Grant Terms & Conditions
TERMS AND CONDITIONS regarding the Brazos Valley Cares (herein “BVC”) application and awarded grants for Organizations during the April 1, 2023, grant cycle.
Brazos Valley Cares may modify the terms and conditions of the grant process at any time. For the latest updates, applicants should go the Brazos Valley Cares website www.brazosvalleycares.org or request by email grants@brazosvalleycares.org.
ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES
Brazos Valley Cares requires all awarded grants to meet the following criteria:
The purpose of the grant is consistent with the mission of BVC;
The purpose of the grant cannot be used to unfairly discriminate against any group; promote a particular political or religious viewpoint or practice;
The applicant/recipient’s purpose for the grant has been submitted and approved by BVC; any subsequent changes to the funded plan, proposal or activities must be approved by BVC before funding;
Compliance with the BVC Conflict of Interest statement as stated herein;
Comply with the BVC Marks statement as stated herein;
Comply with all other BVC statements contained in theses Term and Conditions.
WHAT WE FUND
Brazos Valley Cares funds programs and services that directly impact the lives and well-being of veterans and their families who live in the Brazos Valley.
These programs and services must be in line with the mission of Brazos Valley Cares and may include but are not limited to emergency financial support, housing, home repair and ADA improvements, food, child expenses, medical and dental, funeral costs, car repair, service dog expenses, and treatment for trauma.
Brazos Valley Cares funds BVC Organizational Grants.
BVC Organizational Grants are awards to organizations that fund projects, activities and expenses that align with the mission of Brazos Valley Cares, which is to provide meaningful support for military veterans or their families who live in or have ties to the Brazos Valley in Texas.
WHAT WE DO NOT FUND
Brazos Valley Cares does not award grants for:
Educational scholarships;
Sponsorships or donations that benefit another organizations;
Establishment of a foundation, permanent trust, or long-term interest-bearing account;
Purchase of land or buildings;
New construction of or additions to any structure in which individuals live, work, or engage in any gainful activity, to include buildings (e.g., schools, homes/low-cost shelters, and hospitals), containers, and mobile homes, or of structures in which individuals carry out manufacturing or processing activities;
Fundraising activities of the applicant/recipient’s organization;
Expenses related to entertainment activities or public relations initiatives unless they are essential to project’s approved purpose;
Project signage in amount greater than of $500 in cost;
Operating, administrative, or indirect program expenses of another organization except for expenses allowed in conjunction with the project’s approved purpose;
Duplicate expenses for activities in which costs have previously been incurred;
Travel for youth under the age of 18, unless accompanied by their parents or guardians;
Travel for staff of a cooperating organization;
Activities primarily performed by an organization other than the grant recipient.
BUDGET REQUIREMENTS
Grant applications must include a categorized budget detailing the amounts requested in each category and disclosing other sources of support.
Grants may allocate up to 10% of the project budget for project management costs, which may include a project manager and project-specific overhead and administrative costs of cooperating organizations.
Grants may allocate up to 3% of the grant award for grant-related administrative expenses such as bank fees, postage, software, and an independent financial assessment.
Grants will only fund activities that have been reviewed and approved by BVC; After grant approval, any changes to the funded plan, proposal or activities must be pre-approved by BVC.
GRANT FUNDING
BVC Organizational Grants are solely funded by BVC’s annual fundraising activities. Awards typically range from $1,000 to $45,000, and are typically funded in the fall of each grant cycle year. was received. Funds are never be collected from beneficiaries in exchange for receiving a grant.
Organizations may submit one application per grant cycle year, and the application must include a spending plan. Any requests for an increase in the grant amount must be made before any portion of the grant has been dispensed by BVC. All BVC Organizational Grant applications must be received before June 30th of the year for which the funds are requested. Recipient organizations must report on the use of grant funds or return them to the BVC if they are not used.
All grant approval notifications will be made between August 1st – 5th of each grant cycle year. Awards will be made no later than the Fall of each grant cycle year.
BVC reserves the right to disperse funding to the recipient in incremental or periodic payments.
If a grant project is canceled after the project sponsors receive payment, all remaining grant funds must be returned to BVC.
All grant funds not spent toward the project within 12 months of funding must be returned promptly to BVC.
