How to Apply

The Foundation uses an electronic application process that requires a letter of inquiry before any grant application is submitted. This letter should briefly describe the organization, why funds are needed and what will be accomplished if funding is received. In order to submit an LOI, please use the link located on this page to register your organization and proceed to the LOI form. Letters of inquiry are accepted at any time and all letters will be acknowledged. If the Foundation finds the request appropriate for further consideration, the applicant will receive an approval e-mail directing them back to the original web link in order to access the electronic application.

Upon approval of the Letter of Inquiry, applicants may submit their completed application at any time. However, in order to be considered in our current grant-making cycle, please submit your complete application by Friday, October 17, 2008. Completed applications with all required attachments must reach the Foundation office by 5:00pm on the application deadline; otherwise, it will not be considered until the following Board meeting. Meetings are generally scheduled in February/March, May/June and November/December.

Review Process:

Once an application is received, it will be reviewed by the Executive Director to determine if additional information is needed. Supporting materials may be requested due to the widely varying purposes of grants and to ensure fair consideration of every grant received. In some cases, a site visit may be scheduled to discuss the project and to meet key members of the requesting organization.

Approval of Grants:

The Board of Directors meets three times annually and has final approval of each grant. Generally, an applicant should allow two to three months for a decision on a grant. If funds are awarded, the grantee will be required to sign a “Grant Agreement” and submit a final report at the completion of the grant period. Any renewal requests will be considered only if a final report is received in a timely manner. For multi-year and capital grants, this report must be completed each year prior to receiving the next installment.

Please note that the Foundation can only fund a fraction of the requests that are reviewed. In many cases, excellent proposals cannot be funded as they fall outside of the Foundations current focus. A denial of funding is not necessarily a reflection of the program or proposal, but is the result of a highly competitive process.

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