1. HIGHLIGHTS OF GRANTS

2. FINAL REPORTS FOR GRANTS MUST BE SUBMITTED AND APPROVED BEFORE YOU CAN APPLY FOR A NEW GRANT.
The Final Report is due 30 days from the date of grant completion. This date is provided by the Grants Coordinator on the grant application.
                  
Lodges will be out of compliance if a Final Report is not submitted within 60 days from the date of grant completion, and will remain out of compliance until the Final Report is submitted.

3. WHERE’S MY CHECK
Hooray! Your Lodge’s grant application has been approved and members are super excited to get started. Now you’re probably wondering, “when will we receive the grant check?”
Grant checks will now be sent to the Lodge’s mailing address one month prior to the start date indicated on the approved grant application. If the Lodge applies less than one month prior to the start date indicated, the check will be sent as soon as possible. The change is part of our efforts to streamline the grants process, minimize the amount of lost checks, and more importantly, ensure your Lodge receives its check in time to organize a great project.
If your Lodge has not received a check within the one month timeframe, please contact us and let us know. We will confirm that we have sent it to the right mailing address and reissue the check if needed.

4. WHAT’S NEW FOR
ALL SOUTH CAROLINA LODGES ARE ELLIGABLE FOR THE GRATITUDE GRANT. CHECK CIP PARTICIPATION REPORT FOR THE DOLLAR AMOUT. WILL BE $2,000 OR $2,500, BASED ON YOUR LODGE’S ENF GIVING. ONLY GRANT TIED TO ENF GIVING.
GRATITUDE GRANT CAN BE SUPERSIZED – IT CAN BE ADDED TO ANOTHER GRANT BUDGET. BEACON GRANT IS $2,500 ADD THE GRATITUDE GRANT, NOW IT IS $4,500.
FREEDOM GRANT INCREASE TO 325 AVAILABLE AND WILL BE OFFERED ON A FIRST-COME FIRST-SERVED BASIS.
NEW! SPOTLIGHT GRANT - $2,000
BEACON GRANT IS NOW $2,500
PROMISE GRANT $2,500 AVAILABLE TO THE FIRST 300 LODGES

5. SPOTLIGHT GRANT
Starting with the grant year, we are debuting our newest grant offering, the Spotlight Grant! Every Lodge will have the opportunity to use this $2,000 grant to shine a light on two important issues facing nearly every American community—family literacy and homelessness among our nation’s veterans.
Lodges do not need to meet the GER's per-member-giving goal to apply. Spotlight Grant projects should include the following:
Focus Area: Spotlight Grants must be used for projects focusing on family literacy or veteran homelessness.
Lodge-led: Hands-on Lodge involvement is required. The Lodge should oversee project details and grant funds. Spotlight Grants cannot be a donation of supplies/funds and cannot be split between multiple projects.
Project Plan: The CIP will provide seven projects. The Lodge will select one project, demonstrate the need specific to the community and implement the project. The Lodge must follow the project plan.
Lodges may select one of the seven projects listed to implement in its local community.
Warm Welcome to the Library
Suds & Stories
Imagination Library
Community Baby Shower
Welcome Home
Stand Down
Adopt-A-Haven
To view detailed project plans visit Spotlight Grant Toolkit for more information.

6. GRANTS COORDINATORS About the Position
ENF Grants Coordinators can access online Community Investments Program Grant Applications but are not allowed to perform any other secretarial functions. This is a purely functional position, and it does not automatically infer any authority upon the person appointed. It is assumed that all grant projects are discussed and decided upon by the Lodge as a whole. This person should be computer savvy and involved with CIP Grants. The coordinator must be a member of the Lodge, and must be approved by the Exalted Ruler. Lodges may appoint more than one coordinator, or change the person assigned to this role at any time throughout the year.
How to Appoint
The Lodge Secretary should sign into CLMS. From the homepage, click the CLMS2Web Staff tab at the top, and then click on the link labeled Appoint ENF Grants Coordinator. There will be a drop-down menu with all the members of your Lodge with Elks.org accounts. Select the name of the person you'd like to appoint, and then click the button labeled Appoint New Grants Coordinator. The appointment will be immediate, and the new Coordinator will have full ENF Grant access privileges the next time he or she signs on using his or her elks.org user name and password.
Instructions for Grants Coordinators
Once appointed the ENF Grants Coordinator, you will be able to access your Lodge's grant applications. First, sign into elks.org using your user name and password. Then, visit the CIP Grants Dashboard at elks.org/cip/dashboard. From there, you will be able to see all the grant applications currently available to your Lodge. Select the application you'd like to complete to get started.

7. Unspent Funds
If your Lodge has any grant funds remaining from the your project, please contact the ENF. In most cases, we will be able to work with your Lodge to find a way to expend the remaining funds. Receipts for the full amount granted are required to be uploaded before the form can be approved.
If the Lodge must send back a refund, mail a check made out to the ENF. Be sure to label it as a grant refund on the memo line. Then, submit your Lodge's Online Final Report. In the body of the Final Report Form, be sure to include that a refund check is on the way and include the check number if possible. If the Final Report is delinquent, your Lodge will remain out of compliance until the refund check is received.

8. HOW MUCH MONEY WILL YOUR LODGE LEAVE ON THE TABLE?
GRANT
AMOUNT
X 19 LODGES
SPOTLIGHT
$2,000
$38,000
GRATITUDE
$2,000-$2,500
$45,500
BEACON
$2,500
$47,500
PROMISE
FREEDOM
TOTAL
$11,000-$11,500
$216,500
IMPACT
$10,000
$190,000
TOTAL
$21,000-$21,500
$406,500

9. ONLINE FINAL REPORTS FOR MORE INFORMATION elks.org/CIP
Margaret Miller
State Grants Coordinator
ONLINE FINAL REPORTS
Final Reports are now required to be submitted online.
Receipts are required to be uploaded online as well. Here are some suggestions for uploading receipts if your Lodge does not have a scanner.