotes or qualifying bid for the proposed supplies, project, or projects (should not be more than 60 days old)
• Photographic documentation of the site before the project is initiated
• Grant requests will be considered in the order they are received, but the Greater Madison County Community Foundation Board does have the right not to fund a particular project based on the quality of the application, grant distribution across the county, past project history, and availability of funds.
• Questions about this process should be directed to Greater Madison County Community Foundation Grant Administrator Ryan Marquardt (515) 462-1891, director@madisoncountydevelopment.com.

Project Reporting

• Complete short evaluation form.
• Final receipt(s) for completed work.
• Photographic evidence of the project completion. 
• All photos will be used by the Greater Madison County Community Foundation to promote the fund and will be considered property of foundation upon submission.

Photos Courtesy of Colleen Peterson