Thanks to everyone who came out to one of our Info Sessions this February!  Many questions emerged from the folks who came out, and we’re sharing some highlights of those questions and our answers to them here.  The most asked questions will also be posted to our FAQ page shortly.

If you’d prefer to watch the zoom recordings from our last two info sessions, you can watch them here:

• Zoom recording for: February 16, 2025
• Zoom recording for: February 27, 2025

We’ve grouped these questions by topic:

• What/who we fund and eligibility
• Additional support we provide
• How will funding decisions be made and who will make them
• Who funds us and our plans beyond this pilot year

Right now, we are actively seeking Mentors to offer support to applicants.  If you are interested in supporting applicants, please sign up for our mailing list and check “Support”. You will get an email with more details and signup instructions!

We heard so much excitement from folks about finding opportunities to connect and collaborate.  Many people asked how we can bring people together who are interested in collaborating? What are people’s ideas so we can start collaborating for the application process?

We are hosting mixers and a variety of events to encourage cross pollination and collaboration.  Our first mixer is on March 1 and will be facilitated by Engather!  Details HERE.  We are also developing a list of project ideas to help match-make folks who are interested in collaborating. If you have a project idea and would like to connect with folks about it, reach out to us!

If you have a question we didn’t get to below, find us at an event or reach out to hello@kingstoncommonfutures.org.

What/who we fund and eligibility

1. What can the funds be used for?
   • Grant funds are to be used for the expenses of your project.  Those expenses may include things like wages, project supplies and materials, or fees.  Grant funds may not be used for personal or business expenses not directly connected to the project. Projects must provide benefit to the Kingston community and align with the mission of this fund, and part of the application is explaining how your project accomplishes these things.
2. Do you have to be a non-profit or be affiliated with one to apply?
   • No!  We are excited to expand the opportunity to receive grants to individuals, community groups, and businesses as well as non-profits. Fiscally sponsored projects are also eligible to apply.
3. Can a grant be used for a one-time community event?
   • Yes, one-time community events are eligible to apply for grant funding.  We encourage you to consider who your event is for and how it might be supporting other community partners if applying for a one-time event.  How might this event provide benefits to the community beyond the event?
4. As an individual, can you apply with more than one project?
   • You may be the contact person for an application for one project per funding cycle. If you are involved with an additional project led by a group of people with a different contact person for the application, that is OK.
5. Can I apply for myself and as a representative of an organization separately?
   • You may be the contact person for an application for one project per funding cycle.  You may be involved in a group applying for an additional project, but you may not be the point of contact for both applications.  Groups may collaborate on their applications, so you may contribute to the application materials of a group without being the point of contact for the application.
6. Can we use the grant to employ people?
   • These grants are meant to cover all direct project expenses, including compensation. For example, a project budget could include the portion of an employee’s salary that compensates for work done on the project.
7. Can funds be used for repairs?
   • Possibly! For example, community spaces need maintenance and repairs.  If a project relies upon a physical asset, grant funds may be used for repairs or maintenance of that physical asset.  You will want to include this information in your budget and your project description. Repairs to physical assets that are serving a personal or business function and not contributing to a wider community benefit criteria are likely not eligible for grant funds.
8. What do you need to apply?
   • Please look over our application process page where we outline the steps to apply. For the first stage, you will not need a full budget and proposal, but you will need to develop that for the full proposal phase. We can offer support to help with crafting both the budget and the application. You may also find application questions in the Application Resources & Support section of our application process page.
9. What is the focus? Art, science, etc.
   • We do not have a focus in terms of topics or interest areas. We are looking forward to seeing what our open call inspires people to design as a project. You can review our eligibility and funding focus information to learn more about who specifically we hope to impact through this grant opportunity. But overall, the focus of this fund is to encourage, support and fund projects that build a sense of shared community resources and projects that provide a benefit to people in Kingston. We want to help seed new ways for people to connect and come together.
10. How should we think about regional scope beyond Kingston? Does a project have to take place in Kingston? Can it benefit Kingston without actually being in Kingston?
    • For this pilot year, our funding is focused on projects based in Kingston. What this means is the project is mostly led by people in Kingston, and that the activities and benefits are for the people of Kingston.
