Initial grant request proposals (LOI) of interest to the Fund that extend outside of our primary focus are also encouraged. Once you have determined that there is a match between your request and the Fund’s mission and focus, you may submit a Letter of Inquiry of a maximum of four pages in length. Because of the large number of requests the Fund receives and the time required to develop a complete grant proposal, applicants are not required to submit any full proposals unless they have been requested to do so by the Fund in response to a Letter of Inquiry.
A Letter of Inquiry should include information on the following topics and in this order:
1) Your organization’s purpose and history.LOI
2) Confirmation of your GuideStar Exchange Program Membership (if applicable).
3) The nature and extent of the problem or issue you plan to address.
4) How the proposed effort relates to the Fund’s focus.
5) How the population to be served has previously been involved or will be involved in developing solutions.
6) Your program objectives and evaluation:
• Specific program objectives.
• Evaluation criteria (what outcomes are desired for each objective).
• Evaluation methods for each program objective.
• What information you will collect to monitor your progress in reaching the objective.
• From whom you will collect the information and how often.
• How you will collect it (survey, interview, test, etc.).
7) Timeline of proposed activities.
8) Names and qualifications of personnel responsible for program leadership and fiscal responsibility.
9) Estimated cost for the project, the amount to be assumed by the grant recipient, other organizations, and the amount requested from the Fund.
10) Name, address, phone number, and email address (if available) of the primary person to contact within your organization should we have questions.
Please note: Examples of past work (articles, reports, videos, or other materials) should not be submitted with a Letter of Inquiry. One (1) piece of marketing collateral is allowed per submission.
Review of Your Letter of Inquiry
When your Letter of Inquiry arrives at the Fund, our staff will review it. You will be notified by letter whether or not you should submit a full proposal.
Preparing a Grant Proposal
We only review full grant proposals from applicants that have been requested by the Fund, after review and approval of Letters of Inquiry. (Not all applications will be required to submit a full application). If you are asked to submit a proposal, you will be sent the appropriate requirements for a full grant application package with your letter of notification.
Review of Grant Applications
We evaluate proposals on the following criteria: relationship to the Fund’s, mission, focus, and program goals; a proposal’s reflection of thoughtful and careful planning; the organization’s record of sound fiscal management; and the organization’s likelihood to meet its objectives.
For those whose proposals the Fund requests, staff may schedule a site visit to meet with your key staff, board members, and, in some instances, your constituency. Afterward, if your proposal is determined to meet the Fund’s guidelines and satisfy all review criteria, it will be submitted for distribution. You will be notified by letter of the approval or disapproval of your grant proposal within two weeks after submission of your proposal.