This tutorial has been prepared for organizations that have received approval by the Foundation to submit a Grant Application Summary and for those who have been approved to submit the Foundation’s complete Grant Application Form. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.
The tutorial has been designed to allow you to view the forms that will be mailed to you and receive additional technical assistance in completing them. Simply click on the highlighted text in each form and a pop-up message will offer additional information and advice for responding to the question..
The Grant Application Summary is the first stage of the application process. It gives applicants the opportunity to introduce their organization and request to the Foundation. It is intended to provide the Foundation staff with enough preliminary information to assess whether or not the request can be considered, without requiring as much depth and detail as the full Grant Application. Essentially, it asks:
- The purpose of your organization
- The current sources of funding
- How the grant funds would be used
If a Grant Application Summary is not successful, an applicant will not receive the Grant Application, so it is critical to address the summary questions thoroughly, being sure to highlight, within the framework of the questionnaire and the cover letter, the ways in which your program addresses the funding priorities and the grantmaking criteria of the Foundation. The fact that the Grant Application Summary is intended to be brief does not preclude it from being a descriptive and informative snapshot of your organization and request.
In addition to being a necessary step, the discussion you have with Foundation staff at the time you request your Grant Application Summary will be very useful to you as you complete the Summary, as it will further point out the qualities, focus, and criteria that contribute to the success of an application.
If you are presently at step one of the Foundation’s two-step grant application process, the following links will provide you with additional information for completing the Grant Application Summary and the cover letter that must accompany the Summary.
You may also wish to view the Foundation’s complete grant application forms available through the links below. Viewing these forms will help you determine if your organization is able to meet the application requirements should the Foundation find you eligible to proceed to step two of the application process.
The grant application is the second stage of the application process. It requires an expansion of the project description approved at the Grant Application Summary stage, as well as information regarding the organization’s mission, history, governing structure, financial position, and proposed use of grant funds. Decisions regarding Grant Applications are made by the Foundation's Board. Considerations include:
- Completeness of the application
- Are all questions answered?
- Is the application typewritten or computer-prepared? If computer prepared, is it in the exact order and format as the original application?
- Are responses limited to the specified number of words?
- Are the appropriate signatures present?
- Organizational Information
- Is it a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and is the designation letter included?
- Is a copy of the current Form 990 included?
- Is the mission of the organization consistent with the mission of the Foundation?
- Financial Information
- Is a current audit or compilation report (if acceptable), done by an outside auditor, included and does it reflect a relatively stable financial position?
- Are the required budgets included and are they reasonable?
- Does this project or organization have reasonable financial support from a variety of sources?
- Proposed use of grant funding
- Is there a documented need for this program?
- Is the program clearly defined and consistent with the funding priorities of the Foundation?
- Will the program have a significant impact and is there a plan for measuring that impact in a quantifiable way?
If you have already been approved by the Foundation to proceed to step two and submit a complete grant application, click on the application form that matches your monetary request to view a sample of the form that will be mailed to you.
We hope that this site will answer any questions you may have regarding completion of these forms. However, please feel free to contact your Program Officer for additional assistance.
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