11. Letter Of Intent (LOI) – how much detail should I provide? Is the letter of intent a blank canvas? Or is it more of a questionnaire or template?
    • There is a form with questions.  You may preview the Letter of Intent questions here.  These resources will be updated as our platform and application is finalized, so check back in later.We are trying to create a short and easy application process for the first (LOI) phase, so you will not have a lot of space to share your ideas. Please try to describe what the project is and who it will benefit. We will be offering support to you through public sessions and support from our team of volunteers. Please connect with us or attend an event if you would like help! In order to advance to the full application phase we will be assessing whether: 1. Your project benefits the people of Kingston, 2. Your project aligns with the mission of the fund, 3. Your project budget is within our scope (grant sizes are $5,000 – $50,000).
12. Can I use funds to bring my project to Kingston?
    • Funding is available for folks who call Kingston home.  You may live in Kingston;  work in Kingston; or you may live elsewhere but be a committed part of the Kingston community.  Organizations and groups applying should serve the Kingston community if based outside the city limits. If your project is deeply rooted in another place, other projects may be given more consideration. Consider why you want to bring the project to Kingston specifically and whether leadership of the project will be held by members of the Kingston community.
13. Is long term viability a factor?
    • That probably depends on your project proposal. If you are proposing a project that plans to continue beyond the means of this grant, it will strengthen your application to include any other support or plans to gain support you may have.  Kingston Common Futures itself has secured funding only for this pilot year, so your project should not anticipate or depend on receiving future funding from us. We hope to continue offering funding, but do not want to create an expectation that leaves projects and people hanging.  One-time events and projects with short timelines are eligible for funding.
14. Can it be already established ideas or only new ones?
    • Both!  Projects may be new or already established.  We are offering seed funding which can support new ideas, but may also be used to grow existing ideas or help them to take firmer root.
15. Can I put a portion of the grant into a CD account to grow financial sustainability for my project?
    • No, this grant is specifically to fund project expenses, and is not intended to provide funding for investments. That would make it ineligible.
16. Does an individual applicant need a fiscal sponsor?
    • No! We are able to accept applications from individuals, community groups, and collectives that are unincorporated (meaning they don’t operate under a legal entity). You do not need a fiscal sponsorship to receive a grant. However, your project does need to show that it is in alignment with this fund’s charitable mission.
17. Can projects begin an application independently and decide to merge?
    • Yes.  Projects may decide to merge during the application process in either the Letter of Intent phase or the full application phase.  Once a full application has been submitted, however, it will be considered as submitted for this grant cycle.
18. What defines a large project versus a small project?
    • For our purposes, large and small only refers to the grant amount requested from Kingston Common Futures.  $5,000-$9,999 is considered a small grant.  $10,000-$50,000 is considered a large grant.
19. Does Kingston Common Futures want to be the sole funder for a project?
    • We do not have a preference for being the sole funder of a project.  Projects should show in your budget how the grant funds from us would be used in particular and share other funding sources and donations secured and/or anticipated. Many strong projects will be able to demonstrate community support and partnerships.
20. Does Kingston Common Futures have a preference for budgets that demonstrate minimizing costs and relying on donations or for budgets that pay full market rates for all budget lines?
    • We do not have a preference for a project’s budget strategy.  Our mission and values prioritize non-extractive work, localized economic power, the commons and shared resources.  A budget could align with our culture of money using either strategy or a combination. Consider how embedded your work is into the fabric of Kingston and whether your collaborators are being valued in a mutually desirable way.
21. Is it appropriate to apply for funding for a project’s first phase of research?
    • If the project is ultimately offering eligible community benefit, then yes, a research phase is able to apply for funding.  You may want to consider what this research phase will enable the project to do and why it is important to do now.  How embedded in the community will this research be and who will the research itself benefit?
22. What are the reporting duties if you receive funding? Is there a plan for accountability regarding how grantees spend the money?
    • Kingston Common Futures will have check-ins with funded projects. Our goal is to learn how projects are going and to provide support and assistance.  These check-ins will have a written and meeting component. The written component will include a simple tracking sheet to reflect real expenditures and implementation milestones in comparison with your original budget and timeline.