BVC will close the grant once the project implementation is complete.
BVC grant funds will not award/distribute any new or additional grant funds until the funds allotted from the previous year have been utilized by the recipient.
COOPERATING ORGANIZATIONS
Cooperating organizations are reputable non-BVC organizations that provide expertise, infrastructure, advocacy, training, education, or other support for the grant. Cooperating organizations must agree to comply with all reporting and auditing activities required by BVC and provide receipts and proof of purchase as required. No more than one grant may be approved in one grant year for projects involving a single cooperating organization. Universities are not considered a cooperating organization. All funding provided to cooperating organizations must be used for specific project expenses. The primary grant recipient must maintain an itemized report of such expenses. At the time of application, grant recipients need to provide a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by both primary grant recipients and the cooperating organization(s) that should include the following:
Verification from primary grant recipient that the primary grant recipient has initiated, controlled, and managed the grant;
Endorsement from the primary grant recipient that the cooperating organization is reputable, responsible, and acting within all governing laws;
Grant proposal clearly delineates the activities of each recipient;
Agreement from the cooperating organization to participate in any financial review by BVC of activities connected with the grant.
REPORTING REQUIRMENTS
Grant recipients are responsible for reporting on the use of grant funds to BVC. Progress and final reports must be submitted and all forms must be completed in their entirety for the report to be accepted. New grant applications will not be accepted by BVC if an applicant organization has an overdue report for any BVC grant. BVC reserves the right to review grants at any time, conduct an audit, send a monitor, require additional documentation, and suspend any or all payments.
Applicant/Recipient organizations must maintain copies of all receipts and bank statements related to grant-funded expenditures in accordance with the terms of qualification and any applicable local and international laws.
Grant recipients who fail to adhere to BVC policies and guidelines in implementing and financing grant projects must return unspent grant funds in their entirety and may be barred from receiving future grants for a period of up to five years.
Progress and Final Reports must be submitted as follows:
All grantee organizations are required to submit reports 2 times per year no later than Feb 1, and a final report on August 1st.
Acceptable reports shall contain detailed accounts of the project’s implementation, including:
An account detailing the amount of grant monies expended in each category and demographic information about the number of veterans and family members served.
A description of the participation of the primary recipient and cooperating organizations associated with the grant.
Retention Schedule. Financial records, supporting documents, expense receipts over $75.00, statistical records, and all other records of the grant’s disbursement by Applicant/Recipient shall be retained for a period of three (3) years after grant closeout, with the following exceptions: litigation, notification in writing to extend the retention period, nonexpendable property, transfer of records, program income, indirect cost rate proposals and cost allocations plans, which shall be retained.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Awards Banquet - Applicant/Recipient are expected to send a representative to the Grant Awards Banquet for check presentation and to learn about other grantee programs and services, thereby increasing the effectiveness and cooperation between organizations serving veterans in the Brazos Valley.
Promotion of BVC - Applicant/Recipient agree to credit Brazos Valley Cares funded programs and services with the use of graphics and text provided by BVC in applicable publications, website, digital media platforms and event material.
Ethics - BVC may deny, withdraw, and/or terminate the Grant application or full/partial awards, if BVC determines, within its sole discretion, the Organization, its members, staff or volunteers has committed or commits any act which may be considered to be immoral, deceptive, or obscene; or to injure, tarnish, damage or otherwise negatively affect the reputation and goodwill of Brazos Valley Cares.
Social Media - BVC may screen publicly available social media content of the organization and/or the organization’s Board of Directors/Leadership team to determine whether such public content may be immoral, deceptive, or obscene; or to injure, tarnish, damage or otherwise negatively affect the reputation and goodwill of Brazos Valley Cares.
Compliance with Laws - The Applicant/Recipient shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations, and the orders and decrees of any courts or administrative bodies or tribunals in any matter affecting the performance of this grant, including without limitation workers' compensation laws, minimum and maximum salary and wage statutes and regulations, nondiscrimination laws and regulation, licensing laws, and regulations. When required, the Recipient shall furnish Brazos Valley Cares with satisfactory proof of compliance.
