Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund – Dash-Grants Program

Geographic focus

The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund focuses its grantmaking and work in Coös County, NH and communities in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont that share a border with Coös County. Programs, projects or agencies that operate beyond these borders, provided they offer clear benefit to the people and landscapes of Coös County, may also be eligible for funding.

Please contact us if you are unsure about geographical fit.
Eligibility
The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund awards grants that support organizations, coalitions, and other tax exempt entities (schools, municipalities, religious organizations) to advance the Tillotson Fund’s vision to revitalize communities.

Requests that support projects and activities focused on the people and places of Coös County and surrounding communities are invited to apply. Because this is a pilot grant program, projects should not extend past a year in length, however extensions can be granted.

Examples of awards:
- to provide marketing materials for a community event
- to sponsor a school field trip
- to hire a consultant to support a project or activity
- to purchase or replace equipment or furniture
If you already have an award from the Large, Local or Empower Coös Youth Grants Program, you are still eligible to apply to the Dash – Grants Program. There is no limit to how many times you are eligible to apply, but if you apply more than twice for the same project you may want to consider a different funding source.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Tax-exempt organizations under any part of the section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code
- State or local government agencies or unit of government
- Grassroots organizations, collaborative or coalitions may apply with a tax-exempt fiscal sponsor. (Learn more about what it means to have a fiscal sponsor and the responsibilities involved for both the fiscal sponsor and the grassroots organization.)
We do not make grants for:
- Capital campaigns
- Expenses already incurred
- Out of region projects
- Sectarian or religious programs
- Community Foundations unless they serve as a fiscal sponsor
- Individuals or endowments
- Budget shortfalls
- Support for political activities, i.e., lobbying
- Organizations or projects that discriminate based on age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, national or ethnic origin
Grant amount

Dash-grants program provides rapid grant awards ranging from $250 up to $2,000 to eligible organizations. Grants will take three weeks or less to process for an expedited turnaround.
Recent grants

See a complete list of 2022 Dash Grants.
Application deadline

Deadline: Rolling

You can apply anytime between January 3 and December 15, 2024

Application and grant process

Step 1

Determine eligibility and learn more about the program.

Please review the PowerPoint (view French translation); the video/audio recording from the 2023 Grant Seeker Information Session; and the “how to apply” instructions. If you have any questions, please contact Jean Clarke at Wrna.Pynexr@aups.bet.

Step 2

Create an organization profile in GrantSource.

Visit GrantSource and create your organization profile by clicking on “Register here” located under “New to the system.”

If you already have a profile in the system, please log in and update information including contacts, mailing address, mission statement, number of employees, operating budget, and board of directors. You may register your organization at any time.

If you do not have access to the internet or cannot apply online, please contact Jean Clarke Wrna.Pynexr@aups.bet or 603-225-6641 ext. 238 for further assistance.

Step 3

Complete the online application.

Log into the online system and open the Dash–Grants docket. The application consists of one question – “Please describe your project including a narrative description, intended outcomes, community partners that might be involved, and any other information that might be helpful.”

You will be asked to upload a project budget (PDF format). Budget line items should not include operational expenses such as salary, benefits, rent, utilities, or capital expenses.

Step 4

Receive funding status.

Requests will be notified of funding awarded or declined within three weeks after submission.

Step 5

Share the good news.

You will not be asked to submit a report at the end of your project year. However, stories, photos, events or news articles relating to your project are welcome. We also invite you to provide feedback about how the process worked for you and how it might be improved. This is a new experiment for the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund, and your experience with the program is important to us.

Application and grant process

We're here to help