Navigating the CDPP Application

Tax ID Number, or Employer Identification Number (EIN)

The tax identification number is a unique nine-digit number assigned to an organization by the IRS for federal tax reporting purposes.

Need help finding your organization’s tax ID?

• Look for a determination letter from the IRS confirming the organization’s tax-exempt status. The IRS determination letter is not the same as a certificate of formation issued by the secretary of state or sales tax number issued by the state comptroller.
• If your organization is tax-exempt, check that the status is in good standing using the IRS tax-exempt organization search. You may be able to locate your IRS determination letter as part of the standing results.

The application contact should be the contact person for any questions about the application.

The primary contact should be the person who will sign the legal letter agreement with LCRA and assist in scheduling the presentation for the CDPP grant, if awarded. LCRA also will contact this person for quotes about the project for a news release about the grant.

The narrative portions of the application are crucial for the review committee to understand the need for the project and the benefit to and impact on the community. Please be as descriptive as possible and cite examples of economic, cost or beautification benefits, or why the lack of funding for the project could be detrimental to the community.

• If your project includes facility improvements, please describe if the facility is used as an emergency shelter, polling location, meeting/event location, or has multiple uses by the community.
• Attaching photos and/or letters of support that substantiate the need for and community support of the project can be very helpful.
• Attaching diagrams/charts/graphs also can present information and facilitate understanding of the project and its impact on the community.

The review committee typically receives more than 100 applications each cycle. It is important applications are thoughtful, clear and easy to follow.

If the applicant does not own the property, provide documentation from the property owner illustrating relationships between organizations and permissions for the project improvements to occur on the property.

Documentation could include:

• A copy of a long-term lease.
• Letter from the entity granting permission for the project improvements.

Total Project Cost = Hard Costs of Project + In-Kind Contributions

• Should only include costs that qualify under CDPP grant eligibility requirements (i.e., no indirect or administrative costs/fees, program operating costs or land acquisition).
• Can be defined/identified as a phase of a larger capital improvement project (building, renovating or purchasing equipment).
• Cannot include previously completed components/phases of the project.

Refer to the FAQs for more information on eligible projects.

The project cost summary is required and should show details of the project cost.

Totals and percentages in the project cost summary must match the information provided in the grant request information section of the application. Costs listed in the project cost summary should match or be substantiated by vendor quotes provided in the application.

Please use the template provided by LCRA. The LCRA template auto calculates the totals and percentages for the project to verify eligibility requirements.

The minimum funding request is $1,000. The maximum funding request is $50,000.

Project costs of $5,000 or less do not require a matching contribution. Project costs exceeding $5,000 require a match.

Applications with matching contributions of more than the minimum 20% can earn additional points.

Refer to the FAQs for further details of matching requirements, see the project cost summary examples above, or use the grant calculator to estimate your request amount.

In-kind contributions can include:

• Donated materials and supplies.
• Donated use of equipment.
• Volunteer labor.

The value of in-kind contributions must be calculated at current prevailing rates. In-kind contributions must be identified and explained in the grant application and cannot include previously completed components/phases of the project.

Projects that have a positive impact on natural resources by addressing issues related to water and/or energy conservation can receive additional points. Water conservation and energy-efficient components listed for consideration should be part of the project being considered for funding and listed as components of the total project cost.
Examples of conservation components include:

• Insulation.
• Xeriscaping.
• Solar energy.
• Energy-efficient lighting.
• Energy-efficient windows.
• Low-flow toilets and fixtures.
• Rainwater catchment systems.

Existing or future planned water conservation and energy-efficient components do not qualify for additional points.

IRS determination letter

• Only required for tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.
• Issued by the Internal Revenue Service, not a state agency.
• May be available online through the IRS tax-exempt organization search.

Churches that meet the 501(c)(3) requirements are automatically considered tax-exempt.

Nonprofit organizations that have not been approved as tax-exempt by the IRS or whose tax-exempt status has been revoked by the IRS are not eligible to apply for a CDPP grant.

Financial statements

Current financial statements are needed to verify matching contribution availability.

Please DO NOT attach a full Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Only include the most current basic financial statements such as a balance sheet and cash flow statement. If your organization does not have financial statements, attach the most current bank and/or investment statements showing availability of matching funds.

You must be able to show that the matching contributions are on hand. If you are still fundraising for the matching dollars, the project will receive a substantial point deduction in the review process.

Photographs

Acceptable file formats include pdf, jpeg, png, docx or jpg. You may attach multiple photos at once by creating a document that contains several images.

Additional documentation

This section is for attachments/items that do not fit into other sections of the application but may help the review committee understand the project. Use this section to help tell your story and substantiate the need for and community support of the project.

Links to websites are not allowed.