BGCF365 offers easy and fun way to give back to your community

Applications now open for $25,000 in grants to support programs investing in Lexington youth.

Want to learn more about your community, meet like-minded folks who care about building a better Lexington, and give back to local nonprofits? Look no further than BGCF365: an initiative of Blue Grass Community Foundation that unites and informs emerging philanthropists to make a collective impact on Fayette County. BGCF365 is for givers of all ages who want to be more engaged with their giving to make Lexington a better place to work, live and play for all!

The idea is simple: You give $365— a dollar a day— to make our community better. You pool those daily dollars with others. Members meet quarterly to learn about community issues and the Lexington nonprofits working to address them. Then, once a year, you decide together which Lexington nonprofit organizations you want to receive $25,000 in total grants.

This year’s grant theme, selected by BGCF365 membership, is Youth Development + Wellness. Grant applications will be accepted through March 10.

Make plans to attend the next BGCF365 event on February 23 at AppHarvest Kitchen at Greyline Station from 5:30-7:30pm. This free social mixer will feature fun, fellowship and a presentation from Kentucky Youth Advocates on key data and current issues facing youth in Fayette County to better inform the grantmaking vote at the BGCF365 Annual Meeting in April 2023.

Join BGCF365 today and experience 365 days of fun and impact. Since 2018, BGCF365 has awarded $125,000 to more than 20 Lexington nonprofits. Become a member of BGCF365 to vote on this year’s grant awards at www.bgcf.org/BGCF365.   

2022-23 Grant RFP: Youth Development + Wellness

BGCF365 is accepting proposals from local, tax-exempt nonprofit organizations for initiatives that foster the resiliency, safety, connectedness, physical health, mental health and overall wellbeing of children and youth (birth to age 22) in Fayette County.

BGCF365 members recognize the critical need to support children and youth in Fayette County who face various challenges, including the impacts of the pandemic, poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, community violence, trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences, discrimination and systemic racism. Preference will be given to proposals that specifically address the disparities of resources for and conditions of youth in Fayette County due to socioeconomic level and/or race and ethnicity.

Non-profit organizations, schools and units of government located in, and serving the youth of, Fayette County are eligible to apply. The deadline to submit grant applications is March 10. BGCF365 leadership will review all grant applications and narrow the field to three finalists. Representatives from the top three organizations will make a short presentation to the members of BGCF365 at their annual meeting in April 2023. Grants in the following amounts will be awarded based on membership votes: first place will receive $15,000; second place will receive $7,500 and third place will receive $2,500.

To learn more about this grant opportunity and apply, visit Blue Grass Community Foundation’s website: www.bgcf.org/grant-opportunities.