Human community is to sustain the individual and family throughout the lifespan. Kyrias’ mission is to empower and invigorate communities by acting through educational, recreational, and health promotion measures made available to all. Kyrias seeks to enhance community potency and effectiveness by promoting the well-being of individuals and families throughout the lifespan. The vision is holistic, viewing human well-being as a product of physical, spiritual, social, psychological, and emotional balance.
The grant program focuses on empowering organizations to increase and sustain their effectiveness through various types of funding. These include Capacity Building, Capital, Challenge, Matching, Operating, Project/Program, and Seed Money. The grants aim to support innovative projects and programs that strengthen an organization's ability to fulfill its mission, with a preference for initiatives that address multiple priorities and bring together diverse movements. The foundation prefers to provide seed money for new projects or "step up" money to expand programs or to build organizational capacity. Grant awards generally range from $5,000 to $50,000, with consideration for requests outside this range under specific conditions.
When reviewing proposals, the foundation places importance on several key factors:
Addressing Community Needs: The proposal should clearly address an identified need within the community. It should fill a gap that has previously been neglected or under-served. Applicants should demonstrate awareness of this need through relevant statistics or prior initiatives.
Capacity Enhancement: The proposal should aim to significantly bolster long-term skills and resources within the community, the organization itself, or a specific group. The foundation will assess the potential impact of the grant, particularly for smaller organizations where it may offer substantial benefits.
Collaboration: Given the frequent overlap in the purposes of many proposals, the foundation values proposals that demonstrate a commitment to partnership and resource sharing towards a shared objective.
Geographical Reach: The foundation is keen on proposals that promise a broad geographical impact or serve a significant portion of the population, considering its resources and the wide array of community needs. Proposals with a more narrow focus are not precluded from funding, but the scope and reach are significant considerations. Efforts to spread resources across different regions are also favored.
Innovative Solutions: The foundation supports innovative strategies and new models for addressing community issues. It is particularly interested in supporting grassroots organizations seeking seed funding to kickstart new projects or programs that could drive forward future community-focused activities.
Resource Leveraging: While not the primary focus, the foundation values proposals that indicate the potential of the funding to attract additional support, whether through matching funds, challenge grants, or other financial or resource contributions.
These criteria reflect the foundation's holistic approach to funding, emphasizing solutions that are collaborative, far-reaching, innovative, and capable of generating lasting impact within communities.