Non-Disclosure – Applicant/Recipient and BVC will engage in discussions and exchange documents related to applying/receiving a grant. As a part of Applicant/Recipient’s application for the BVC grant, it may be necessary for BVC to disclose to Applicant/Recipient certain confidential information to Applicant/Recipient. Should BVC disclose any proprietary and/or confidential information during or subsequent to the grant process, Applicant/Recipient shall be obligated to maintain the confidentiality of any information disclosed by the BVC, whether or not related to the purpose of the grant. Applicant/Recipient agrees they shall not use information received from BVC in any manner not directly related to performing the intended purpose of the grant. Applicant/Recipient and BVC acknowledge that the disclosure of any confidential information, except as expressly permitted by this agreement or BVC, will cause irreparable injury for which the injured party does not have an adequate remedy at law.
No Liability for Consequential Damages – APPLICANT/RECIPIENT AGREES IT SHALL BE LIABLE TO BRAZOS VALLEY CARES FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF FUNDS, LOSS OF PRODUCTION AND LOSS OF USE OF FUNDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM OR ARISING OUT OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, BY STATUTE, IN TORT OR CONTRACT, UNDER ANY INDEMNITY PROVISION OR OTHERWISE.
Indemnification - To the extent permitted by law, the Applicant/Recipient shall indemnify and save harmless the Brazos Valley Cares from all claims and liability due to activities of the applicant organization’s agents, employees, or volunteers performed under this grant application and/or subsequent award process, which results from an error, omission, or negligent act of the Applicant/Recipient or of any person employed by the Applicant/Recipient.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
All individuals involved in a program grant and/or award shall conduct their activities in a way that avoids any actual or perceived conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is a relationship among individuals through which an individual involved in a program grant or award causes benefit, or could be perceived to cause benefit, for such individual or such individual’s family, personal acquaintances, business colleagues, business interests, or an organization in which such individual is a trustee, director, or officer.
The Applicant/Recipient and BVC agree that a Conflict of Interest shall include, but limited to, the following:
Applicant/Recipient - Applicant/Recipient shall immediately advise BVC of any perceived or actual conflict of interest with any individual(s) involved in the BVC grant program which could cause benefit, or could be perceived to cause benefit, for such Applicant/Recipient, applicant’s family, business colleagues, business interests, or an organization in which they are a trustee, director, or officer.
BVC - Current BVC Board of Directors, spouses, and immediate family members, shall be ineligible to apply for, be recipients of, any BVC program. BVC Board of Directors (Grant Committee members) shall exercise complete transparency in their familiar, personal, or business relationship with an applicant and must notify the committee chair in advance of the selection process of any actual or perceived conflict of interest.
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY CARES MARKS AND BRANDING
For the limited use granted herein, BVC may authorize the use of the BVC marks and branding to the Grant Recipient and/or the cooperating organization (herein Grant Recipient), subject to the following provisions.
Grant Recipient recognizes that BVC is the owner of all BVC marks and branding, to include, but not limited to, “Brazos Valley Cares” and all BVC logos.
Nothing in the limited use granted herein will constitute an assignment or license of any of the BVC marks or branding by BVC to Grant Recipient.
Grant Recipient recognizes that BVC retains control over where recognition materials are allowed to be displayed in the various venues of BVC authorized meetings, BVC events or publicly displayed otherwise in connection with the grant, partnership or alliance.
Grant Recipient recognizes that BVC reserves the right to pre-approve publications and other media in which Grant Recipient wishes to advertise using the BVC marks and branding, and to approve all uses of the BVC marks and branding in any materials connected with the grant or partnership in any and all media, including, but not limited to, for publicity and promotional purposes. Grant Recipient further recognizes that each use contemplated herein will be subject to a pre-publication review and approval process by BVC or BVC’s legal counsel. BVC retains the sole right to specific denial or authorization of such use or, in the case of alteration (of copy or layout), to be mutually agreed upon by the parties.
Grant Recipient recognizes that, without BVC approval, the BVC marks and branding may not be altered, modified or obstructed but must be reproduced in their entirety.
Vendors - BVC shall authorize and provide vendors with BVC marks and branding to use in conjunction with a Grant Recipient’s event, display, signage, or production. Vendors shall give credit for all uses of the BVC marks and branding.
