Is My Organization Eligible for an Encore Fellow?
Please take a moment to review the following eligibility qualifications and guidelines to determine whether or not your organization is eligible to be a Host Organization for a Dayton Foundation Del Mar Encore Fellow.
To be eligible for a grant, your organization must:
- be recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, according to the Internal Revenue Code, and be established for at least two years and have a track record of sustainability,
- benefit the citizens in the Greater Dayton Region, (Montgomery, Miami, Greene, Darke, Preble and Warren (north) counties),
- have a diversity/inclusion policy,
- demonstrate systemic collaboration, and
- address needs that are not met fully by existing organizational or community resources.
GUIDELINES
The Foundation gives priority to projects that meet one or more of the following criteria:
- provide for more efficient use of community resources, promote coordination, cooperation and sharing among organizations and reduce the duplication of services in our community;
- test or demonstrate new approaches and techniques for solving important community problems;
- promote volunteer participation and citizen involvement in community affairs; and
- strengthen not-for-profit agencies and institutions by reducing operating costs, increasing public financial support and/or improving internal management.
Selection criteria for a Del Mar Encore Fellow Host include:
- The proposal addresses a significant community need.
- The proposal’s initiative creates systemic change and contributes to the advancement of equity and justice in our community.
- The goals of the proposal are realistic, achievable and sustainable. SMART: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Relevant and Time-Based.
- A sufficient level of funding for the initiative beyond DMEF has been adequately identified.
- The proposal outlines opportunities for collaboration.
- The proposal outlines how the Fellow will be integrated into the Host Organization’s leadership team.
- The Host Organization has or can assemble a volunteer pool of experienced, older adults to assist, as needed, with the initiative.
- Clear roles, responsibilities and performance measures are identified for the Fellow and the expert Encore volunteers assigned to the initiative.
- The identified Fellowship is not a new or replacement role supporting ongoing operational goals.
- The expected duration of the initiative is a minimum of one year but no longer than three years. Each year should have clear, concrete deliverables for the Fellow.
- The initiative is expected to result in an outcome that provides the Host Organization with a lesson learned, a best practice, or a program that is sustainable, post-Fellowship.
Now that you know if your organization is eligible, learn how to submit a Request for Proposal.
^ top of pageFile date: 02.13.20
HERE TO HELP

“Have a question about the Del Mar Encore Fellows Initiative? We can help.”
– Noreen Willhelm, Senior Fellow,
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