New Grant Application Procedure Effective in 2012

Since January 2012, we have required a letter of inquiry (LOI) as a required first step in seeking our support. This is a departure from our previous application procedure, in which we the decision to begin the application process with the submission of a letter of inquiry (LOI) or a full proposal had been left to the discretion of the grantee.
        In 2011, we began to rethink this system because we grew concerned that the procedure was not as efficient or effective as it might be, especially in this era of increasingly scarce resources and great need. Responses to the grantee survey also emphasized that the lag time from submission to decision was difficult for many prospective grantees.
        As a result, we no longer accept full proposals as an initial applicant contact. Instead, we ask that all prospective grantees first send us a letter of inquiry (LOI) that briefly describes who they are and what they do and tells us specifically how much they seek, along with a description of what that funding will support. The LOI must be accompanied by the organization’s most recent audit or financial statement.
        Our objective is to streamline the application process, not complicate it. This section of the website should assist you in understanding our new procedure.