Additional support we provide & becoming a Mentor

1. Can Kingston Common Futures help with finding spaces for projects?
   • We are a small team and standing up this pilot year of this project is already a lot! 🙂 However, we are happy to try and connect you to people who can help strengthen your project proposal through our volunteers and mentors.
2. Can Kingston Common Futures provide funding or other assistance beyond the pilot year? Is this a one time grant opportunity or will it be repeated again in the future?
   • We have secured this funding only for this pilot year. While we are building plans beyond this pilot year, this is all we can provide for now. Our hope is also that the networks of support and the relationships built through this process will continue to provide assistance into the future.
3. What other resources apart from funding can Kingston Common Futures offer?
   • We are organizing a network of volunteers and mentors to provide an accessible and supportive process for funding applicants, that allows us to build stronger relationships, identify opportunities for collaboration, and model care. We believe our work is rooted in relationships, and strive to cultivate collaboration and nurture peer-to-peer relationships. We hope to connect folks with educational resources and expertise to one another.  In time, we hope to offer more education and partnership as well.
4. Are there ways to bring people together who are interested in collaborating?
   • Yes!  We are hosting mixers and a variety of events to encourage cross pollination and collaboration.  Our first mixer is on March 1 and will be facilitated by Engather!  Details HERE.  We are also developing a list of project ideas to help match-make folks who are interested in collaborating.
5. Can projects begin an application independently and decide to merge?
   • Yes.  Projects may decide to merge during the application process in either the Letter of Intent phase or the full application phase.  Once a full application has been submitted, however, it will be considered as submitted for this grant cycle.
6. Is it possible that one outcome of the review project would be for the reviewers to ‘suggest’ that for example, two projects combine efforts or that one theme in another project be considered for the reviewed project?
   • Kingston Common Futures will not be suggesting projects combine after applications are submitted and in the review stage.  Applicants may decide to merge projects prior to submitting the full application.
7.  How does one become a mentor and get involved?
   • Right now, we are actively seeking Mentors to offer support to applicants.  If you are interested in supporting applicants, please sign up for our mailing list and check “Support”. You will get an email with more details and signup instructions!  Check out our Become a Mentor FAQ Sheet!
8.  Are mentors signing up to help with the application or with the project in general?
   • That’s up to the mentor and the project!  To begin, mentors are signing up to support the application process.  Mentors and projects are free to continue their relationships; we hope many will do so.
9. How do we tap into the mentors who may be available?
   • There will be several ways to engage with Mentors! The best way to stay informed about when and where mentors will be available is to sign up for our mailing list and/or follow us on social media.  Mentors will be available during drop-in “office hours” and application workshop events that will be held throughout the application process, Mar – May. If applicants are unavailable for these events or have special needs, they can be paired 1:1 with mentors who may be able to support them. Applicants may request to be paired with a mentor in the Letter of Intent application form as well. We hope mentors will also be available to support applicants who were not selected to move forward in the funding process, to ensure all folks walk away with enriching knowledge, skills, and experience to take to the community.
10. What if people don’t use email? Are there other ways to stay informed?
    • Right now, email is the best way to stay informed about what Kingston Common Futures is up to. We will also be updating our website and social media accounts regularly, and our staff and Street Team will be out and about in town through the application process. We welcome you to attend an event and let us know if there are better ways to reach you or a population you’re connected to.  We are a small team working very hard, so we may not be able to meet your needs right away, but will try to do so in future cycles.

How will funding decisions be made and who will make them

1. How will Decision Circle members be chosen?
   • Kingston residents who are interested in volunteering on the Decision Circle will need to complete a short application. Our staff and Advisory Team will review the applications and speak with applicants to ensure the commitment is clear and desirable.  We would like our decision-making circle to reflect the pool of applicants, represent the population of Kingston, and redistribute decision-making power into the hands of folks who have not historically had access to decision-making. This means we are seeking a higher ratio of folks who are BIPOC, immigrants or first-generation folks, Spanish speakers, low-income and LGBTQ+ folks than may be represented in the whole population of Kingston. The Decision Circle will have some members of the design team who envisioned the fund in our pilot cycle.  Our intention in future is to include alumni from prior funding cycles in the design team’s place.
2. How will the application readers be chosen?
   • To be a reader for the Letter of Intent or Full Application, join our Decision Maker Mailing List and select “Decide”.  Sign up forms and more details will be emailed to the mailing list as they become available. You can view our Decision Maker FAQ sheet to learn more about becoming a Reader or applying for the Decision Circle HERE. All folks who volunteer as Readers or on the Decision Circle will receive training on Kingston Common Futures’ mission, application, and decision making process.
3. How many people will be reading each LOI and application? How many people will be making the final decision together?
   • We anticipate needing between 10-20 volunteer readers.  Each Letter of Intent will be read by 2 people. Each Full Application will be read by 3-5 people.  The Decision Circle will be 10-12 people.
4. Is there a time embargo for people who volunteer and are applying themselves?
   • It depends on the capacity in which you are volunteering.  Folks volunteering as mentors are eligible to apply in the same cycle with their own project or as part of a group project.  Mentors may also volunteer as readers, but will not be a reader for a project they have mentored.  To serve on the Decision Circle, you may not be an applicant, mentor, or reader in the same funding cycle.
5. Are final grantees going to be receiving the full amount requested or will some grantees receive partial funding?
   • We will only be funding projects at the full grant amount requested.

Who funds us and our plans beyond this pilot year

1. What is the plan for Kingston Common Futures beyond the pilot year of funding?  Where do you want to take it?
   • Our hope is to learn and grow.  We intend to fundraise and continue offering grants through a community-led decision-making process.  We want to learn how to improve our methods to better support the community through this work. We want to continue to bring more voices from the community into funding decisions. Over time, we intend to expand who and how we are funded as an organization, and to increase the amount of grant funding we have to distribute.
2. Where is the funding coming from?
   • Kingston Common Futures is supported by NoVo in Kingston, a branch of the NoVo Foundation. We are also being incubated and fiscally sponsored by Good Work Institute. We plan to diversify our funding sources as we continue beyond the pilot year. We believe that to build a truly community-powered fund that seeks to share and manage resources, we aspire to be supported by local members of our community with donations large and small. If you believe in our mission and would like to help support our work, consider donating!
3. Can Kingston Common Futures provide funding or other assistance beyond the pilot year?
   • We have secured this funding only for this pilot year. While we are building plans beyond this pilot year, this is all we can provide for now. Our hope is also that the networks of support and the relationships built through this process will continue to provide assistance into the future.