Community Connections
Capital grant requests
Otter Tail Power Company's Community Connections charitable giving program committee carefully selects capital grant requests to consider. We approve a small number of capital grants each year – between 2 and 10, depending on the size of the grants.
Qualified/unqualified purposes
We consider capital requests only for physical plant improvements or technology investments needed by nonprofit organizations. We do not grant capital requests for housing construction, endowment, program start-up or expansion, or to establish operating reserves.
Application, required materials, timelines
Please submit requests as described below. We prefer requests from organizations that already have secured 50% of the needed funds.
Our two-step process for capital grant requests
During the first step, we determine whether we will review a request. The second step requires additional information and includes a review of the entire organization as well as the request itself.
- Step 1 - Please submit a one-page letter requesting a specific amount along with a capital campaign case statement, campaign timeline/schedule, list of fundraising prospects, list of pending and future requests (and amounts requested), and the status/result of those requests. The deadline is June 15 of each year. Within a month, we will notify you whether we have decided to take your request under review.
- Step 2 - We will ask organizations with requests we select for review to submit the following additional material by August 1 of the same year.
- Capital campaign feasibility study.
- Project (construction/technology installation) plan and timeline.
- Current strategic plan approved by board.
- List of board members with affiliations.
- Independent financial audits for two most recent fiscal years.
- Most recent annual report.
- IRS letter confirming 501(c)3 tax-exempt status.
We will review requests selected for consideration during the fall. Final decisions usually will be made by December 15.
The review will include an evaluation of the organization's governance, management, program outcomes, and financial health. We also will seek evidence of an active and properly involved board, excellent and responsive management, external program evaluation and appropriate responses to improve outcomes, and financial health.
The review will consider the need and size of the capital campaign. Questions will include the following:
- Is the capital request responding to a well-documented need?
- How will hoped-for improvements increase the capacity, effectiveness, efficiency, quality and/or overall success of the organization?
- How/when will the organization evaluate the impact of the planned improvements?
- How are board members, staff, and volunteers involved in the campaign?
- Are improvement plan costs reasonable?
- Is the project in Otter Tail Power Company's service area?
If the request is for a construction project, questions may include the following:
- Will any external changes enhance the area in which the building in located?
- What is the schedule for building?
- How will staffing be affected by the new facility?
- Is there a long-range plan for financing increases in operating changes resulting from the new facility?
