The grants program provides 20 community-based nonprofit organizations with $1,000 in grant funding to support operating, programmatic or capacity-building projects. Since its inception, the Community Mini Grants program has awarded over $200,000 in funding.

“Our Community Mini Grants are one of the ways we can enhance our members’ lives in the communities we serve,” said Renee Shipko, community engagement liaison at Truliant.

“We encourage qualifying nonprofits to submit a grant application and crowdsource votes from their supporters to bring greater awareness to their projects and mission.”

Applications are available online at www.truliant.org/minigrants until July 10 at 11:59 p.m. Recipients will be chosen by in an online crowdsourcing contest on Facebook and Twitter in August. Truliant Mini Grants provide funding to nonprofit organization projects in four areas:

·        Financial Literacy, for organizations providing financial education to improve the lives of individuals served;

·        Basic Needs, for agencies that meet essential needs, such as hunger and shelter, and promote personal independence and self-sufficiency;

·        Arts and Culture, for organizations that inspire creativity through the arts or introduce audiences to new experiences through cultural programming;

·        Youth Development, for programs that benefit the well-being of youth including leadership services, mentoring and life skills.

At the conclusion of the grant application period, all applicants will be reviewed by an internal committee and semi-finalists will be selected. Semi-finalists will be featured on Facebook during an online voting period. Truliant Facebook fans can show their support for local nonprofit organizations by voting on the credit union’s page in August. Grants will be awarded before September 30, 2016.

For more information about Mini Grants and last year’s winning projects, visit Truliant.org/minigrants, emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call (336) 659-1955.

Truliant is accepting applications for geographic regions including: Virginia’s New River, Wytheville and Richmond communities; Greenville, S.C.; East Triad communities of  Elon, Mebane, Burlington, Asheboro, Greensboro and High Point; West Triad communities of Winston-Salem, Clemmons and Kernersville; Charlotte-Mecklenburg area communities of Ballantyne, Steele Creek, Huntersville, Cornelius, Matthews, Mint Hill, University City, Tyvola, Harrisburg, Ballantyne, Mallard Creek and Uptown; and Western North Carolina including Shelby and McAdenville communities.

Qualifying organizations who are interested in applying must have tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and be in existence for at least three years. Truliant grants are unavailable to individuals, political candidates or groups, religious organizations or schools and organizations that operate outside the identified geographic area.